Erik ten Hag has reportedly been described as the "New Sheriff" after completing his first week of work at Manchester United.
The Dutchman, 52, was appointed United's new manager in April - starting work in May - and is hoping to revive the club's stuttering team. They finished sixth in the Premier League this term, recording their lowest points total (58) since the 1989-90 campaign.
Just as worrying is United's lack of silverware in recent years. They haven't lifted a trophy since their 2-0 Europa League final victory against Ajax in May 2017 - finishing as runners-up in the Premier League (twice), FA Cup and Europa League since.
According to GOAL, Ten Hag's arrival in Manchester has "sent a surge of electricity through the club". The former Ajax manager has reportedly met several members of the non-playing staff, who've labelled him the "New Sheriff" in a reassuring mark of approval.
Ten Hag has a decent coaching CV - winning three Eredivisie titles at Ajax - but has never managed in England before. The former Bayern Munich reserve boss started his new job ahead of schedule, appreciating the magnitude of the task in front of him.
Perhaps the biggest challenge will be the recruitment, with several players expected to leave the club this summer. United have already confirmed the departures of Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata, Lee Grant and Edinson Cavani, with more to come.
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Previous boss Ralf Rangnick advised Ten Hag to sign up to 10 players in the transfer window, although it's believed Ten Hag will be looking to bring in around five new faces. He reportedly wants to improve every department ahead of the new season.
Crucially, Ten Hag believes there is plenty of quality in the squad after they finished second in the Premier League in 2020-21. He is not expected to perform "open heart surgery" on the team as Rangnick suggested towards the end of his turbulent reign.
Ten Hag shouldn't read too much into United's runners-up finish in 2020-21. Liverpool were hampered by injuries that season and are a much stronger team today, while the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham have improved significantly during the last 12 months.
United were also not close to winning the Premier League title in 2020-21, finishing 12 points behind champions Manchester City. And had they achieved the same points tally (74) and goal difference (+29) this term, they'd of finished just fourth.
It's believed Ten Hag had no say in the departures of Pogba, Lingard and Mata but agrees the squad needs thinning. United's transfer policy is being led by director of football John Murtough, who was appointed in March 2021 and has previously held roles at Everton.
Ten Hag is reportedly yet to meet any of the players and is now on holiday until June 27, when the squad returns for pre-season training. He will need to get his team ready for Europa League and Premier League campaigns, playing on Thursdays and Sundays.
