Erik ten Hag might have already outlined his Manchester United vision

The interview was filmed on the eve of the 2020-21 season and the Johan Cruyff Arena is as eerily sparse as it would be on matchdays.

Erik ten Hag strides through the corridors, past the celebratory canvases that adorn the walls, and out onto the pitch. He is sitting at a social distance from the interviewer and masked cameramen. A sign of the times.

With the subtitles, Ten Hag could be mistaken for addressing MUTV at Old Trafford. The steep stands are full of red seats and whenever Ten Hag is introduced by Manchester United he could rehash some of the answers verbatim from nearly two years ago.

READ MORE: How Erik ten Hag's first United squad could look with signings

At the time he spoke, Ajax were still the reigning champions but the 2019-20 season had been suspended and they were denied another Eredivisie title. Ten Hag sailed down the River Amster last week with three Eredivisie winner's medals.

"The beginning is always difficult," Ten Hag, sporting a sky blue polo, explains. "You don't know the club yet. You don't know the balance of power or the players.

"Before you introduce your ideas to the squad and they accept them that takes time. A coach can't perform magic. Although some media and people seem to think they can. 'Put your team out there and it'll be fine.'" Ten Hag could recite that answer in the No.7 suite Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer strode into.

Ten Hag took over at Ajax midway through 2017-18 and the following season they ended their five-year championship drought. In Daley Blind's 2018 unveiling video, they sang about 'four years of hurt'. In M16 it is double that.

Ten Hag is midway through his first week as United manager without stepping foot in Carrington. That is a