Erik ten Hag has proved he knows what Manchester United need this summer

The sight of Manchester United's Class of '22 lifting the FA Youth Cup at Old Trafford on Wednesday was one to lift the spirits of supporters, but the good news didn't end there last week.

The academy has brought some cheer to a dreadful season and it was a rare experience to see smiles on faces at Old Trafford in midweek, on the pitch and in the stands.

Erik ten Hag will be delighted to see the talent coming through the academy, but his immediate focus will be on turning the first team around and there is an awful lot of work to do.

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If the youngsters raised the mood, the first team had lowered standards once again at the start of the week, plumbing new depths in losing 4-0 at Brighton.

The arrival of Ten Hag and a coach actually qualified to work with these players will bring about some improvement, but this is also a summer when the winds of change will blow through M16.

Five senior players are out of contract and leaving - Nemanja Matic, Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata and Edinson Cavani - and there are several more players who either want out or need to be ushered towards the exit door.

That will make plenty of room for incomings. Ralf Rangnick might have suggested as many as 10 new faces will be required but that is wishful thinking on a par with some of his tactical hope-and-pray moments this season.

United will probably consider this window a success if half of that number arrive, but it still gives them plenty to do in a shortened summer.

The curtain comes down on this horror show at Selhurst Park next week, but within six weeks United will be back in pre-season training and the new season will kick off on August 6