Erik ten Hag farewell speech tells Glazers their big Manchester United challenge

Erik ten Hag requested patience when he was announced as Manchester United manager, insisting his full focus was on finishing the season with Ajax before he entertained any questions about his imminent career change.

After winning the Eredivisie title with the Amsterdam club on Wednesday night, he can no longer swat away such questions, with an away match at Vitesse the setting for his final day in the Ajax hot -seat this weekend. Ten Hag will want to use Sunday's match to reflect on how far his side has come under his tenure, but for many it will represent one of the first steps on his United journey.

The 52-year-old celebrated his third Dutch top-flight title in midweek, an impressive achievement, particularly when you consider Ajax had not won the league title in five years before he returned them to the top of the domestic game.

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“We brought a certain culture in this club. A winners' mentality," Ten Hag told reporters on Wednesday night when asked to reflect on his transformation of Ajax.

There is no manager in world football who wouldn't want to implement a winning mentality as part of their blueprint, but Ten Hag's rhetoric is excused given he has actually managed to do just that in the Dutch capital. The ultimate challenge for United's new manager will be to replicate such a transformation at Old Trafford, and doing so is far easier said than done.

In basic terms, winning games breeds confidence, which in turn builds momentum and belief. Having a star-studded side counts for little if your opponents have greater self-belief and are all fighting harder for the same shared goal.

United have already experienced such