Former Manchester United title-winner Mark Hughes believes Erik ten Hag is the best man to lead the club back to the glory days and has compared his attitude and man-management style to legendary boss Sir Alex Ferguson.
Hughes, now manager of League Two side Bradford, lauded his former club’s turnaround so far under Ten Hag who has already clinched the League Cup title and lead United to an FA Cup semi-final and third in the Premier League.
The Dutchman in the dugout has transformed what was a downtrodden and embarrassed Man United last season into a team brimming with confidence and playing a brand of football that has seen a feel-good factor return to Old Trafford.
Hughes has clearly absorbed some of the positive mood around the United camp and told the Mirror that Ten Hag has ‘steadied the boat’ but needs to be given ‘time’ to get the club back on top.
‘Erik ten Hag has come in and steadied the boat that was rocking from side to side,’ said Hughes.
‘He’s going to need to have time and he’s done the initial part of dealing with the demand that was on him as the manager of the club, stabilising everything.
‘He looks like he’s instilled discipline into the group and the club as whole. Playing under Sir Alex Ferguson, his standards for discipline and behaviour were strong, it was one of his mantras.
‘It looks like Ten Hag has taken a little bit of that on board and it seems like he is a very straight forward and structured guy who just tells you as it is,’ he added.
Hughes was one of Ferguson’s most important signings during his early United tenure as he became the club’s then-record signing in 1988 and during 10 seasons in two spells at the club helped them clinch their first two of Ferguson’s 13 Premier League titles along with three FA Cup’s and multiple other honours.