Manchester United have announced Erik ten Hag, in perhaps the least surprising managerial appointment of the season.
The 52-year-old is walking into a club in absolute chaos, however. With Sky Sports pundit and ex-captain Gary Neville declaring after Tuesday's 4-0 loss to Liverpool that this is the worst he's seen the club in his 42 years of following them, it's going to be a tough ask for Ten Hag to turn the tide.
At least there are some issues that he can address right away…
1. Establish "The Manchester United way"
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"Philosophy", "direction" and "identity" are buzzwords in modern football that essentially don't mean very much. Everyone wants to play "good football": it basically boils down to keeping possession, entertaining your fans and winning matches.
Manchester United's "philosophy" in recent years has been completely misattributed. Patrice Evra didn't like the idea of the Red Devils embracing gegenpressing – but what exactly was it replacing? What kind of football do United actually play? Even under Sir Alex Ferguson, they didn't have a particularly recognisable playing style and often, they weren't especially entertaining.
But they do need direction. Ten Hag needs to lay down his principles, based on the intensity that he demands and the progress he expects. He needs to identify the kind of footballers he wants. Are they going to be a possession side? A pressing side? Play primarily on the counter? Right now, United don't know what they are.
2. Choose a goalkeeper and stick to them
Dean Henderson won the No.1 shirt under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. David De Gea won it back when Henderson got injured. Now United have two goalkeepers who both should be starting.
It's the first role on the team sheet and is indicative of the issues at the club. Fans have been split right down the middle on De Gea, whose distribution has been poor this season, despite great shot-stopping displays to bail out his teammates. Henderson, however, is good enough to start for a top side.
Ten Hag needs to nail his colours to a mast and choose his man early. This kind of uncertainty is hanging over many roles within the side.
3. Establish order at the back
Harry Maguire, contrary to what some people say, is not the worst defender on Earth. This is a player who has been integral to England sides who have barely conceded goals in big competitions. He earned the Manchester United captaincy at a time where they were looking good.
But his torrid season says a lot. United have exposed Maguire far too much and whether or not Ten Hag believes his captain is beyond saving, things need shoring up in defence. As a manager who plays out from the back, this is also the foundation going forward, so it has to be strong.
United have not been compact enough defensively. Good defenders certainly help when preventing goals but first thing's first, Ten Hag needs to sort the structure.
4. One formation, please
Manchester United's experiment with a 5-4-1 defensive shape at Anfield this week was just the latest in a long line of bizarre attempts for Ralf Rangnick to stumble upon genius. We've seen Bruno Fernandes up front, Paul Pogba partnering him, a 4-3-3, the return of Ole's 4-2-3-1, Ralf's patented 4-2-2-2 and Solskjaer even played with a diamond at one point.
Ten Hag needs to establish familiarity in his set-up, since United have had no consistency in their constant shape-shifting. He's a proponent of the 4-3-3, not adverse to using a 4-2-3-1 but United need to find something that works for the majority of their players and all pull in the same direction.
5. Decide upon a midfield
Fred and Scott McTominay got the nod under Ole Gunnar Solksjaer in midfield. Nemanja Matic has stepped in, as has Paul Pogba. None of the four have convinced fans unanimously and 50% of them are leaving.
United's inability to control games is astounding for a so-called Big Six side. Ten Hag will need to address just how open and broken his new team look in the centre of the pitch and bring some kind of structure there. New signings are a certainty at this point for midfield: and they need some important profiles in there.
6. Coax some confidence out of Marcus Rashford
Once the bright young thing of English football, now a shadow of himself sitting on the bench behind Anthony Elanga. Ten Hag has a reputation for turning average Premier League players – the likes of Sebastien Haller and Dusan Tadic – into Champions League stars. Surely he can get better from Marcus Rashford?
With Luke Shaw nursing a spiritual hangover from Euro 2020, Rashford has had such little to combine with on the left for United. His confidence is at rock bottom and really, getting onside one of the most popular stars in this team and reigniting his spark is perhaps a must for a new manager. He's certainly got the ability to change games, after all.
If Rashford could start next season strongly, with help from his new boss, that's an easy way to win the fans over immediately. It's in Ten Hag's interest as much as Rashford's or the team's.
7. Identify leaders
Roy Keane seems to be stuck on repeat every Sunday on Sky. There's no one of his calibre in this United side, of course, when it comes to leadership – but then there are few like him in football anymore.
Establishing an order of players to rely on is an absolute necessity. Jurgen Klopp did it with his side and now boasts four international captains within his side, not counting the likes of Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Joel Matip who all lead by example, too.
If United don't have anyone worthy of leading, they need to find a few players to bring in. Perhaps they won't be the blockbuster signings that fans have been used to but consistency is key now. No more hiding: they need players who will drop at least 7/10 performances every week.
8. Rehabilitate Bruno Fernandes
When he arrived, Bruno Fernandes was compared to Eric Cantona and invigorated a tired side that looked bereft of star quality. Now, he can barely keep the ball.
Bruno needs this change as much as anyone, with his stock perhaps lower than it ever has been during his time in England. Ten Hag needs to find out the best way of using such an explosive talent – whether that's reinventing his entire game just to get the best out of him.
When Bruno plays well, so do United. And he hasn't been anywhere near his devastating best this season.
9. Continue youth projects
Anthony Elanga has been a bright spot of an otherwise dark season. Hannibal Mejbri's cameo the other night reminded fans why United have such a long and illustrious history of giving academy stars a chance.
There's plenty to get excited about in the youth ranks at Old Trafford and Arsenal have proven the benefits of investing in younger players this season. Fans are far more tolerant of mistakes from younger players: they're going to feel a lot more positive about a project that's still learning. Arsenal fans have arguably not been this united around a group of players since the Invincibles.
Embracing Elanga, Hannibal and others a little more may well be the 'Get out of Jail' card that Ten Hag needs for a rocky journey. Of course United have a great history of fostering youth: but they need to do it from a practical perspective, too.
10. Ditch anyone causing toxicity
Harry Maguire has had to deny rifts between him and Cristiano Ronaldo. A dressing room rift over Pogba potentially getting a new deal leaked a few weeks ago, with Pogba apparently telling teammates often how he's not staying. There's reported discontent from those not getting minutes. It doesn't look like a happy camp.
It's not acceptable. Ten Hag needs to rebuild the culture as much as the team and make sure that his squad are all pulling in the same direction. Gone are the days of some players receiving preferential treatment. Leaks to the media need to end. This is a new era.
Anyone who's not committed to United is missing the fundamental ingredient. United have plenty to be hopeful for, after all.
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