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A 4-0 defeat to Brentford left Manchester United second-bottom on the Premier League table after two weeks, a disastrous start to the season – and a scoreline that could well have been much worse.
For new manager Erik ten Hag, it was a galling wake-up call. The same problems that dogged the club last season had re-emerged: a lack of intensity on and off the ball, a porous defence, and a tendency to completely fall apart when things went against them.
Fast-forward a week, and the outlook at Old Trafford is completely different – even if the fans’ overwhelming optimism is a little premature.
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United were torn apart by Brentford, with glaring errors all over the pitch on a miserable afternoon away from home. But the most damning indictment of that woeful performance was their complete lack of effort and attitude.
Against Brentford, United players ran a combined total of just 95.6km: 13.8km less than their less-fancied opponents.
Ten Hag was furious. The next day, he cancelled a day off and called in the entire squad for an unscheduled training session.
They would run that 13.8km in scorching heat around 33 degrees – but 52-year-old ten Hag surprised the players by running alongside them the whole way.
He was left “physically shattered” by the effort, The Mirorr reported.
The report quoted a source at the club as saying: “The players were raging when they discovered their punishment for the no-show at Brentford would be an 8.5-mile run. But the moans ceased when it became clear that the manager was planning to do the same as them.
“He didn’t have to tell anyone why. It was clear that he wasn’t going to let his players take all the blame for the performance. Ten Hag also felt he had to show that he also felt culpable. It was a tough run for the players – but it was even more gruelling for Erik – and they were impressed.”
That was just the start of a brutal week at the club’s Carrington training facilities.
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During the week, ten Hag put up quotes from pundits around the training ground and the dressing room. According to The Mirror, those quotes included: “United simply aren’t good enough”, “Liverpool to win 5-0 again”, “Can’t run”, “not a team” and “they could go down”.
He also stuck up a raft of embarrassing statistics showing United’s horrible performances from the first two matches, including: “including distance covered, passing percentages, clearances and ball recoveries”.
By the Thursday, ten Hag had locked in his starting side for the massive clash with Liverpool. It included dropping club captain Harry Maguire, and the team’s other biggest name in superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.
Had it backfired, the sight of those two players stuck on the bench could have been the biggest talking point of the week.
In a Thursday meeting with the players, ten Hag publicly told the pair they would be dropped.
According to multiple reports, he gave a rousing speech demanding the team play in his approach – or else quit the club.
He then opened the floor for players to speak their minds in a tell-all that lasted two hours. Ronaldo was silent.
One who reportedly spoke up was Marcus Rashford, who asked when he would play as a number nine – something he had been preparing for in pre-season.
The answer was against Liverpool, replacing Ronaldo at the top of the line. The 24-year-old delivered his best performance in months, scoring for the first time in all competitions since January, and racking up the most sprints of any player in the game.
He wasn’t the only star to shine. Collectively, United ran 113.8km against Liverpool – 19km more than against Brentford – and a number of players suffered with cramps by the end of the match, such was their gutsy effort. As a team, United made 51 more sprints than the Reds.
“We can talk about tactics but it is all about attitude,” said Ten Hag. “I am happy with the performance but we have to bring it every game. Don’t just bring it against Liverpool. Every Premier League game is difficult, we need to bring it to every game. It starts, once again, with the spirit.”
“Today was really important for us,” said Bruno Fernandes, captain for the game with Maguire benched.
“We showed the right intensity and more importantly the right character. We got the three points. Scoring first was really important for us, for our confidence.
“It was important for us to take the first step in the league, now we have to carry on.”
United leapfrogged Liverpool on the ladder after their win – and weren’t forced to run the next day, either.
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