Erik ten Hag needs to overcome Manchester United transfer hurdle

Manchester United might be waiting for an official announcement on the agreement to appoint Erik ten Hag as their next manager, but the Dutchman will already be well aware of what he needs to do as soon as he arrives at Old Trafford.

United are keen to show respect to Ajax by making an official announcement after the Dutch Cup final this weekend, though once that has happened, Ten Hag will have no excuse to turn away media questions about his upcoming move to England.

For the final few weeks of the season, Ajax's quest for the double will be scrutinised like never before, and their popular manager will be picked apart by supporters who optimistically believe he can finally be the person to revive the dormant behemoth.

READ MORE: The five Manchester United squad issues for Erik ten Hag to sort

It's true that jumping from the Eredivisie to the Premier League is a huge leap. It is also true that the change in expectations at Ajax and United are also a large gulf apart, but right now 'unity' is the key word needed in support of a new manager.

Ultimately, nothing can prepare you for the melting pot of the Old Trafford hot seat. The fact that David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer have all failed to different degrees before Ten Hag proves that there is no winning formula, and that casting doubt over his credentials hardly means he will do any worse than those he follows as United manager post-Sir Alex Ferguson.

Instead, he needs to be judged after he has been given time to mould the squad into his own and implement a playing style that can threaten any opponent in the Premier League.

The worry for Ten Hag, however, is whether or not he really will be able to get the calibre of player required