Erik ten Hag realism about Manchester United problems shows he knows the solution

Anyone who listened to Erik ten Hag speak as Manchester United manager for the first time will know already not to expect grand statements and snappy soundbites about his plans for the club.

Ten Hag kept his cards close to his chest in the Old Trafford press room. His most ambitious declaration was that Manchester City and Liverpool can be toppled before Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp let someone else have a go at winning the Premier League.

There is a realism to Ten Hag, however. He is aware of how the club have fallen but is paying little attention to what has happened in recent seasons.

READ MORE: What Erik ten Hag did on his first day as United manager

The 52-year-old is unburdened by United's modern history and sees his arrival as a fresh start, but that doesn't mean he's unaware of the mood around the club and where ambitions lie at the moment.

The campaign that finished on Sunday was United's worst since the formation of the Premier League, collecting just 58 points from 38 games, with a goal difference of zero.

That is the reality of United's current situation and while Ten Hag tried to inject some belief back into the squad by talking about their runners-up finish in 2020/21, that was the exception to the norm.

United took advantage of Liverpool's desperate injury crisis and thrived in games played behind closed doors, in a training ground atmosphere. Only fantasists expected Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side to stay clear of Jurgen Klopp's this season.

It's impossible to argue against the idea that United are the sixth-best side in England at the moment and the route back to Manchester City and Liverpool is long and winding. City were 35 points ahead of United this season, so to reach those levels Ten Hag's team must