Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand believes Erik ten Hag will have no issue replacing certain players if they can't play the way he wants to.
Ten Hag's side take on Tottenham on Thursday night having won their previous three Premier League matches. The Reds, who were knocked out of the Europa League last week, also sealed their spot in the FA Cup final with a penalty shootout victory over Brighton on Sunday.
Both David de Gea and Harry Maguire came under criticism following the defeat at Sevilla last Thursday. The pair were both at fault for the Spanish side's opening goal, while De Gea also made a mistake for the third and final goal of the night. Maguire, meanwhile, has fallen down the pecking order at Old Trafford and has featured on just 28 occasions this term.
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With De Gea out of contract at the end of the current season - and Maguire expected to leave United in the summer - there has been a lot of speculation around their respective futures. Although Reds legend Ferdinand admitted De Gea was the type of goalkeeper he would enjoy playing in front of, he suggested Ten Hag could replace any player that can't play the way he wants to.
"I want to turn around and know where my goalkeeper is, I don't want any grey areas with that and I want to be able to trust him," Ferdinand told BT Sport. "There's a situation in the game, he's [De Gea] not involved all the time, but when a moment comes to make a big save that can define momentum in the game or result, I want him there.
"This guy has done that throughout his career, yes he's had issues with his feet with the way the game has evolved in terms of goalkeepers being expected to play more now, but I'm the old-fashioned way that I want them to save the ball and keep it out of the net.
"They're [De Gea and Maguire] being asked to play like this and if you can't play like this, the manager will find people that can do that."
Former Tottenham midfielder Jermaine Jenas added: "He’s [De Gea] in a very similar situation to what Joe Hart was in at Man City.
"Everybody at the time - they’re just on the back of winning league titles - Joe Hart’s a top goalkeeper, and Pep [Guardiola] went ‘he can’t do what I want him to do. I respect him but he can’t do what I want him to do’, and by the looks of what Ten Hag is doing he could be in a similar scenario."
United - who have won their last four matches against Spurs - currently find themselves in fourth position in the top-flight table, five points clear of fifth-placed Aston Villa. Given the Reds' games in hand over their closest top-four rivals, Ten Hag's men are in a good position to secure Champions League football for next season.
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