MANCHESTER UNITED legend Jaap Stam insists Erik ten Hag should "look at himself" and leave Old Trafford.
Ten Hag endured a difficult 2023-24 campaign with the Red Devils and came close to losing his job.
New co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe refused to publicly back the Dutchman and reportedly held talks with some potential replacements.
But his job was saved following a 2-1 win over Manchester City in the FA Cup final.
Ten Hag signed a one-year contract extension last month, keeping him at Old Trafford until 2026.
Club icon Stam now insists he needs to step up or walk away this season.
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Speaking to Simon Jordan on his podcast, he said: "For Ten Hag, it's his third season at United – I think he needs to go.
"I think it's good he signed a new contract because he still needs that little bit of help.
"He needs to look at himself and how last season panned out, I don't always agree with him in terms of him saying they played good football.
"I understand that as a manager you need to be positive about your players and help them out by taking some of the pressure away.
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"That said, it's also good to just be honest as a manager and say that your team played rubbish football.
"He needs to step up this season, there have been a lot of changes made at the club with the staff so I'm curious how it's going to work out for them."
The Red Devils kick off their 2024-25 Premier League campaign against Fulham at Old Trafford on Friday.
However, Ten Hag is not convinced his team is prepared for the new campaign.
He said: "The team is not ready but the league starts. We can't hide from it. We have to deal with it."
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