Rio Ferdinand gives Erik ten Hag six-point plan to save Man Utd

Rio Ferdinand has outlined a detailed six-point plan to help new Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag restore the Premier League giants to their former glories.

The Dutchman’s appointment was confirmed on Thursday but he won’t start work in earnest until the summer once his commitments with Ajax are fulfilled.

Ten Hag will inherit a fractured dressing room and a squad which is set to lose a number of high-profile and experienced players.

On Friday, interim boss, Ralf Rangnick, whose own future remains a matter of conjecture, revealed that Paul Pogba has already played his final game for the club after suffering an injury at Liverpool in midweek.

Ferdinand, a defensive linchpin during the club’s glory days under Sir Alex Ferguson, has been left dismayed by recent events at Old Trafford and fears Ten Hag will have little chance of succeeding, unless he is given time by the senior figures above him.

The former England international is confident Ten Hag will not fall victim of the short-termism that has cut short the reigns of Jose Mourinho and Louis van Gaal, but a cultural reset is required to instil the sort of discipline that was a hallmark of Ferguson’s tenure.

Ferdinand told BT Sport: ‘These are the six points that a manager can have influence on you can talk about stadiums and training grounds and redevelopment but that’s not where Ten Hag is going to come in and help.

‘You talk about six points and I mention the culture many times over the last couple of months. With that I mean discipline, players made accountable on and off the pitch, you need consequences when things aren’t going right and decisions are made off the pitch. I don’t feel there’s a fear factor for any player if I do something wrong and step out of line