England legend John Barnes has warned Manchester United that their issues stem deeper than the squad at their disposal, as the club enters the Erik Ten Hag era.

United axed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer midway through last season and drafted in Ralf Rangnick on an interim basis until the end of the 2021-22 season – which ended with disappointment as the club failed to secure a top-four finish and Champions League football.

Ten Hag was lured to Old Trafford from Ajax to take the club into a new direction, becoming the fifth permanent managerial appointment at United since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013.

The arrival of the Dutchman comes amid further changes in the United hierarchy, with Ed Woodward departing and Richard Arnold coming in as chief executive officer.

While fans are hoping for new signings, having seen rivals Manchester City land Erling Haaland and Liverpool capture Darwin Nunez, Barnes isn't convinced that additions will solve their problems.

"I don't know whether other players coming in is going to be better because Man United have spent money and brought players in and it hasn't worked," he told Stats Perform.

"So, it's not a question of just buying players in and automatically it's going to work because you know, everybody has their problems, adjusting when a new manager comes in when new players coming in. 

"What I do know is they've spent money and they've had players. So, I don't know anything about the institution as to how an institution should be run. But what I do know is they’ve got good players. 

"If they have good players and they're not performing, I don't think you can blame the hierarchy, blame the owners for them not playing well on the pitch. 

"Because what they have on the pitch, the players they have on the pitch, the money they've spent, they shouldn't be where they are. And they shouldn't be in the turmoil that they are. 

"I think it's too easy to blame that rather than looking at the players who should take responsibility for performances."

Barnes also made it clear that Ten Hag needs to establish himself as more powerful than the players in the United squad, as Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola and Thomas Tuchel have done.

"Once you don't have a manager who you give the power to make decisions, you will then keep changing the manager and then the players get very complacent. Because they know they're not going to get blamed," he explained.

"I can think of the three clubs in England who don't blame the manager and who the manager is more powerful than the players, Klopp, Guardiola, Tuchel, there's not one player at those clubs who could undermine the manager.

"I suppose you could put Conte and now Arteta in that position after the decision with Aubameyang where he [Arteta] won that battle, and that has to happen at any football club to be successful.

"Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened at United for the last four or five managers. So that for me is the issue, not the manager."

Manchester United are reportedly preparing a second offer for 22-year-old Porto striker Evanilson after they had a bid of €65million rejected by the Portuguese champions.

The Brazilian was purchased by Porto in 2020 for €8.8m out of Fluminense, and after scoring four goals from 24 appearances in his first season in the Primeira Liga, he exploded in his second campaign with 21 goals in 46 outings.

He had 14 goals and four assists in 30 league games, and seven goals in seven Taca de Portugal fixtures on the way to winning Portugal's top domestic cup.

TOP STORY – RED DEVILS PLAN BIG-MONEY MOVE FOR LITTLE-KNOWN BRAZILIAN

The report out of Portuguese newspaper O Jogo claims Porto has already fought off interest from both Brighton and Hove Albion and Wolves by raising their asking price to €80m.

Porto are said to be desperate to retain the striker's services for one more season – even labelling him 'untouchable' – but could have their hand forced if the Old Trafford side is willing to go all-in.

It would be a shock for United to fork out such a large sum for a striker while also trying to push Barcelona's asking price for Frenkie de Jong down to a more palatable number.

The Sun is also reporting Ajax winger Antony is a serious target for former Ajax boss Erik ten Hag, Goal claims that they are hoping to convince Christian Eriksen to sign on as well, and Corriere dello Sport believe they are investigating the possibility of landing Tammy Abraham.

ROUND-UP

– Arsenal have reportedly become the favourites to land Leeds United winger Raphinha as Barcelona's interest in the Brazilian cools off, according to Goal.

– The Daily Mail is reporting Chelsea have joined the race for Everton striker Richarlison, with Tottenham also in the bidding for the £50m man.

– According to Sky Sports, West Ham are planning a £30m bid for 20-year-old striker Armando Broja, who scored nine goals for Southampton last season while on loan from Chelsea.

– Nottingham Forest are trying to break their club-record transfer fee to sign 24-year-old Nigerian striker Taiyo Awoniyi for £17.5m from German side Union Berlin, per the Telegraph, although Football Insider claims Awoniyi will turn them down in favour of other offers.

– Calciomercato is reporting Kalidou Koulibaly will not join Juventus because he does not want to be considered a "traitor" like Gonzalo Higuain after his move to Turin – instead favouring a move to Barcelona.

Raphael Varane cannot be held solely responsible for his struggles since joining Manchester United last year, says former Red Devils defender Rio Ferdinand.

According to Ferdinand, United's "zero functionality" organisation under managers Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick was a crucial factor behind the 2018 World Cup winner's poor first season in England.

Now the United backline could be set for an important overhaul under new boss Erik ten Hag, Ferdinand believes.

Four-time Champions League winner Varane played 29 times in his debut season with United after arriving from Real Madrid, contributing to just six clean sheets as the Red Devils posted their worst Premier League points tally (58), finishing sixth.

Only four teams – relegated duo Norwich City (six) and Watford (four) as well as Leeds United (five) and Leicester City (seven) – kept fewer than the eight Premier League clean sheets managed by United last term.

While Ferdinand noted Varane has not performed to an elite level at Old Trafford, he hit out at United's lack of structure last season, comparing it to that of a youth team.

"I think he went from one team [Madrid], [where] the honours tell you it was a functioning team, functioning at the top level, with all the players playing to the maximum consistently," Ferdinand told his YouTube channel FIVE.

"He's then gone to an absolute reverse situation where the team has zero functionality, no confidence, no guidance and no structure. Going in there, he's probably going, 'I have not seen this since youth football'.

"To go from that world-class culture to what he's in with United is a huge shift, and he's like a rabbit in the headlights.

"He hasn't been the player we expected him to be when he came here, he would tell you that, and he'll be saying, 'I've got to up my level next year, I need help, I need my team-mates'.

"You need team-mates to be the best; [whether you are, Lionel] Messi, [Cristiano] Ronaldo, [Zinedine] Zidane, Ronaldinho, these players do not do what they do without their team-mates."

The appointment of former Ajax boss Ten Hag has raised hopes of an improved campaign next time around, with United expected to make significant efforts to bolster their squad in the transfer window.

Ajax defender Jurrien Timber is one player to have been heavily linked with United in recent weeks, and Ferdinand believes the club's new boss will want to make changes to the Red Devils' leaky backline.

"I'm interested to see what Ten Hag does in that area," he added. "They're talking about the young lad at Ajax, Timber, who's a centre-half, a small centre-half.

"I'll be interested to see what happens with Varane, [Victor] Lindelof, [Harry] Maguire, and Eric Bailly as well. I think one or two of them are going to go."

United's tally of 57 Premier League goals conceded last season was their worst on record in the competition, while they also failed to record a positive goal difference for the first time since the 1989-90 season.

Richard Arnold sought to explain Manchester United's plans as he met supporters who intended to protest outside his house on Saturday.

Arnold, who was named United's chief executive in February, was filmed discussing a number of topics relating to the club with fans in a pub. The videos were posted to Twitter.

Those present had been planning a protest, but Arnold instead went to meet them and bought drinks, United confirmed.

A club spokesperson told Sky Sports News: "Richard Arnold heard that a group of fans had gathered in a pub near his house.

"He went to meet them, bought them all a drink, listened to their views and explained what the club is doing to deliver success on the pitch, improve the stadium and strengthen engagement with fans."

The video footage appeared to show Arnold being quizzed on a wide range of topics, including United's pursuit of Frenkie de Jong.

He said the club had "burned through cash", but "the money the manager and director of football want is there".

Erik ten Hag, De Jong's former Ajax coach, is now the man in charge, having replaced Ralf Rangnick at the end of a season Arnold would seemingly rather forget.

"It was a nightmare," the CEO told fans. "I was hating every game."

Raphael Varane is excited by the prospect of Manchester United making a "new start" under Erik ten Hag, with the 2018 World Cup winner hoping to enjoy a more successful second season at Old Trafford.

Four-time European champion Varane left Real Madrid to join United last August, but he endured a frustrating campaign as the Red Devils struggled to a sixth-placed finish after replacing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with Ralf Rangnick.

Varane made 29 appearances in all competitions during his first season with United, only contributing to six clean sheets as the side finished with their lowest Premier League points tally yet (58).

But the appointment of former Ajax coach Ten Hag has raised hopes United can improve next term, and Varane has spoken of the squad's eagerness to work with the Dutchman.

"It's a new season, it's a new start, so everyone is excited to know about the new manager," he told the club's media channels.

"Obviously, we want to do well and win every game so, for this, we'll have to prepare for the new season, and I think it’s important for us to train hard and be ready."

United will open their 2022-23 Premier League campaign at home to Brighton and Hove Albion on August 7, but they will first embark on a pre-season tour of Asia and Australia.

United's first outing under Ten Hag will see them meet old rivals Liverpool in Thailand on July 12, and Varane says the team's pre-season work will prove crucial if they are to hit the ground running next term.

"We want to be ready for the new season," he continued. "We need to work very hard and there will be a lot of training sessions and a lot of games, so I think it will be interesting and a great moment to work very hard and to prepare for the season.

"I think it’s a different atmosphere, it's pre-season, so we have to get fit, we have to prepare.

"I think it's always exciting to play in front of our fans around the world, it's a good experience for us, and it's a good moment to prepare for the season."

Manchester United must start being active in the transfer market amid links to the likes of Frenkie de Jong and Christopher Nkunku, otherwise they risk failing to rebuild under Erik ten Hag.

That is the message from United great and television pundit Gary Neville, who warned that late transfer activity will only make Ten Hag's task tougher.

Ten Hag faces a sizeable rebuilding job after inhering a United side that finished with their lowest ever points tally in the 2021-22 Premier League campaign.

The Red Devils also failed to end a league campaign with a positive goal difference (zero) for the first time since the 1989-90 season.

Paul Pogba is heading for the exit door at the end of June when his contract expires, along with Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata, as Ten Hag looks to leave his mark at Old Trafford.

Reports have linked United to numerous players, such as Nkunku, De Jong and Christian Eriksen, while Ten Hag's former Ajax players Jurrien Timber and Antony have also been floated as options.

West Ham midfielder Declan Rice and Villarreal centre-back Pau Torres may appear more far-fetched options, but Neville says United must get to business otherwise their already difficult task will become even harder.

"The others seem set and ready, yet United can't get moving," Neville wrote on Twitter on Thursday.

"[Ten Hag] needs his group together [as soon as possible] to mould them. Bringing them in late will only make it harder for him. [Fingers crossed] it happens soon!"

Ten Hag will hope to have a busy transfer window ahead of the first Premier League game of the 2022-23 season when United will host Brighton and Hove Albion on August 7.

It will be the Dutchman's first competitive game in charge of the Red Devils, who will play their opening top-flight match at home for a sixth straight season – the longest current run of any Premier League side.

Manchester City and Liverpool will come straight out of Champions League midweek action into the fire of a Premier League showdown in October.

After battling to the final day of the 2021-22 campaign in a title tussle that City edged, few would be surprised to see Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp's teams again battling it out for supremacy.

Chelsea, no longer owned by Roman Abramovich, will look to stake a claim, while Manchester United, Tottenham and Arsenal will hope to improve on last season's efforts.

A host of early season games catch the eye, perhaps none more than the Old Trafford clash between Manchester United and Liverpool on August 20.

Liverpool twice outclassed United last season, but it could be a different story now Erik ten Hag has moved into the Red Devils top job. The former Ajax head coach would make a major early statement if his team can deliver on that day

Here, Stats Perform looks at key games in the new season, after the fixtures were released on Thursday.

Chelsea v Tottenham - August 13

After a tricky opener at Everton, Chelsea face Tottenham in their first Stamford Bridge game of the campaign. It will mean Antonio Conte again returning to the club where he was a Premier League and FA Cup winner, looking to give Spurs an early season lift.

Chelsea will be a team to keep close tabs on in the post-Abramovich era, and last season's third-placed finishers will have an early examination of their credentials against the side who snatched fourth in May. These two are likely to be battling to finish as London's top team again, but could either finish any higher than third in the table this time around?

Newcastle United v Manchester City - August 20

Are Newcastle United going to pose any threat to the top six? This fixture might give us an indication.

Eddie Howe's side will have home advantage against the champions, and the Saudi-backed Magpies, thrashed 5-0 and 4-0 by City last season, must show greater defiance this time around.

Manchester United v Liverpool - August 20

Games against Brighton and Hove Albion and Brentford will mark Erik ten Hag's introduction to the Premier League. Going on last season's evidence, there is no guarantee United will breeze through those assignments, but they will hope to have banked six points by the time they encounter Liverpool, their fiercest rivals.

Jurgen Klopp's side walloped United 5-0 and 4-0 in the 2021-22 campaign, underlining the gulf in class between the two squads, and Ten Hag surely cannot afford such a similar morale-draining outcome this time.

Everton v Liverpool - September 3

Derby day. Will Frank Lampard's Everton kick on after the relief of avoiding relegation last term, or can Klopp's Reds follow last season's league double with another win at Goodison Park?

Anything other than a Liverpool victory would be a major surprise, of course, as Lampard battles to make his mark on Merseyside.

Manchester City v Tottenham - September 10

Sandwiched between the first two rounds of Champions League group games, this cheeky little number is one to watch. Tottenham did the league double over City last season, inflicting two of their three defeats in the competition.

Pep Guardiola will know what damage the likes of Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski can inflict, but can he stop those lethal Spurs counter-attacks this time?

Derby double: Arsenal v Tottenham, Manchester City v Manchester United - October 1

This promises to be quite some weekend, with north London and Manchester bragging rights up for grabs. Tottenham's 3-0 win over Arsenal in May paved the way for Spurs to pip their neighbours to a place in the Champions League, which left the Gunners hurting. In the north west, United barely threatened a top-four finish last term, and it is hard to see how Ten Hag mounts any sort of challenge to City's supremacy in the new campaign.

There was a 35-point gap between the sides at the end of the season, and it is essential that United at least get much closer. Games such as these can be catalysts for change, or they can be an opportunity for a side such as City to show their teeth and inflict more damage. Both return games are scheduled for January 14.

Liverpool v Manchester City - October 15

After the fourth round of Champions League group games in midweek, Liverpool and City switch their combined focus to this Anfield heavyweight battle. They are scheduled to play again on April 1, but this tussle on Merseyside provides the first Premier League meeting of the season between the title favourites.

Both league games finished 2-2 last season between these sides, while Liverpool sank City's hopes in the FA Cup semi-finals, only to miss out on the Premier League title after final-day high drama.

Could new recruits Erling Haaland and Darwin Nunez make their mark on the hottest fixture on the calendar?

Nottingham Forest v Liverpool - October 22

A welcome return to the top-flight calendar for a classic fixture. Forest were a major force in the English game for many years, and a 23-year absence from the Premier League has made the heart grow fonder.

This City Ground game will stir up memories of Brian Clough's sides going head-to-head with those of Bob Paisley and Kenny Dalglish, and the classic games that ensued. Forest are unlikely to threaten the top six in the new campaign, but their presence among the elite again under Steve Cooper's assured leadership could see them serve up one or two big shocks.

Chelsea v Manchester City - January 2

The World Cup puts the Premier League campaign on hold for six weeks in mid-season, with a December 26 resumption soon followed by this meaty match-up.

By this point of the season, it should be reasonably clear which direction these teams are heading towards, and there can be no Qatar 2022 hangover for the players.

City took 1-0 wins home and away last season when these sides met in the league. Their second clash of the 2022-23 campaign comes on the penultimate weekend, pencilled in for May 20, and that could turn out to be even more significant than this contest.

Arsenal v Manchester United - January 21

Nobody expects Arsenal or United to win the Premier League this season. The Gunners have not lifted the trophy since their 2003-04 'Invincibles' season, while United were last champions in 2012-13.

Expect a barren decade in the competition to be completed for the Red Devils, but also expect an improvement under Ten Hag's leadership. This fixture carries a slowly diminishing cachet, but the prospect of Mikel Arteta and Ten Hag jostling for position in and around the Champions League places means it could be a massive moment in the season for these flagging yet still proud giants. They also meet in early September, but the stakes will be higher come this contest.

Erik ten Hag's bid to guide Manchester United to a new era of Premier League success will begin with the visit of Brighton and Hove Albion.

The top-flight title has eluded United since 2013, with Ten Hag the fifth permanent manager since Alex Ferguson's departure that year.

After hosting Graham Potter's Seagulls on the opening day, United head to Brentford before hosting rivals Liverpool.

The first Manchester derby of the campaign will take place at the Etihad Stadium on October 1, with the champions heading to Old Trafford on January 14.

Ten Hag will take his charges to Anfield in March and close the season by welcoming newly promoted Fulham.

A potentially favourable festive period, following on from the World Cup in Qatar, sees United host Nottingham Forest on Boxing Day, head to Wolves on New Year's Eve, and entertain Bournemouth in their first game of 2023.

Manchester United's 2022-23 fixtures in full:

07/08/2022 - Brighton and Hove Albion (h)
13/08/2022 - Brentford (a)
20/08/2022 - Liverpool (h)
27/08/2022 - Southampton (a)
30/08/2022 - Leicester City (a)
03/09/2022 - Arsenal (h)
10/09/2022 - Crystal Palace (a)
17/09/2022 - Leeds United (h)
01/10/2022 - Manchester City (a)
08/10/2022 - Everton (a)
15/10/2022 - Newcastle United (h)
19/10/2022 - Tottenham (h)
22/10/2022 - Chelsea (a)
29/10/2022 - West Ham (h)
05/11/2022 - Aston Villa (a)
12/11/2022 - Fulham (a)
26/12/2022 - Nottingham Forest (h)
31/12/2022 - Wolves (a)
02/01/2023 - Bournemouth (h)
14/01/2023 - Manchester City (h)
21/01/2023 - Arsenal (a)
04/02/2023 - Crystal Palace (h)
11/02/2023 - Leeds United (a)
18/02/2023 - Leicester City (h)
25/02/2023 - Brentford (h)
04/03/2023 - Liverpool (a)
11/03/2023 - Southampton (h)
18/03/2023 - Brighton and Hove Albion (a) 
01/04/2023 - Newcastle United (a)
08/04/2023 - Everton (h)
15/04/2023 - Nottingham Forest (a)
22/04/2023 - Chelsea (h)
25/04/2023 - Tottenham (a)
29/04/2023 - Aston Villa (h)
06/05/2023 - West Ham (a) 
13/05/2023 - Wolves (h)
20/05/2023 - Bournemouth (a)
28/05/2023 - Fulham (h)

Manchester City will start their Premier League title defence at West Ham, while Frank Lampard will host his former club Chelsea with Everton on the opening weekend.

City pipped Liverpool to their fourth English top-flight crown under Pep Guardiola and there will be significant interest around their August 7 opener at London Stadium, where new signing Erling Haaland could make his debut after arriving from Borussia Dortmund.

Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool will aim to mount another title charge in the 2022-23 campaign and they go to newly promoted Fulham for their first game.

Chelsea eased into third place last term and their first league game of the Todd Boehly era sees them travel to face Blues great Lampard at Everton, who narrowly avoided relegation to maintain their top-flight status.

Manchester United finished in a disappointing sixth last campaign, with a 4-0 thrashing at Brighton and Hove Albion a low point, and they host the Seagulls in what will be Erik ten Hag's first game in charge.

Arsenal will visit Crystal Palace on August 5 as the season's opening game, while promoted side Bournemouth are at home to Aston Villa.

Antonio Conte's Tottenham sneaked into the Champions League last season and open their campaign at home to Southampton, with Nottingham Forest playing their first top-flight fixture in 23 years away at Newcastle United, who climbed out the relegation zone under Eddie Howe in the previous term.

Testing opening for Liverpool, Guardiola faces late Blues clash

Liverpool were in the hunt for an unprecedented quadruple for much of the 2021-22 season, but fell short and ended up with just the EFL Cup and FA Cup crowns to their name.

Klopp's side will be tested in the opening weeks of the season, facing four – United, Chelsea, City and Arsenal – of the traditional 'big six' sides in the first 11 games, alongside a Merseyside derby at Everton on September 9.

The first clash between United and Liverpool will come just three matchdays into the season, with the Reds visiting Old Trafford on August 20.

Liverpool then head Chelsea and Arsenal either side of the late September international break, with champions City travelling to Anfield just a week after the Gunners trip.

Supporters in Manchester will eagerly await October 1 for the first meeting between United and City at Etihad Stadium, while the first north London derby between Tottenham and Arsenal comes on the same day.

The Premier League title race went down to the wire last campaign, and City could face a tough task if it does so again as they host Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea in an enticing clash on the penultimate weekend.

Premier League opening weekend fixtures:

Crystal Palace v Arsenal
Bournemouth v Aston Villa
Everton v Chelsea
Fulham v Liverpool
Leeds United v Wolves
Leicester City v Brentford
Newcastle United v Nottingham Forest
Tottenham v Southampton
Manchester United v Brighton and Hove Albion
West Ham v Manchester City

Erik ten Hag will face Rayo Vallecano in his first home game in charge of Manchester United.

United start their pre-season campaign with a clash against Liverpool in Thailand on July 12, before heading to Australia for friendlies with Melbourne Victory, Crystal Palace and Aston Villa.

The Red Devils will then head to Oslo as Ten Hag faces Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid on July 30.

United return to Manchester to cap off their pre-season schedule with a friendly against LaLiga side Vallecano at Old Trafford.

That will be Ten Hag's first game at the Theatre of Dreams and United's football director John Murtough hopes the fans will give him a warm welcome.

"Pre-season is all about preparation and this is a great opportunity for those squad members who may not have featured in some of our earlier tour and pre-season matches to get valuable minutes on the pitch – and where better to do this than Old Trafford?," he said, as quoted by United's official website.

"This will be the new manager's first match at Old Trafford, and I am sure the fans will provide him with a warm welcome."

Erik ten Hag has the coaching qualities needed to succeed as Manchester United manager, according to Matthijs de Ligt.

Former Ajax boss Ten Hag was confirmed as Ralf Rangnick's successor in April and officially took charge last month.

The Dutchman takes over a United side that recorded their lowest points tally in a Premier League season last term when finishing 35 points behind champions Manchester City.

While the size of the rebuild job is clear to see, Juventus centre-back De Ligt – who played under Ten Hag in Amsterdam – believes his compatriot is up to the task.

"He is someone who loves his job and he loves to work," De Ligt said. "He's really into the details. This makes him a really good trainer.

"He has a lot of qualities [to succeed]. We will have to see how he goes."

United have been tipped to make a number of signings ahead of next season, but De Ligt insists Ten Hag can also get more out of United's current squad.

"He definitely improves players. He wants to do everything to make his team play better," the defender said.

Ten Hag, who is United's fifth permanent manager since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, is reportedly eager to make Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong his first signing.

De Ligt and De Jong played a big part in Ajax's run to the Champions League semi-finals in 2018-19, when also winning a domestic double under the watch of Ten Hag.

However, De Ligt is not sure if his Netherlands team-mate will link up with Ten Hag at Old Trafford.

"He's an amazing player and everybody knows how important he is for the team," De Ligt said. "But he's not said anything [about a transfer]."

Daley Blind has backed "control freak" Erik ten Hag to succeed at Manchester United and deliver the attacking football that the club "stands for".

Ten Hag was in April confirmed as the successor to Ralf Rangnick, who will not take up a consultancy role at Old Trafford after taking charge of Austria.

The former Ajax coach has a sizeable rebuilding job to do after United recorded their lowest points tally in a Premier League season.

The Red Devils also failed to end a league campaign with a positive goal difference (zero in 2021-22) for the first time since the 1989-90 season (-1).

Ten Hag guided Ajax to a third Eredivisie title in four full seasons at the helm and Blind backed the 52-year-old to make a big impact at his former club.

"He's really social," the Ajax defender Daley told United's official website. "I think, also in Ajax, he knows everyone at the club is important. Everyone needs to be involved to get that winning feeling, that winning mentality.

"Everyone is needed pointing in the same direction. He is aware of that and wants to keep everything close. He's also a control freak and wants to be on top of everything. I think that's a special quality you need to have when being that good.

"I think he is a brilliant [coach]. A manager who loves to play attacking football, what Manchester stands for.

"I think he's a manager who knows what he wants. He knows exactly how he wants to bring it over to the team and express that and keep everyone on board, everyone in the same direction to get that winning mentality and winning trophies."

United have not won a trophy since the 2017 Europa League final success under Jose Mourinho and Blind insists Ten Hag must build foundations before focusing on silverware.

"It's difficult to say," he responded when asked about Ten Hag delivering trophies at United. "I won't burn my hands on that but I think the most important thing is that the team puts out a playing style and people can see that back on the pitch.

"I think, if that's going to happen, then winning will become more easy. From winning, you win trophies. When this happens, I don't know.

"I know this manager has the quality and I hope he gets the time to put everything his way and makes sure the team plays how he wants. I am confident he will be successful."

Manchester United have become somewhat accustomed to disappointment over the past nine years, but the 2021-22 season arguably saw them plumb new depths.

United accumulated just 58 points, their worst record in a single Premier League campaign.

But on top of that, champions Manchester City's haul of 93 points meant United finished the season 35 points adrift of the summit – that is comfortably the furthest off the top the Red Devils have ended a term in the Premier League era.

It was also the first time since 1989-90 that United failed to finish a league season with a positive goal difference, as they scored and conceded 57 goals.

Interim manager Ralf Rangnick said during his tenure that the squad needed the equivalent of open-heart surgery, suggesting they needed potentially 10 new players.

There are arguably four players who head into the pre-season under new manager Erik ten Hag having not done themselves a disservice this season, though even they will still have points to prove.
 

Fred

The United career of Fred has been a peculiar one. It's fair to say even his most-ardent backers would admit he's not exactly been worth the monumental reported transfer fee of £52million.

But in his defence, a lot of his time at United has been spent playing out of position. At no point since he joined have the club had a world-class defensive midfielder, meaning he's very often been shoe-horned into that role.

And it rarely takes long for his glaring inadequacies in such a position to come to the surface. First and foremost, his awareness of what's around him is poor, and that's arguably the nightmare situation for someone playing a role in which you expect to receive the ball under pressure just outside your box.

The 2021-22 season still had a bit of that for Fred, but crucially there were more signs of him operating more functionally as a 'number eight', rather than a six, and while few would consider him to be an outstanding passer, it's in this role where his excellent work rate and generally solid technique become much more of an asset to the team.

Among United players to feature for at least 500 minutes across all competitions this season, only Diogo Dalot (2.9) attempted more tackles than Fred (2.7) on a per-90-minute basis, while just three players engaged in more duels than the Brazilian (11.7). He also ranked behind only three for passes into the final third (7.5).

Now, perhaps perception plays a part in what many would consider a decent season for Fred, meaning his low performance level in the past suggests his improvement is exaggerated. But as long as he's not playing as a six again, expect Ten Hag to find a use for him.
 

David de Gea

Few would disagree with the suggestion De Gea's level dipped significantly a few years ago, but there were some positive signs in the 2021-22 season, almost as if he had reacted to the scare of seeing Dean Henderson get some game time in 2020-21.

In fact, his 2.8 goals prevented was the second-best score in the Premier League, highlighting how good his shot-stopping was.

Over the course of the campaign, only Illan Meslier (143) and Kasper Schmeichel (131) managed more saves than De Gea (128). This obviously proves just how unreliable the defence in front of him was, because no team of their stature should have such a busy goalkeeper.

For example, Ederson faced just 60 shots, which was the fewest of any goalkeeper to play over 1,600 minutes.

But despite De Gea generally enjoying a positive season when it comes to bailing United out, there remain plenty of fans and critics who feel the club could still do better than him.

Under Ten Hag, it would seem likely there will be a greater reliance on keeping possession, and this could be where other options are considered.

While De Gea's own-half passing accuracy of 88.2 per cent doesn't sound alarming, there were 12 goalkeepers (minimum 500 minutes) with better records, while the 96 and 95 per cent posted by Ederson and Alisson, respectively, show a significant gulf.

Similarly, in the same group of goalkeepers, De Gea ranked 18th (out of 26) for long-pass accuracy (33.1 per cent). The gap to Ederson (59.3 per cent) and Alisson (48.1 per cent) is even more pronounced.

Of course, a goalkeeper's primary function is to prevent goals, but if yours is completely out of sync with the team's style, then that's automatically an area where you're not maximising potential.
 

Cristiano Ronaldo

When Ronaldo's return was confirmed last year, there was an awful lot of noise around whether he was right for United.

People claimed that, despite his goals, Ronaldo made Juventus a less functional team because he didn't offer enough outside the penalty area.

Those suggestions never quite went away at United either because, regardless of how effective he proved to be in the box, the team in general played below expectations for practically the entire season.

It's impossible to say whether a different striker with a broader arsenal would have turned United into a better team, but given how deep their issues run, it seems a little unfair to pin the blame on Ronaldo.

After all, goals win football matches – he certainly did his bit. Across all competitions, he scored 24 goals at a rate of one every 132.9 minutes. Only Jamie Vardy (131.6 mins), Mohamed Salah (129.5 mins) and Riyad Mahrez (122.1 mins) netted with greater frequency among Premier League players (min. 50 shots).

Similarly, only Salah (31) and Harry Kane (27) scored more than Ronaldo, though each of them had at least an extra 800 minutes on the pitch than him.

Ronaldo's 24 makes him one of only six players to net at least 20 goals in a single season for United since Alex Ferguson retired, with Bruno Fernandes and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (both 28) plundering the most in that span.

Surely Ten Hag won't discard him?
 

Anthony Elanga

There was an expectation Elanga was going to play a reasonable amount of football this season, such had been his progress in the United youth sides.

But he didn't feature in a single Premier League game until Ralf Rangnick's first match in charge at the start of December. Before then, he'd had one brief cameo in the EFL Cup before Ole Gunnar Solskjaer promptly forgot about him again.

As it happened, Elanga proved to be a bit of a Rangnick favourite. Even though a lot of his appearances were from the bench, no outfield player featured in more games for the interim manager than the speedy forward.

Rangnick clearly liked Elanga's pace, attitude and work rate, and he did chip in with three goals. Granted, that was hardly an outstanding number, but over the same period only Ronaldo (12) and Fernandes (five) managed more.

His nine chances created was a pretty poor return, but again, only Ronaldo (84) and Fernandes (67) attempted more shots than the Sweden international (27), so he was offering something in attack.

There's undoubtedly a lot of room for improvement there, and he'll need to sharpen up from a creative sense if he's to have a long-term future at the club, but he's clearly in a stronger position than 12 months ago.

Former Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal says Ed Woodward’s departure from Old Trafford could "make the difference" for new boss Erik ten Hag to have success with the Red Devils.

Van Gaal led United from 2014 to 2016, winning the 2016 FA Cup before being sacked two days later with Woodward in charge as the club’s vice-chairman at the time.

The 70-year-old Dutchman has been critical of United in the past for being too commercially focused, rather than being a football club.

Woodward had been at the helm at Old Trafford from 2012 until February this year, with Richard Arnold replacing him in the lead-up to Ten Hag’s appointment as the club’s new manager in April.

Ten Hag, who joined United from Dutch champions Ajax, faces a stern challenge reviving the club who has not won silverware since 2017, but Van Gaal believes change at the top may help his cause.

"There is now a new leadership," Van Gaal told reporters ahead of the Netherlands’ Nations League game with Wales in Cardiff on Wednesday.

"It was Woodward, now it's Richard Arnold, and that can make the difference so we have to wait and see.

"[Ten Hag] has a lot of confidence, so who am I to say something about that?"

Upon his appointment as United boss, Ten Hag had rebuffed Van Gaal’s claims about the club being too interested in commercial affairs.

"I draw my own line and I’m convinced that is not the case," Ten Hag said.

"I spoke to the directors about it and football is one, two, three these days."

Leeds United have placed a price-tag of at least £60million on star winger Raphinha, posing questions about whether interested party Barcelona will have the funds to complete a deal.

Raphinha was excellent for Leeds this past season, finishing second for the team in matches started (35), first in goals scored (11), second in assists (three) and converted all four penalties he was entrusted with.

Barcelona have been viewed as the primary suitor for the Brazilian winger, but with the price-tag continuing to rise, there is doubt about how the Spanish giants could pull it off.

TOP STORY – LEEDS TO HAND OUT NO DISCOUNTS FOR RAPHINHA

The Athletic is reporting that, as it stands, Barcelona will not have the funds to complete a move for Raphinha – or anyone close to his price-tag.

LaLiga president Javier Tebas controversially shared that Barca are in no position to sign Robert Lewandowski, but added that some big-name sales could "fill up their tank, which is empty".

The Blaugrana's continued interest in Raphinha, despite their financial position, adds fuel to the fire of a potential Frenkie de Jong sale to Manchester United, with his reported £72.5m price-tag potentially adding some much-needed spending power.

The Athletic also mentions Manchester City's Bernardo Silva, Valencia's Carlos Soler, Sevilla's Jules Kounde, as well as Chelsea duo Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso as potential Barcelona targets.

ROUND-UP

– GiveMeSport is reporting that Harry Kane "is likely" to sign a contract extension to remain at Tottenham.

– According to the Manchester Evening News, United have offered defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka to at least one club, and are also willing to part ways with England under-21 defender Brandon Williams.

– Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku is willing to take a pay cut to return to Inter, according to the Telegraph.

– ESPN is reporting United may challenge Ajax for the signature of Tottenham winger Steven Bergwijn, with the Dutch club's interest beginning when Erik ten Hag was in charge.

– According to the Daily Mail, Tottenham and Chelsea will compete for RB Leipzig's 20-year-old Croatian defender Josko Gvardiol.