No identity, no hope! Five reasons why Erik ten Hag is not the right manager to take Man Utd forward

Old Trafford was once the most intimidating stadium for opposing teams in English football. Sir Alex Ferguson turned Manchester United into a winning machine during his glorious 27-year reign, moulding several world-class teams through a mixture of promoting the brightest academy talent and shrewd business in the transfer market.

He also ruled the dressing room with an iron fist, and demanded the highest standards from every single one of his players. David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer all proved to be unworthy successors to Ferguson - and Erik ten Hag is now destined to suffer the same fate.

Ferguson only lost 34 home Premier League games of the 405 he managed: a total the five coaches who succeeded him have matched in just 196 games. Manchester City stormed to a 3-0 victory in their arch-rivals' backyard on Sunday, and the only surprise come the final whistle was that they didn't score at least two or three more.

United started well enough, but the gulf between the two teams became more and more apparent as the game wore on, and Ten Hag was completely outwitted in the tactical stakes by Pep Guardiola. The result confirmed the Red Devils' worst start to a top-flight season since 1986-97, and leaves them 11 points behind leaders Tottenham after just 10 games.

Ten Hag reportedly still enjoys the backing of the United board, but their patience will run out soon. There are no positives to be taken from the team's performances that might suggest a significant turnaround is looming on the horizon.

Yes, the uncertainty surrounding the Glazer family's proposed sale of the club has served as an unwanted distraction. It now appears that they will be staying put, for a while at least, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his company INEOS set to acquire a 25 percent stake in the club with a view to completing a phased takeover.

But that's not a good enough excuse for how far United have fallen under Ten Hag. It is patently clear that the Dutchman is not the right man for the job, and he only has himself to blame for the irrecoverable position he now finds himself in.