Erik ten Hag faces first Manchester United challenge this weekend

There is still a sense of mystery surrounding the appointment of Erik ten Hag as the next Manchester United manager, though in the next few weeks we should get a much clearer idea of what exactly he will bring to Old Trafford.

The search for a new manager officially came to an end on Thursday when United announced that the 52-year-old would take over at the end of the season, though club sources had admitted long before the official statement that a deal was practically done. United delayed their announcement of Ten Hag until after the Dutch Cup final last weekend in order to ensure it wasn't an unnecessary distraction from the task at hand.

After a 2-1 defeat to PSV Eindhoven, hindsight would suggest it might have been wise to get it out of the way, potentially galvanising the side further to ensure their manager was given the perfect send-off. This weekend, Ten Hag won't be able to ignore the impending career change, even if he remains coy whenever he is quizzed by the media on his upcoming move to England.

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There will no doubt be a surge of interest in Ajax's final five games of the Eredivisie as they go in search of their third title under Ten Hag, starting with their trip to face NEC Nijmegen this Saturday. Ajax currently sit at the top of the table, four points ahead of PSV, knowing they are well in control of their own destiny.

Ten Hag's side would need to drop points in at least two matches to have a chance of conceding the title, though even that scenario would rely on their challengers winning all of their games as well. But while a third title in four years might seem a certainty at this late stage in the season, it will still be a