The comparison came in a press conference ahead of the Reds' visit to Wembley Stadium for our Emirates FA Cup semi-final clash with Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday.
While keeping his cards close to his chest, Ten Hag didn’t shy away from the association to Sir Alex, leaving United fans open to their own interpretation of how similar the two managers may be behind the scenes.
The boss said: “Sometimes, yeah, I can go strong in certain situations. But it’s a tool and it’s about the timing of when to use [it]. As a coach, with your communication style, you can pick many styles, and this is one of them.