Erik ten Hag is 'Manchester United's one big positive' - and he will STILL get them into the top four despite their troubled start, says Ian Ladyman on Mail Sport's It's All Coming Up

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has come in for plenty of criticism recently.

Plenty have had their say on Manchester United's early-season woes after they scraped past Wolves 1-0 and were beaten 2-0 by Tottenham at the weekend.

But Mail Sport football editor Ian Ladyman hailed the Dutchman's impact, describing him as the most natural-looking Man United boss since club legend Sir Alex Ferguson.

Ladyman was speaking on 'It's All Coming Up' - the punchy, short and sharp little brother of Mail Sport's new weekly podcast 'It's All Kicking Off' - alongside star columnist and Premier League winner Chris Sutton.

He said: 'I think the one big positive for Manchester United, when I look at that team, I look at that club, is the guy standing in the dugout. I do think Erik ten Hag is incredibly impressive.

'He started last season terribly and improved immeasurably to finish in the top four and win a domestic cup.

'I think he is by far the most natural looking Manchester United manager since Alex Ferguson walked away 10 long years ago.'

When asked by Sutton why he considers Ten Hag ahead of the likes of stellar names including Jose Mourinho and Louis van Gaal, Ladyman continued: 'In terms of how he seems to fit that football club.

'Van Gaal came in looking for quick fixes, wanting to buy his players, wanting to kind of assert his unique authority on a team that was already very experienced. It was too early for that.

'It didn't work. His kind of micromanagement didn't work. So then they went to Mourinho just because they felt they needed trophies. and he went at it like a bull in a Chinese shop and almost burnt the place down.'

Sutton then questioned his judgement, asking: 'Did Mourinho not say in 2019 that was one of his greatest