The biggest challenge facing Erik ten Hag ahead of his Manchester United journey

Erik ten Hag has been climbing the managerial ladder for quite a while now. He is, by no means, in the same bracket as Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp, or Thomas Tuchel. But the recently-appointed Manchester United manager has carved a name for himself with his fierce attacking football and youth-oriented setup at Ajax.

Despite accolades and glittering stats, a different kind of challenge lies ahead of the Dutchman next season. Managing Manchester United, especially in 2022, comes with different problems. While some will say that the owners are a problem, others will say that managing fans' expectations could prove to be a greater task.

While all of this can be true in its own sense, nothing will be a bigger problem than getting the current squad to sing the same song.

Erik ten Hag's rise as a manager

Ten Hag’s journey started during his days as assistant manager of Twente FC. He was then assistant manager at PSV Eindhoven before taking on managerial duties at FC Bayern II and FC Utrecht. The Dutchman’s current stint at Ajax started in December 2017.

In the four-and-a-half years he has been at Ajax, the 52-year-old has overseen a semi-final appearance in the UEFA Champions League, two Dutch leagues, and two Dutch cups.

His brand of fast-flowing attacking football has seen the Eredivisie side score a jaw-dropping 2.76 goals per game and concede at a rate of only 0.80 goals per match. He has a win percentage of 74.28% with the side.

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The current squad need to be molded as per Erik ten Hag's philosophy

A look at the current Manchester United squad will open up at least five areas that are in need of new players.

There is definitely a need for a younger, more agile striker to fit in with Cristiano Ronaldo and eventually replace him. There will also be the need for a defensive midfielder, a right-back, a center-back, and, given the recent form of Marcus Rashford, a winger.

As Dimitar Berbatov pointed out in a column for Betfair, the club will need to go through an overhaul in the summer and possibly in the next three transfer windows.

"He's got a massive job on his hands and we're looking at a rebuild, and probably the biggest rebuild in European football. I've seen lots of talk about people coming and going, and unfortunately, something needs to happen because it was obvious the other night against Liverpool, there is a massive gap there."

Stars such as Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic, Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata, and Edinson Cavani, among others, are likely to leave. Hence, things could get worse for Erik ten Hag and Manchester United before they get better.

Whether Harry Maguire will remain club captain at the start of the next season is another huge decision that will fall on the Dutchman’s shoulders. With the captain currently underperforming and the demanding nature of Erik ten Hag, it will be interesting to see how Maguire does in the forthcoming season.

For Manchester United to reach the standards of Liverpool and Manchester City, the club will have to leave all footballing decisions to the manager. A dearth of confidence will certainly haunt the current squad. Getting back the winning mentality will be the first key challenge for the former Twente FC manager.

A lot of fans have constantly complained about the fact that a lot of the current players do not play for the badge. They also complain that players do not know what it means to play for Manchester United Football Club.

Therefore, it will lie with the players to show the fans and Erik ten Hag that they are worthy of the badge, of the accolade of calling Old Trafford their home ground.

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