Latest Erik ten Hag warning is a reality check Manchester United cannot ignore

"[Erik ten Hag] has been doing well with us for years and Manchester United has been doing badly for years." That's what Davy Klaassen said when asked for his thoughts on speculation linking his current Ajax manager with the Old Trafford vacancy.

The former Everton midfielder also wanted to make it clear that his manager was under contract at Ajax until 2023 and an exit was far from a guarantee. This comes after Pep Guardiola earlier this week praised Ten Hag and suggested him as a candidate to succeed him at the Etihad Stadium next summer.

Guardiola said of Ten Hag: “An incredible person, and human being. I was surprised at how humble and good (he was at Bayern Munich). The qualities he has, just look at his Ajax team in the last years. A joy to watch, in many, many things."

READ MORE:Manchester United fans question Darren Fletcher and Ralf Rangnick opposite roles in manager talks

It is a real sign of the times for United : a player with no relationship with the club making such blunt comments about the state of affairs at Old Trafford. But, also, most concerning is that Klaasen is probably right.

The Mirror's Darren Lewis said on Sky Sports earlier this week: "It shouldn't be the case that you go to the manager of Ajax and say we want you and he's deciding whether or not to come, he should be crawling over broken glass to come to United." That may not be the case.

United, for their part, are going about things correctly. They have given themselves time to conduct a thorough interview process to find their next manager, while Ralf Rangnick steers the ship for the remainder of the season.

Ten Hag is considered the frontrunner, tracked closely by Mauricio Pochettino, but why should a manager currently seen among the