Daley Blind has been in touch with several of his former teammates who have been seeking information on their new head coach, Erik ten Hag.
The Dutchman was confirmed as interim manager Ralf Rangnick’s permanent successor this month, but will not start work on his Old Trafford rebuilding job until the summer.
A number of the current team face uncertain futures given United’s troubles this campaign which continued on Thursday with another poor display against Chelsea which condemned them to finishing the season with their lowest ever points tally.
Rangnick, himself, has issued an assessment of a squad which he believes lacks the physicality to play in the fashion both he and Ten Hag want to implement at the club.
Blind, meanwhile, has warned those who have enquired that Ten Hag will take a no-nonsense approach with the players who do not put the team before themselves.
According to ESPN, the former United defender, a major component of Ajax’s recent success under Ten Hag, pointed to his decision to drop Haller for Brian Brobbey ahead of the Dutch Cup final against PSV Eindhoven.
Haller has scored 33 goals this campaign, came on in the second half but could not prevent Ajax losing 2-1.
A manager of that ilk is likely to go down well with the high-profile critics who have grown unhappy by the lack of progress at a club which has spent over £1bn since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement.
Speaking about the task awaiting Ten Hag, former United skipper Roy Keane told Sky Sports last night: ‘Don’t get me started on the midfield. I think defensively. I’m still not happy with the goalkeeper. A couple of players up front. Huge!’
‘Bruno Fernandes doesn’t get the ball back for you. Nobody mentions will he miss out. Rashford doesn’t do nowhere near enough. Sometimes they go to close people down but they are not really going after people, they’re just going through the motions.
‘We saw that again tonight with the amount of chances Chelsea created because players were going through the motions. Manchester City and Liverpool are the example, they hunt in packs, they hunt with hunger and real desire. With United the evidence is there, we saw tonight.
‘The new manager has to come in and whatever the individual quality we have to work as a team we have to have everyone working together. There’s no point in one closing down because the top teams will play right through you. The evidence has been there all season.
‘When United are out of possession every team, even the lesser teams, have created so many chances it’s not good enough.’
