Man United's Champions League return clouded by ownership uncertainty

Manchester United are back in the Champions League but a bright future under Erik ten Hag remains clouded by uncertainty over the ownership of the English giants.

Ten Hag ensured a top-four finish in his first season in charge of the Red Devils on Thursday with a 4-1 demolition of Chelsea.

The Dutchman has also ended United's six-year trophy drought by lifting the League Cup in February and the best could even be yet to come should Ten Hag's men upset Manchester City's charge towards the treble at Wembley on June 3.

Ten Hag has performed a miraculous turnaround since getting off to the worst start of any United manager since 1921.

Embarrassing defeats to Brighton and Brentford in his first two matches are now long forgotten.

The former Ajax boss earned a reputation as a disciplinarian after making his players run 14 kilometres after the 4-0 humiliation at Brentford in August - the combined distance the Bees ran more than his players during the game.

But Ten Hag's strict approach has paid dividends as he also won the club's backing in a standoff that saw Cristiano Ronaldo depart mid-season for Saudi Arabia.

"He's proved that he's got the seriousness, the confidence and the authority to be able to make big decisions," said former United captain Gary Neville on Ten Hag's man-management.

Yet, the United fanbase is torn between hope, at what their manager could achieve with the right backing, and helplessness as a drawn out process to sell the club threatens to drag well into the summer transfer window.

'Glazers out'

Unpopular from the day they saddled the club with huge debts via a leveraged takeover in 2005, most supporters want rid of current owners, the Glazer family, as soon as possible.

Every United goal on Thursday was followed