Erik ten Hag is a tactician not a magician. It’s absurd to think the Dutchman can walk into Old Trafford and sort out the mess at Manchester United with a wave of a wand.
Fans who watched United’s humbling defeat by Brighton on Sunday through their fingers will have recognised the failings that have plagued the club in recent years.
It will take time to turn things around, but the new manager admits that is a luxury he doesn’t have. ‘A hell of a job’ is how he described it after United were beaten 2-1.