Erik ten Hag offers brutal reminder of the state of Manchester United with five-year plan

Manchester United are continuing their search for a new manager, with Erik ten Hag still the favourite among the club's board and the fanbase. The MEN Sport recently revealed that Ajax expect their boss to leave this summer, though former Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino remains in contention for the top job at Old Trafford.

According to The Independent, Ten Hag has recently had another interview at United where he impressed, but it's claimed his potential new employers weren't 'blown away' following the meeting. Tottenham's hierarchy were reported to have had the same doubts about the Dutchman during their own managerial search last summer, with Nuno Espirito Santo subsequently hired and then fired within five months.

Pochettino is seen as plan B by many within the fanbase, but it seems that even under Ten Hag it will not be smooth sailing as he reportedly laid out a five-year plan to his potential employers which would hopefully see United return to the top. This would be a departure from the 'quick-fix' culture which has been prevalent over the past decade at the club.

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Many fans had accepted that the new manager would not be able to fix all the problems at the club instantly. This is especially true when you consider that Pep Guardiola has another year on his contract and Jurgen Klopp has another two, but half a decade is a long time and shows the extent of the damage that was done to the club under Ed Woodward.

The report in The Independent also claims that Ten Hag also outlined how the five years would be spent constructing a squad to compete with the best in Europe. Particular attention was given to potential targets, including players from Ajax