Against the backdrop of a takeover saga that is showing no signs of stopping anytime soon, Erik ten Hag stepped forward and led by example.
Appointed Manchester United's fifth permanent manager since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement a decade ago, the Dutchman, poached from Ajax in April last year, enjoyed both a fruitful and promising maiden campaign in the Old Trafford dugout. He ended United's six-year wait for a trophy and guided them back into the Champions League at the very first attempt.
His main objective at the very beginning of the season was to lead United to a top four finish and help them reclaim their place in Europe's premier club competition for next term. In the end, despite some nervy moments along the way, it was a mission he passed with flying colours.
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Though Chelsea's and Liverpool's standards dropped this season, making it easier for anyone with top four ambitions to give it a damn good go, United still had to rise to the challenge and get the job done. Despite the aforementioned nervy moments and the occasional hammerings, they did get the job done, achieving their main goal without too much fuss.
Had Saturday's FA Cup final at Wembley gone their way, Ten Hag's maiden season in charge would have, in summary, been described as being exceptional. Instead, it will go down as being both solid and progressive. A top four finish and a trophy is more than acceptable in a transitional season.
After a progressive maiden season under the Dutchman, which featured an impressive 42 wins from 62 matches in all competitions, United will have aspirations of kicking-on next season and taking the next step, both domestically and in Europe. The transfer window officially opens for business in just nine days' time, meaning that will mark the beginning of the next chapter in the Reds' quest to return to the top.
As has been well-documented by just about everyone with the faintest interest in United, the club must, first and foremost, recruit a world-class striker this summer. They must source a figurehead to lead their attack that will make opposing defenders panic, just as Erling Haaland has at Manchester City this season.
Though signing a striker would go a long way to helping United improve and make further progress, they can't stop there; they need to bolster several other areas of the team, not least in goal and in central-midfield. Ten Hag knows that and will be doing all he can to get his squad ready for the start of the new campaign in August.
But regardless of who United recruit this summer personnel-wise, Ten Hag has earned the right to be both trusted and supported by the club's hierarchy, regardless of who is going to preside over the transfer kitty he is armed with. The Dutchman boasts the highest win percentage of any permanent United manager in history and it is a figure that should only increase if he is given the right backing.
Ten Hag, though the United dressing room was understood to have had doubts about him prior to his appointment, has put United back on the map, restoring standards both on and off the pitch via world-class coaching methods and discipline. It has been an approach that has taken the club back into the Champions League and restocked their trophy cabinet for the first time since 2017.
Of course, it was disappointing for United's season to reach its conclusion with some members of the squad on their haunches on the Wembley turf, but it has been a season of progression and regaining respect. United have rediscovered an identity and an attractive playing style, but they are still a long way off being the finished article under Ten Hag.
The supporters have warmed to his methods, appreciated the work he has put in this season and understand that the club has only written the first chapter in their resurrection. It is now down to the powers that be, regardless of the uncertainty surrounding the takeover, to back Ten Hag with the correct tools this summer.
Ten Hag was given the backing he needed last summer to get United's resurrection off the ground, but he now needs upgrades on the quality he drafted in almost 12 months ago. United now need more world-class talent to go the next level, just as the fans recognise. The question is: do those at the top?
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