Ten Hag: Sir Alex's departure undoubtedly impacts Man Utd players and coaching staff

The ex-United manager has been removed from his ambassadorial position by co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and is no longer permitted to enter the team's dressing room.

Ahead of Saturday's clash with Brentford, Ten Hag said on Friday: “Of course it has an impact on us.

"Sir Alex, of course, IS Man United, he built United to where the club it is now and it impacts us.

"But on the other side, we know and Sir Alex knows, that is what he wants. He wants to see a winning Manchester United and I’m sure he’s always available for every advice and we will need him, definitely, in the short-term, as we did in the last two-and-a-half years I am here.

"Now and then we have a good contact. I would say, once in half a year I meet formally with him, but also of course, informally, around games, I meet him.

"At the moment, we can't mach the standards he set, but still we have won trophies. Remember, six years before, this club didn’t win trophies, so we are coming back, we are returning, but obviously we are not there.

"But what's very important is that we need all the processes right and that we can construct a team that we can line up the best players, to construct the best team."

Ten Hag then expanded on where he sees the team's development ahead of the Bees test.

 “One thing for sure is that there's almost no club in the world where exceptions are as high as at Man United and that is set from the era of Sir Alex and the rest of us who come after have to deal with this.

"But that's nice, that's why you want to be here. It's a big challenge, but it also demands the highest standards in every process and obviously we are not there in every process.

"We didn't get, so far, to challenge for the Premier League or Champions League titles, but that’s the ambition, of course, and that's what the expectations are. But still we managed to win some trophies.

“We are calm, that's what I said, but we’re not happy, that's also for sure. No-one, not the players, staff, not the leadership, not the board, is happy with this position, but we are calm and we know what we’re doing.

"And we know also the reasons why and what we have to change. But we are calm in our strategy and we are convinced we are getting there, where we want to be and we can make the season a success, so that is independent of what will happen in the next seven games.

“I think we are on the same page and in the same boat. If you have a strong connection between each other, with the fans at Old Trafford and also the away fans who are always there, they see the problems we have to face also at the start of the season and they know also that if we stick together and they keep supporting us, in the end we will repay them and their trust in us.

"That’s what we did the last two years and I’m convinced this process will keep going and we will get there together – the fans, the players and the staff.

"“I don’t think in terms of how many years you need, I want to win every game and I want to make every season a success, with trophies and with titles.

"I think about this and how I have to win every game and we, as a team, have to match the standards to win every game and then you get there, to where you have to be. Those are the expectations that Sir Alex set for this club."