A summer of change and transformation lies ahead for Manchester United.
Once Sunday's Premier League finale against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park is concluded, everyone associated with the club will draw a line under this season and look ahead to new beginnings under incoming manager Erik ten Hag. The Dutchman was officially installed as the club's new boss last month and his arrival will mark the beginning of a new chapter.
Although patience will be strictly required from the club and its supporters, Ten Hag is going to be expected to put United back on the path towards success. He will arrive at Old Trafford off the back of a trophy-laden tenure at Ajax and he will hope to continue that trend in new surroundings.
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However, it remains to be seen if the Dutchman will be able to replicate his success in the Premier League. If United are to thrive under his methods, one of his greatest tasks this summer will have to be trying to make the Reds hard to beat.
They have lost 11 of their 37 league games this season - the most they have lost in a league campaign since 2013/14 - and conceded 56 goals. That means that they have conceded more times than any other side currently situated in the top-eight.
Therefore, it is clear that Ten Hag must set about seriously improving United's defensive fortunes ahead of the start of next season. Fortunately, he is a coach that is capable of getting his defenders to do the job expected of them, with Ajax having boasted the best defensive record in the Eredivisie this term, conceding just 19 goals in 34 games on route to their latest league title triumph.
It is a record that makes for impressive reading. However, with the greatest respect, the Premier League boasts far superior attacking talent to that of the Dutch top flight, meaning Ten Hag, not that he is likely to, cannot expect similar results at Old Trafford immediately.
Nevertheless, having coached a side to another league title with a watertight defence, it does only bode well for United, in the hope that Ten Hag will be able to arrest their defensive lapses and install some faith and knowhow into the likes of Raphael Varane, Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw, amongst others.
Furthermore, United's defenders should take encouragement from the fact that Ajax duo Lisandro Lopez and Jurrien Timber - both defenders - scooped personal awards last week. Lopez won Ajax's Player of the Season accolade and Timber, who is being heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford, won the Talent of the Year award. That can only be a good thing for United's defenders, surely?
For two defenders to have scooped Ajax's top individual honours, despite the club ending the season as league champions, scoring 98 goals in the process, it highlights how important a solid defence is to Ten Hag's way of playing. He thrives off having a solid defensive base, freeing up his more adventurous players to do damage at the other end of the pitch.
With that said, United's defenders, who have experienced a turbulent time this season, ought to take encouragement from Ten Hag's impending arrival. He will want to make the Reds an attractive watch again, but that will not be achievable without a resolute and sound defensive line.
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