16 March 2023 , 14:12
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Erik ten Hag has hailed Sir Alex Ferguson's "eye for creativity" as he looks to emulate the title-winning manager at Old Trafford.
Ten Hag and Ferguson met for dinner in February ahead of United's Carabao Cup final against Newcastle, and plenty of fans would have loved to be a fly on the wall for that meeting. While some aspects of their conversation are likely to remain a secret, the victory at Wembley speaks to the job the new manager has done both before and after meeting the Scot.
United haven't won the Premier League since back in 2012-13, when Robin van Persie top-scored to help them to glory in Ferguson's final season. It seems fitting, then, that Van Persie was the one to hear his compatriot's stance on Ferguson during a BT Sport interview.
"Every day he is here and you feel that," Ten Hag told Van Persie. "I think he brings the winning mentality but also an eye for creativity.
"Always good strikers, you were one of them, [and] big personalities who decided big games. I think he brought it to this club and it's great to talk to him about it."
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While the wait for another Premier League title is set to go on at least one more year, a six-year wait for silverware of any kind has been ended. United could yet end Ten Hag's first season with more than one trophy, with a Europa League quarter-final place all but secured and a chance this weekend to reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup.
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Erik ten Hag has already delivered his first trophy as Man Utd manager (Ian Tuttle/REX/Shutterstock)Ten Hag's praise for Ferguson has been reciprocated. "United is based on success," Ferguson told Sky Sports after the Carabao Cup final, "He's going the right way about it.
"His signings have been really good - I think that was important - and he's got a grip of the club, which is really big for him. When you come to United, you try to get off to a good start right away and he's doing well."
Next up for United is the second leg of their Europa League round of 16 game against Real Betis. A 4-1 victory at Old Trafford means they have one foot in the next round, but their manager has stressed the need to name a strong team.
" They will both play because we face a very good opponent," Ten Hag said when asked about Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro, The pair are both one booking away from suspension, but are in line to feature in Spain.
“Last week we had a good result against Real Betis, but you need your best players, we need a result and we need a win. The approach is always serious. We will play our best team, definitely. We have to put out a team that can adapt during the game."