Former Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag believes former players turned pundits could find ways to help the club more instead of giving heavy criticism.

Ten Hag led United between May 2022 and October 2024, winning the EFL Cup and FA Cup during his tenure.

He took charge of 128 games in all competitions, winning 70 of those (D23 L35), leaving the club with a 54.7% win rate.

In an interview with The Athletic, Ten Hag has spoken about how he felt Cristiano Ronaldo "let the team down" after their public fallout, and how he felt the club broke promises to him surrounding the transfer market.

And the Dutchman has now highlighted that he feels the club's former players, who were part of United's rich history, speak out without having a full understanding.

"It's everywhere the same; they always want to protect their legacies," Ten Hag told The Athletic.

"It's no different than Bayern Munich or Ajax; they do the same. But they are [part of United's] history, and they do not always know what's going on. Football evolves.

"For United, it's clear: they had great contributions; they achieved massive results, trophies for the club and for themselves, so I respect them."

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The former United players who regularly pass comment on the club are Gary Neville, Roy Keane, Rio Ferdinand, Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney – all players who were hugely successful during the Alex Ferguson era.

Keane and Neville have passed judgement this term, with the former labelling United a "circus" following Lisandro Martinez's outburst after the loss to Atletico Madrid, while the latter was heavily critical of their second-half performance against Fulham.

While Ten Hag noted the players can get frustrated by the pundits' comments, he himself enjoyed a good relationship with them while he was at Old Trafford.

"I have to say, I had a very good relationship with them all, with Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand," Ten Hag added.

"I did nice interviews with them both, so it didn't hurt me. Of course, they have podcasts; they have their models. Sometimes it's difficult for players. Some of them get affected by it, get annoyed by it.

"They achieved massive successes. But also, they can help the club more, help the players more. There should be two ways that they support it. But I think always the thing you most love, you most criticise."