Ajax legend Marco Van Basten believes Erik ten Hag will be having doubts following his expected appointment as Manchester United's next manager.
Fabrizio Romano reports that the Dutchman is on the verge of being confirmed as the successor to interim manager Ralf Rangnick.
The 52-year-old would have been able to catch a glimpse of the huge job he has on his hands. Manchester United were beaten 4-0 by fierce rivals Liverpool at Anfield on Tuesday.
Van Basten reacted to United's demoralizing defeat, ripping into the Red Devils squad. He sent a warning to Ten Hag about the enormity of the job.
He told Ziggo Sport (via Metro):
"The difference between Liverpool and Manchester United at the moment is huge, they walked around like beaten people."
The Dutch legend continued,
"They are one of the biggest clubs in England but not one of them showed anything. Maguire passes the ball in the same way and thinks, ‘I don’t know, are you doing it?"
Van Basten concluded:
"They are not thinking about solutions, it’s unbelievable."
Tuesday night's defeat was just the latest setback in what has been a miserable season for Manchester United.
The 13-time Premier League winners have exited all cup competitions and are facing an uphill battle to finish in the top-four.
The defeat to Liverpool has them sitting in sixth, trailing fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur by three points, having played one more game.
Manchester United need to bounce back before the end of the season
Only six games remain in the current Premier League season. The Red Devils can ill afford to drop any more points if they intend on qualifying for the UEFA Champions League.
As Van Basten alludes to, the difference between United and their fierce rivals Liverpool is enormous.
Erik ten Hag has a huge fight on his hands with this squad of players to try and turn things around once he arrives in the summer.
United next face Arsenal at the Emirates looking to bounce back from Tuesday night's horror show. They then face Chelsea at Old Trafford, and those two games are likely to dictate how the Red Devils finish the season.
Interim boss Rangnick described the loss to Liverpool as being 'humiliating', telling Sky Sports (via BBC Sport):
"It's embarrassing, it's disappointing, maybe even humiliating. Especially in the first half, we were just not up to it. We were nowhere."
It appears the German coach is finally letting the media know this squad is not up to standards.