Regardless of whether Erik ten Hag's appointment to the position of manager of Manchester United has been officially announced, the Dutchman will know exactly what he needs to accomplish the moment he steps foot on the grounds of Old Trafford.

Following this weekend's Dutch Cup final, United are eager to make a formal statement in order to show their respect to Ajax. However, once that has occurred, Ten Hag will have no reason to avoid answering questions from the media regarding his planned move to the United Kingdom.

It is expected that Ajax's quest for the double will be scrutinized more than ever in the next few weeks of the season, and their popular manager will be ripped apart by fans who hope he can finally be the person to bring the dormant Goliath back to life.

It is true that the transition from the Eredivisie to the Premier League is a significant one. Even though Ajax and United's expectations are vastly different, "unity" is what is needed right now to support a new manager.

Ultimately, there is nothing that can prepare you for the crucible that is the Old Trafford press box. Although Ten Hag's predecessors David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer have all failed to varying degrees, the fact that his credentials have been questioned does not imply that he will fare any worse than those who came before him as Manchester United manager after Sir Alex Ferguson does.

Instead, he needs to be judged after he has been given time to mould the squad into his own and implement a playing style that can threaten any opponent in the Premier League.

The worry for Ten Hag, however, is whether or not he really will be able to get the calibre of player required to perform such a mammoth task while also keeping the success-starved supporters on side.

Ajax's Marouane Fellaini was recruited by David Moyes from his former club Everton, while Louis van Gaal bought players who had played for the Dutch national team and Jose Mourinho raided Chelsea for Nemanja Matic. It would come as no surprise if Ten Hag looked into the possibility of bringing one or two Ajax players to England with him.

This summer, Jurrien Timber and Antony have both been widely connected with moves to Old Trafford, and it should be relatively simple to persuade them to make the switch if necessary. However, the true test will be Ten Hag's ability to attract players with whom he does not already share a close working relationship.

The fact that Ten Hag is still seen as a mystery and does not command the same level of respect as the likes of Pep Guardiola, Jürgen Klopp, or Thomas Tuchel cannot be overstated.

I understand that Manchester United should give the 52-year-old time to build up such a reputation, but without Champions League football, he may have trouble attracting any of the world's best players to Old Trafford.

To the contrary, Manchester United could find themselves in a bidding war for players this summer with the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham, and Newcastle, and there is no guarantee that they will be able to match the financial offers made by the Premier League champions when they look to make a real statement of intent at the end of the season.

Given that the appointment of Ten Hag now appears to be a matter of when rather than if, it is critical that Manchester United's players and fans unify behind their new manager.

Ten Hag's presence at the club at the start of the summer transfer window will be critical to the club's success next season, but it will be up to him to sell the vision he has for the club to prospective signings.

His ability to not only walk the talk, but also talk the talk, is essential for him to succeed.