Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has laid out a six-point plan for United to follow as the club tries to rebuild under new boss Erik ten Hag.
The Man United legend was speaking on BT Sport ahead of the club’s clash with Arsenal and during a conversation about the new United boss, the former centre-back laid out six areas where the Dutchman can have an influence, which can be seen below.
• Cultural reset
• Recruitment overhaul
• Clear playing style and identity@rioferdy5 outlines his six-point plan to get Man Utd back to where they want to be… pic.twitter.com/pL70jvPbaT— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 23, 2022
Ferdinand had “set the culture” top of the list, where he wants the players held accountable for performances and consequences for actions that affect the team.
“Improve recruitment” was next, an area where Man United have failed miserably over the last few years.
The former defender wants to see a “structural reset” at his former club, this is where everyone would know their role and no one can undermine anyone’s position within the structure.
Ferdinand thinks Man United need a “clear playing style” at the club, which is almost certain to happen under ten Hag and will make recruitment easier as players who fit the style can be easily identified.
Youth needs to be embraced according to the pundit, an area United have always traditionally been good at.
The United legend’s final step was to “develop players”. A lot of players in the current team never got the development they needed to progress their game under former Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjær and are now paying the price – Marcus Rashford and Aaron Wan-Bissaka being prime examples.
These are some could ideas from Ferdinand because, as the pundit says, the manager can have control over these areas.
This is an era Man United can’t get wrong, as the club cannot fall further behind Manchester City and Liverpool, who continue to grow every year.