da aviator aposta： The Dutchman has been given another chance to put things right in 2024-25, but he and his new bosses have plenty of issues to sort out

da bet nacional： Nearly one month after abandoning their search for a new manager, Manchester United have ratified Erik ten Hag's future and handed him a new contract until 2026.

The Dutchman has not got an emphatic vote of confidence as the club have triggered a one-year extension on the deal he signed in 2022, on the same terms as before. But it means he can finally get to work ahead of the new season to improve on a harrowing last season, albeit a sensational finish as his side beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final.

"Looking back at the past two years, we can reflect with pride on two trophies and many examples of progression from where we were when I joined," Ten Hag said.

"However, we must also be clear that there is still lots of hard work ahead to reach the levels expected of Manchester United, which means challenging for English and European titles. In my discussions with the club, we have found complete unity in our vision for reaching those goals, and we are all strongly committed to making that journey together."

GOAL has laid out10 issues that the Dutchman and United's new footballing overlords, INEOS, must confront to ensure that the team avoid a repeat of last season and that there are no regrets about keeping Ten Hag in the role…

Getty ImagesAssemble his coaching staff

Now that Ten Hag's future has been rubber-stamped, he will need to finalise his coaching staff for the new season. Forwards coach Benni McCarthy has left the club and Ten Hag is hoping to add legendary United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy to his staff along with Dutch coach Rene Hake, who he first worked with 19 years ago at FC Twente.

AdvertisementGettyBuy some defenders

Put simply, United's defence last season was a calamity. The team conceded 58 league goals, 15 more than the previous campaign. They also surrendered an average of 17.6 shots per game, higher than every side apart from Sheffield United.

Part of the problem was that injury issues meant Ten Hag had to field 15 separate centre-back partnerships. He also had no fit left-backs, as Tyrell Malacia missed the whole campaign and Luke Shaw played just 12 league games. So United must prioritise bolstering their back line, with the aim of getting at least three new defenders.

Jarrad Branthwaite is a good option at centre-back to replace the departing Raphael Varane, while Bournemouth's Milos Kerkez would be a shrewd left-back signing.

GettyDefine the team's style

Throughout last season, many fans were left wondering exactly what Ten Hag's plan was. The manager earned his reputation on the back of Ajax's thrilling positional play, but in his second campaign in Manchester, United became a counter-attacking side that was not too dissimilar from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team, but without the defensive solidity.

Ten Hag's tactical flexibility did mean United ended up winning the FA Cup and shocking City, but that blueprint is not sustainable throughout the season. So Ten Hag and newly-appointed technical director Jason Wilcox must redefine how the team should play and design a squad that best suits that particular style.

GettyImprove communication

The last few months have been terrible for United's image, painting the picture of an indecisive board who were willing to speak to every manager around while leaving their incumbent boss, as well as their fans, in the dark. Ten Hag was put in the highly uncomfortable position of being repeatedly asked about his future by journalists in every press conference, but there was no word from Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Sir David Brailsford or anyone else in authority.

United should put more members of the board up to speak to the media and address fans on non-football matters, thus allowing Ten Hag to focus on the team, as is the case at many European clubs. INEOS should also have more up-front communication with the boss now that they have given him their vote-of-confidence.