Erik ten Hag has declared he will be unfazed by any criticism which may come his way from pundits when he takes over as Manchester United manager next season.
The Dutchman will replace interim boss Ralf Rangnick as the club's new manager ready for the start of the 2022/23 campaign as he tries to turn their fortunes around. United sit sixth in the Premier League and are at risk of dropping into the Europa Conference League if they lose against Crystal Palace on the final day.
West Ham are two points behind them and face Brighton in their last game of the campaign knowing they could return to the Europa League if results go their way. Regardless of what happens on the final day, the Red Devils will be desperate to improve under their new manager next season.
They have won just 16 of their 37 league games this term and Gary Neville is amongst a host of pundits to slam the team for their performances. Rio Ferdinand and Paul Scholes have also expressed their feelings on the club and how poorly they have played in no uncertain terms. When asked about the impact damning comments can have on the dressing room, Ten Hag believes he can squash out the negativity from the press.
"That has an impact, but it should never have an influence in the dressing room," Ten Hag told Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf . "Maybe the criticism is fiercer there. The club simply has a bigger fan base and more reach than Ajax, because England is much bigger, the Premier League is much bigger and basically everything is much bigger.
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"Compared to the Netherlands it's factor two, three, four or maybe even more. Fortunately, I've been getting more and more baggage on how to deal with certain forces."
United are set to have a busy transfer window as Ten Hag rebuilds his squad this summer. Nemanja Matic, Juan Mata, Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard are all out of contract, leaving United in desperate need of bolstering their midfield options. Declan Rice and Donny van de Beek have already been linked with a move to Old Trafford.
Meanwhile, the Red Devils could look to add another striker to their ranks with Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford's futures unclear, while Cristiano Ronaldo is heading into his 21st season as a professional. Victor Osimhen and Lautaro Martinez could be on the club's radar after impressing in Serie A with Napoli and Inter Milan respectively.
