MEN Sport understands Erik ten Hag is the favourite for the top job at Manchester United, but if he is appointed his task will not be an easy one. The club is not in a good state and years of mismanagement and poor planning has left it a shadow of the giant it was under Sir Alex Ferguson.
United's decline is not dissimilar to Barcelona's. The Spanish club's fall happened in a shorter period due to financial mismanagement but was still punctuated by big fees on underperforming marquee signings, a failure to develop their top talents and several managers who failed to understand the ideals of the club.
However, upon the appointment of Xavi, it seems like everything has corrected itself. That is because, while Barcelona on the surface was falling apart, underneath they still had all the groundwork for the right man to come and take the reins to get them back on track.
