The 16 days that will be crucial for Erik ten Hag's first Manchester United season

When Ralf Rangnick said he wanted to turn his Manchester United players into "pressing monsters" he knew the cards were stacked against him.

Taking over a club in the middle of the season and trying to immediately engineer a change in playing style is difficult, never mind one that requires a greater level of fitness than those United players had in the tank.

Knowing his time at Old Trafford was limited, Rangnick admitted defeat on his principles, but Erik ten Hag won't have to make the same compromise.

READ MORE: Rangnick reacts to Erik ten Hag appointment

Ten Hag will also have the benefit of starting work at the ideal time for a new manager.

The reality is that pre-season is the most critical time of the year for any manager. It is when the groundwork for what lies ahead over eight demanding months is laid, not only in terms of style but fitness.

Rangnick described footballers as Formula One cars on Tuesday night and to carry that analogy forward, pre-season is when the tank is filled up. Once the season begins it's almost impossible to keep adding fuel given the demanding schedule of games, especially this year with a winter World Cup.

So Ten Hag will get the benefit of time on the training ground with these players, to make sure they have the physical capacity to press in the way he wants next season while also having time to fine-tune the automated passages of play that are so popular in modern coaching. Rangnick hasn't had that opportunity since December.

Pre-season will be a little different this summer, with the season starting on August 6, but Ten Hag will take office well before United's players return from their summer break, which is likely to be in the first week of July.

He will also benefit from a