Erik ten Hag is doing an “unbelievable job” at Manchester United but the club must continue to strengthen, says their former midfielder Quinton Fortune.
The ex-Ajax head coach replaced Ralf Rangnick in the Old Trafford dugout following an inconsistent 2021-22 season, which also saw Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sacked as United finished 13 points off the top four.
The Red Devils lost their first two Premier League games under Ten Hag, but have gone on to register 26 points after the first 14 outings – five more than they managed at the same stage of the previous campaign.
Fortune spent seven years at United under Alex Ferguson between 1999 and 2006, winning the Premier League title in the 2002-03 season.
He is pleased with the strides made by his former club, who he hopes can land silverware under the Dutchman this term.
“Ten Hag has done an unbelievable job compared to what I’ve seen last season,” Fortune told Stats Perform.
“I’m sure Ten Hag would like to win a trophy this season, because that’s the nature of the game at the moment.
“He’s made so many good changes already, and you can see when you go to Old Trafford the positivity around the place about the way the team’s playing.”
It is now 23 years since Fortune joined a United side who had just won an unprecedented treble of the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League the previous season.
The former South Africa international believes it will take time for the Red Devils to return to those heights, but highlighted the importance of Ten Hag finding the right profile of players to improve the squad.
“Of course, he needs to make signings to strengthen the team and to have competition in the team,” he added.
“I was very fortunate that when I arrived in 1999 – just after we won the treble – there was competition for every position, and it was relentless in training.
“It’s not easy playing for Manchester United, the pressure that comes with it. So, they need to get the right characters that want to play for Manchester United.
“They need players who have got the desire to win, and that fit in with the style of play and in the changing room.
“That’s just the nature of the culture at Manchester United – it’s not about winning one trophy, it’s winning every single trophy and trying to do it.
“Yes, it will take a few windows for him to get the players that he wants, but at the moment for us, from what I’ve seen, it’s looking very positive.”
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