Rio Ferdinand gives clear advice to Erik ten Hag over Manchester United moles

Rio Ferdinand has urged Erik ten Hag to stamp out any problems within the Manchester United dressing room by sacking anyone who leaks information to the media. On-field struggles at Old Trafford and beyond this season have also been coupled by suggestions of division among the players.

Defeat to Arsenal means United face an almost impossible task to qualify for the Champions League and there is a quick turnaround for their hastily rearranged Premier League fixture against Chelsea on Thursday night (7.45pm). In the meantime, attentions have turned to the arrival of the Ten Hag era.

The Manchester Evening News revealed early last month that the 52-year-old Dutchman was a preferred candidate to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on a permanent basis and his appointment has now been confirmed. He will stay with Ajax - chasing down a third Eredivisie title - for the remainder of this campaign before aiming to address on and off-field matters outlined by Ferdinand on the latest episode of his FIVE podcast.

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Ferdinand said: "You need a culture of people where there is discipline in the group where nothing is getting out. If stuff ever got into the paper, the manager would pull in the squad out immediately - I don't think this happens now - in a tight group in a circle and warn; What's going on here? If I find out who is leaking stories to the media'.

"And then you would be standing there thinking; 'I hope I will find out no-one in my team has spoken to anyone in the media, because I haven't'. If it comes back through anybody else in my camp, they're getting the sack because I ain't having that in my dressing room."

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