Manchester United have confirmed football’s worst-kept secret, that Erik ten Hag will indeed take over from Ralf Rangnick as manager this summer.
Ajax confirmed the news with a graphic that insisted Ten Hag was “not done yet” at the Dutch club, but he would be forgiven for letting his thoughts wander over the next few weeks and months to Old Trafford and the five most important tasks that lie ahead of him next season.
Contracts
It will presumably be a formality but as a symbol of a new regime sweeping in at Old Trafford, the departure of players out of contract this summer will be significant.
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Five players have expiring deals – Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Edinson Cavani, Juan Mata and back-up goalkeeper Lee Grant.
All are expected to leave while a sixth, Nemanja Matic, has already indicated he will be on his way out after declining an optional year on his own contract.
The departure of Pogba, who was roundly booed and abused by United fans against Norwich last week and lasted less than ten minutes at Liverpool due to injury, will mark an end to an unproductive return to the club by the Frenchman.
His departure will not be one that is lamented by anyone at the club while veteran Cavani’s injury history and Lingard’s clear desire to move elsewhere will similarly see them move on without any complaints from within the club.
Clearing the decks
Ridding United of out-of-contract players is one thing, quite how Ten Hag handles clearing out others who clearly need to leave the club is another.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Luke Shaw, Marcus Rashford, Phil Jones, Fred, Diogo Dalot, David de Gea and Tom Heaton all are out of contract in 12 months although United have an option to automatically extend those deals by a year.
Ten Hag must make those decisions and then, possibly, look to sell now those players whom he does not want to keep.
Then, there is another group of players on longer deals whom Ten Hag will, surely, have little desire to keep in his first team squad. The likes of Eric Bailly and Anthony Martial fall into that category although, given United’s inflated salary structure, selling them may prove easier said than done.
There is also the thorny subject of Mason Greenwood to contend with; the young forward currently remains suspended by the club.
The Cristiano Ronaldo factor
The Portuguese icon has one year left on a two-year deal – plus United have the option of a third – although Ronaldo himself will obviously have the final say on whether he returns next season.
It is hard to envisage a situation in which Ten Hag wants to jettison the 37-year-old whose 21 goals have been crucial for United this season.
But, with a new striker high on his list of priorities, Ten Hag must decide how best to use a veteran who will surely start to show the signs of old age in the near future.
Then he has to convince Ronaldo of that vision and make sure he is on board with a new-look United.
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Ten Hag has already signalled his intent with the club parting company with senior scouts Jim Lawlor and Marcel Bout on Wednesday.
For all the criticism correctly thrown in the direction of the Glazers, a succession of United managers and former executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward have been given money to spend – and usually done so very badly.
The club’s recruitment remains woeful and Ten Hag let it be known during the interview process that he wants to play a hands-on role in its restructure.
That appears to have already started.
Raise morale
Older United supporters claim the depth of ill feeling towards their players and what is happening at their club is unparalleled in their lifetimes.
And the general consensus is that the only comparison with the general malaise currently swirling around Old Trafford came in the early 1970s, which ended with United’s relegation in 1974.
That was summed up by the open hostility shown towards Pogba last week and the timing of Ten Hag’s announcement was, at least in part, a public relations move designed to quell rumblings of rebellion.
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