Rafael van der Vaart has spotlighted one “difficult” aspect that Manchester United have faced in the aftermath of Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013.
Manchester United lifted all 13 of their Premier League titles under Sir Alex Ferguson, who is widely regarded as one of the best managers of all time.
Ferguson led the Red Devils to their last Premier League trophy at the end of the 2012-13 season before he bowed out of Old Trafford as a manager.
United have struggled to re-establish their dominance in English football after Ferguson’s departure, with the Red Devils currently far off from a league title challenge.
Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer led United to their best Premier League finish since Ferguson’s retirement, with the club finishing second on both occasions.
Van der Vaart on Man Utd problem
Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has already outlined his ambition to restore the Red Devils’ prestige and put the Premier League club back on track.
The 71-year-old Ineos chief, who became United co-owner in 2023, has previously said that he wants to knock Manchester City and Liverpool “off their perch.”
Speaking to The Sun, Rafael van der Vaart has admitted that United have struggled to find a coach who understands the “culture” at Old Trafford.
The 41-year-old former Netherlands midfielder admitted that it might have been “difficult” for United to move on due to Sir Alex Ferguson’s presence at the club.
Ferguson has remained an ever-present figure at the Red Devils and has often been spotted in the stands watching Erik ten Hag’s first-team squad in action.
“Sometimes it’s difficult to replace the coach who really fits to the culture and everything,” Van der Vaart said.
“And Ferguson was, of course, there for so many years. And he’s also a lot of the times in the stadium, so he never left and that sometimes maybe is difficult.
“And the manager struggles with the pressure. But they have good players. They spent a lot of money, but somehow, inside the team, inside the club, it doesn’t work and it’s difficult to say something about that from the outside.
“But also, when they play they don’t look happy. It’s not like they are, ‘Oh, nice. We have another game. We’re gonna kill it.’ No, it’s all, ‘Oh, s**t, we have to go again.’ No energy.”
Van der Vaart on Ten Hag
Erik ten Hag had a tough start to the new Premier League season, with United losing two of their first three league matches ahead of the September international break.
The 54-year-old Dutchman, who signed a new contract with United in the summer, has faced mounting criticism already over the Red Devils’ results.
Van der Vaart insisted that fellow Dutchman Ten Hag needs a “lot of wins” to ensure that he ‘survives’ as United manager for the season.
“Yes, it’s tough, I think, he’s been there a few years and really spent a lot of money for his own players, which I don’t really like,” he said.
“When you as a coach, you bring a lot of Dutch people in or players, I am not the biggest fan of that because when you lose a few times then the pressure is even higher, and the football is also not really getting better.
“I saw them against Liverpool, and that, of course, it’s a tough pill to swallow because it’s like the biggest game – like the North London Derby – and you lose without a chance.
“Now he needs a lot of wins. Then he will survive but we will have to wait and see.”
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