Rio Ferdinand sends warning to Erik ten Hag over Manchester United structure ahead of appointment

Rio Ferdinand has called for Manchester United to improve their structure of the club ahead of Erik ten Hag’s appointment as manager.

The Ajax boss looks to be closing in on a move to Old Trafford, with the Dutch champions expecting their manager to be appointed. The 52-year-old become United’s preferred candidate last month, having been one of the frontrunners alongside Mauricio Pochettino.

Ten Hag was interviewed by United two weeks ago, and is now set to become the club’s second Dutch manager following Louis van Gaal. The Reds insist they have not yet secured a deal with any manager, although they are aiming to make their appointment before the end of the season.

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Following the latest developments, there has been plenty of speculation as to who could join Ten Hag in his backroom staff at Old Trafford. The likes of former United assistants Steve McClaren and Rene Meulensteen have been linked with returns.

Meanwhile, current interim boss Ralf Rangnick is expected to move into a consultancy role, as per the terms agreed upon him joining the club back in December. Former United defender Ferdinand though has warned his old club they not only need to get their managerial appointment right, but need to get the right people working around Ten Hag.

“Gone are the days where it’s just a manager, a Fergie or a Brian Clough, Wenger, where they ran the whole show,” Ferdinand told BT Sport. “You need all components around the manager to be working fundamentally well to be a success.

“Jurgen Klopp is not a success the way he is at Liverpool without the people around him, Michael Edwards and the people around that. Pep Guardiola and