'Back him' — Manchester United fans send simple message to board after Erik ten Hag announcement

Manchester United supporters have seen hope and optimism revived after Erik ten Hag was officially appointed as their next permanent manager, to take charge at the end of this season.

After sacking Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in December, the club appointed Ralf Rangnick on an interim basis. Manchester Evening News revealed last month Ten Hag was identified as a preferred candidate to step into the dugout and the confirmation has come this morning.

Having spent time working under Pep Guardiola in the Bayern Munich set-, Ten Hag was appointed by Eredivisie giants Ajax in 2017 and restored them to the pinnacle of the Dutch game. Indeed, while at the helm, the 52-year-old guided them to two league titles and two Dutch Cups.

READ MORE: Erik ten Hag must get rid of 15 Manchester United players during summer transfer window

Ajax remain in pole position to pick up a third Eredivisie crown in four seasons under Ten Hag. However, while still striving to end his tenure there on a high, he'll now have one eye on his arrival at Old Trafford, with United in dire need of a rebuild.

For the second time this season, United were humbled by bitter rivals Liverpool and that result leaves them with a mountain to climb when it comes to Champions League qualification. However, following the Ten Hag announcement, there is fresh spirit and enthusiasm within the dedicated United fan-base.

Of course, there is also some caution after many false dawns before. Here are a selection of comments taken from social media platform Twitter:

Follow all the reaction to the Ten Hag announcement on our dedicated live blog here.