Erik ten Hag has revealed he was warned not to become the Manchester United manager because it was deemed an “impossible” job. The 53-year-old Dutchman moved to Old Trafford from Ajax in 2022 but has come under pressure during his second season at the club. United sit sixth in the Premier League table after Wednesday 2-1 win over Chelsea, nine points behind the leaders, Arsenal, while they have struggled in Europe. “Everyone was telling me, ‘you can’t succeed in that job,’” Ten Hag told the United We Stand fanzine. “They said it was impossible. Me? I wanted the challenge. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but it was such a great club with such a great fanbase. “People love Manchester United or they are against Manchester United. I like clubs like this. Ajax was like this.” Ten Hag ended the club’s six-year wait for silverware by lifting the Carabao Cup in February before securing a third-placed league finish. However, his side are off the pace this term after six defeats from 15 league games, in addition to sitting bottom of their Champions League group with one match – at home to Bayern Munich next week – remaining.