Erik ten Hag must embrace Manchester United 'pressure' from Rio Ferdinand comments

Before taking this any further, it has to be said that Rio Ferdinand was absolutely on the mark with comments he made about the impending managerial appointment at Old Trafford. In an almost poetic nudge to the Stone Roses song which Manchester United stride out to on matchdays, Ferdinand proclaimed 'this is the one' United have been waiting for.

As things stand, Erik ten Hag appears to be that one. Identified as a preferred candidate to step into the dugout on a permanent basis, the Dutchman has held talks with the United hierarchy and he must know what is on the horizon should he sign on the dotted line.

"It's a big decision, man. This is the one that changes everything at the club right now. This is the one that has to be the driver to the route to success, sustained success, to get the club to challenge again. It's a huge decision.

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"This is a massive, massive appointment because we've been in a bad situation for far too long now. It's about the culture of the club. You need someone who can put the right culture in place."

Those are the words from Ferdinand as he shares his take on the United situation. No pressure then, Erik.

Naturally, Ten Hag will already understand what comes with the territory. Despite a dearth of silverware - and not one Premier League trophy since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 - United remain one of the very biggest clubs on the planet, if not the biggest, and things are not about to change there.

In-house or otherwise, pressure is a prerequisite. Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho got that and were well-seated to deal with it, too, having managed other elites in their respective, glittering managerial