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Erik ten Hag brings back Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United tradition

Erik ten Hag brings back Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United tradition

Ferguson's continued impact on life at Old Trafford has previously been criticised but this feels like a classy touch from Ten Hag.

Erik ten Hag has impressed Manchester United by bringing back a tradition at the club made famous by Sir Alex Ferguson.

In the past, United have been accused of living off their previous success far too much in the era post Ferguson's retirement and their most recent Premier League title.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was certainly at the centre of those allegations, with claims the Norwegian wouldn't park in his old bosses' parking space at the Carrington training ground.

Certainly Solskjaer recently showed his true colours that the current crop of United players wouldn't have coped under the legendary Scotsman.

Ten Hag definitely seems to have shaken the idea that the club is still too beholden to Ferguson, as his first season at Old Trafford comes towards an end.

There was one meeting between the pair when they were snapped having dinner together but such is the Dutchman's standings that no one was worried about it.

Ferguson and Solskjaer were both in attendance on Saturday, as Ten Hag's side beat Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Fergie may have even been in the dressing room after.

That's because the current manager has reintroduced an old rule from the 13 time champion of inviting a director into the changing room after a game.

The Mail claim that the idea, also encouraged by Richard Arnold, is to show unity between boardroom and players and often seen two directors congratulating or commiserating with players after full time.

The report claims that it is usually David Gill and Michael Edelson who go to visit the squad after games, but it may well have been Ferguson on Saturday.

The 81-year-old has been a director of the club ever since his retirement, almost 10 years to the day, but his shadow often hung over previous managers.

Recently, board members going into the changing room hasn't been seen as a positive sign, after Chelsea owner Todd Boehly went into see the players after a recent loss.

The American is claimed to have had a go at the players, something Gary Neville revealed never happened when Fergie invited VIPs down.

"Believe it or not at Manchester United for the 20 years I played there, the executives, the board of the club would come into the dressing room after every game when Sir Alex was there," Neville told the Overlap.

"He [Sir Alex] would invite them in - it was after the team talk - it was to shake Sir Alex's hand and the players hands, say well done or commiserations on the odd time we lost a game.

"That happened for 20 years so it's part of what we understood.

"They never once commented on performance. They never once addressed the players. They never once spoke about anything to do with tactics.

"It was just purely to keep the club together from top to bottom."

Featured Image Credit: Alamy

Topics: Football, Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson, Erik Ten Hag, Premier League