TEN HAG NEEDS A FERGIE-STYLE REDVOLUTION

Erik the Red faces a bigger rebuilding job than Sir Alex did back in 1986, and he must be just as RUTHLESS

ERIK TEN HAG is facing a bigger rebuilding job at Manchester United than the one Sir Alex Ferguson took on almost 40 years ago.

United’s 4-0 capitulation at Liverpool on Tuesday showed the scale of the task facing Ten Hag, who will become their fifth permanent manager since Fergie retired in 2013.

When the Scot arrived at United in 1986, he oversaw a major restructuring of the club, broke a drinking culture, and changed the mentality that was holding the club back from success.

While Ten Hag does not have to break a booze culture at United, he is facing an overhaul of the dismal squad he will inherit, with up to a dozen players needing to go to facilitate the rebuild.

Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic, Jesse Lingard, Edinson Cavani, Juan Mata and keeper Lee Grant are all out of contract this summer and will be on their way.

But at least six other players – Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Eric Bailly, Phil Jones, Alex Telles, Anthony Martial and striker Marcus Rashford – could also go, to allow Ten

Hag to begin his overhaul.

One player who is likely to get a reprieve is Dutch international Donny van de Beek, currently on loan at Everton, who played under United’s incoming boss at Ajax.

With so many players leaving, United will be busy in the summer transfer market, with around £200million available to spend on strengthening in key areas.

It took Ferguson four years to win his first trophy and there is an acknowledgement within the club, led by chief executive Richard Arnold, that it could take Ten Hag just as long to turn things around.

Targets include England duo Harry Kane and Declan Rice, although they would swallow all United’s transfer budget, while cheaper options could see moves for Benfica striker Darwin

Nunes and midfielder Ruben Neves of Wolves.

The fall-out from the Anfield debacle was brutal, with former United skipper Gary Neville, now a TV pundit, claiming the current side is the worst he has seen in more than four decades.

“I don’t know how to explain how it’s gone from being slightly promising, finishing second last season, to the point of an all-time low in my 42 years of watching United,” said Neville.

“I’ve never seen it as bad as that. I’ve never seen a United team wilt in a football game in my 40 years of watching them.

“The players are broken. There are some decent players out there, they have talent and have played at good levels, but they’re finished and broken this season. It’s a mess.”