What Ten Hag needs to stop the rot at Man Utd: From a deal for De Jong to a resolution to the Ronaldo saga

Just two games into his Manchester United reign and there are already questions over Erik ten Hag’s ability to turn his disastrous start around. The problems feel so much bigger than just the manager, who inherited an imbalanced and decimated squad – and a club at its lowest ebb for more than 30 years.

He needs help from above after another shambolic transfer window that shuts on September 1.

His top target, Frenkie de Jong, is still to arrive – and humiliating defeats to Brighton and Brentford have proved his current squad can’t compete.

In that sense, this early season pain may help his cause if the Glazer family and chief executive Richard Arnold are sufficiently alarmed to make desperately-needed funds available.

Bottom of the Premier League for the first time bottom for 30 years – Ten Hag is the first United manager since John Chapman in 1921 to lose his opening two games in charge.

And the real concern is that things will only get worse if the club do not act now...