Cristiano Ronaldo offers Erik ten Hag a solution to Man United “culture” problem

Manchester United legend Cristiano Ronaldo has urged Erik ten Hag to listen to Ruud van Nistelrooy to fix several issues at the club.

Van Nistelrooy, 48, returned to Manchester United this summer, becoming one of Ten Hag’s two assistant managers.

A serial winner throughout his playing career, Van Nistelrooy won each of the four major trophies the English game has to offer during his time with the club.

This includes the Premier League, which Van Nistelrooy played an instrumental part in United winning during his second season with the club. It is also a trophy the Red Devils have not won in over a decade.

Discussing United’s status ahead of this season, Ten Hag acknowledged that despite winning two trophies during his tenure, the club’s culture still needs to improve.

“I think we’ve taken steps since then [Ten Hag’s appointment],” the Dutchman told AD Sportwereld. “Otherwise, we wouldn’t have won two prizes (the FA Cup and Carabao Cup) either.

“But we are not yet so far that a ‘winning culture’ already prevails here in all respects. Our standards, norms and values still need to go up.”

According to Cristiano Ronaldo, one solution open to Ten Hag is to lean on his new assistant manager, Van Nistelrooy, with Ronaldo believing the two-time Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year has a lot to offer the club.

“If Ten Hag listens to Ruud van Nistelrooy… maybe he can help,” Ronaldo admitted on Rio Ferdinand’s podcast. “He knows the club, and the club should listen to the guys who were there.

“Rio, Roy Keane, Scholes, Gary Neville, Sir Alex Ferguson. You cannot, you cannot rebuild a club without knowledge.”

Playing over 200 times for United, Van Nistelrooy would spend five seasons in the Premier League before leaving for Real Madrid in 2006.

In the time since he retired from his playing career, Van Nistelrooy has had a successful managerial career taking charge of PSV’s senior and reserve teams winning two trophies for the senior squad.

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