Manchester United icon Wayne Rooney has suggested that having a strong core of British players could be crucial to helping Erik ten Hag thrive at Old Trafford and bring back the glory days.
During Rooney’s time at Man Utd, legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson was able to rely on top British stars such as Ryan Giggs, Rio Ferdinand, Paul Scholes, Gary Neville and Michael Carrick, plus Rooney himself. Current Man Utd boss Ten Hag does have some talented English stars including Marcus Rashford, Kobbie Mainoo, Mason Mount, Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire.
However, those players do not have as strong leadership skills or as much influence as their predecessors such as Neville, Giggs and Ferdinand.
Plus, Mount and Shaw have had a torrid time with injuries of late, while Rashford’s form has come into question and Maguire has previously been stripped of the captaincy.
During an appearance on talkSPORT, Rooney said: “I think for everyone who wants Manchester United to do well, it’s been frustrating.
“Manchester United are 14th in the Premier League, it’s not where they want to be. I think what United have done in the last few years, they’ve changed the managers and they’ve tried to go with a new manager and try and rebuild, but whatever one they’ve brought in hasn’t quite worked.
“Erik ten Hag, he’s an experienced manager, I know he’s trying extremely hard to get it right.
“I think the culture of the football club is… we’ve seen a lot of players who are coming in, a lot of foreign players. I think Manchester United’s identity was always a good core of British players and I think that’s maybe missing a little bit, so players who can control the dressing room and help the manager out when they’re going through a difficult period.
“So I think that’s a big change, if you like, from what I’ve seen over the last few years, but we hope Ten Hag can turn it around and get them back challenging.”
Rooney added that it is Premier League titles which ultimately decide Man Utd’s success, other than the competitions that Ten Hag has triumphed in so far – the League Cup and FA Cup.
“I think your season is the Premier League,” he said.
“That’s what we always looked at. Then you had the FA Cup, the Champions League, the League Cup.
“But there’s no better feeling than winning the Premier League. That’s what you’re working all season for. Cups, you can win, which is great. It’s a great feeling, great for the fans.
“But as a fan, you want to see United consistently challenging.”
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Rooney will be pleased to hear that Man Utd part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is intent on improving the club’s British core.
He is known to be keen on signing Everton star Jarrad Branthwaite, despite the recent arrivals of fellow centre-backs Leny Yoro and Matthijs de Ligt.
Man Utd have also been credited with interest in re-signing their academy graduate Angel Gomes following his exceptional rise at Lille. Although, it is unclear whether the captures of Branthwaite and Gomes would meet the standard of British players that Rooney is talking about.
There is also a possibility that Ten Hag will be replaced by an English coach. There are conflicting reports surrounding the Dutchman’s future, with one journalist stating that Ratcliffe is pushing to swing the axe.
TEAMtalk understands Eddie Howe, Graham Potter and Gareth Southgate are the ‘best of British’ the Man Utd hierarchy are looking at.
Thomas Tuchel, though, is understood to be the No 1 target at this stage. Brentford boss Thomas Frank also cannot be ruled out as he has plenty of admirers across the Premier League.
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Another manager linked with the Man Utd job is Xavi, who has been out of work since leaving Barcelona at the end of last season.
As per reports in Catalonia, Xavi could bring Barca starlet Fermin Lopez with him to England if he is appointed by Man Utd.
However, it is important to note that other managers such as Tuchel and Howe have a much better chance of getting the job if Man Utd pull the trigger on Ten Hag.
Elsewhere, legendary Netherlands forward Ruud Gullit has expressed his concern that Joshua Zirkzee made a mistake in joining the Red Devils over AC Milan.
“Zirkzee would have done better to say yes to Milan instead of moving to Manchester United in England,” Gullit said.
“He knew Serie A and another couple of seasons in this league would have been very useful for his maturation but at a top club like Milan. Now instead he is at a club that has so many problems and that does not facilitate his growth.
“I hope he manages to reverse the trend after an inevitable period of acclimatisation.
“He’s good, no doubt about that, but at United, it’s hard to do well at such a moment in history.”
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