Manchester United's stars pulled into the Carrington training complex as Erik ten Hag was named manager of the club.
Looking forlorn, the Red Devils are clearly still feeling the after-effects of what was a humbling defeat by Liverpool at Anfield on Tuesday night. Jurgen Klopp's men ran riot and put four past David de Gea with no reply. The result sparked an onslaught of criticism from the United fanbase, but those same fans may be feeling a tad happier now.
This is due to the fact that the long-running saga surrounding who will succeed Ralf Rangnick on a permanent basis has finally been resolved, with Ajax boss Ten Hag is the man entrusted with that responsibility. The Dutchman will be hopeful he can restore the club to their former glories and avoid nights like the most recent trip to Merseyside.
United are currently gearing up for a visit to one of their rivals for a top-four finish in Arsenal as Mikel Arteta's side aim to build on the momentum presented to them with their win at Stamford Bridge in midweek.
Ten Hag will be the boss at Old Trafford for the next three years according to his contract, though it does boast the option to extend by a further year. Addressing the United supporters in the aftermath of his appointment, Ten Hag revealed he is relishing the task.
"It is a great honour to be appointed manager of Manchester United and I am hugely excited by the challenge ahead," he explained. "I know the history of this great club and the passion of the fans, and I am absolutely determined to develop a team capable of delivering the success they deserve."
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He went on to ease any fears the Ajax faithful may have over his focus between now and the end of the season as the club try to secure a third Eredivisie title under Ten Hag's stewardship.
"It will be difficult to leave Ajax after these incredible years, and I can assure our fans of my complete commitment and focus on bringing this season to a successful conclusion before I move to Manchester United."
Former United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar is now a chief executive at Ajax and has since addressed Ten Hag's Amsterdam exit. "Four and a half years is a good amount of time, but we would have liked to have kept Erik at Ajax for longer," he admitted.
"He is going to make the step to one of the biggest clubs in the world, in a fantastic league. We owe Erik a lot of thanks for what he has achieved with Ajax so far, but we are not done yet.
"At the end of the season, I will look back more extensively on his departure. For now, what matters is the final games of the season in which we all want to bring home the league title."
United's Football Director John Murtough has been leading the efforts to bring Ten Hag to Old Trafford and admitted the club's hierarchy were pleased with his vision.
"During the past four years at Ajax, Erik has proved himself to be one of the most exciting and successful coaches in Europe, renowned for his team's attractive, attacking football and commitment to youth," Murtough added.
"In our conversations with Erik leading up to this appointment, we were deeply impressed with his long-term vision for returning Manchester United to the level we want to be competing at, and his drive and determination to achieve that.
"We wish Erik the best of luck as he focuses on achieving a successful end to the season at Ajax and look forward to welcoming him to Manchester United this summer."
