Manchester United registered their first game of the pre-season, a dispiriting 0-1 loss to Norwegian side Rosenborg.
Despite the defeat, there is an air of hope and expectation around the club, as, after many false dawns, this does look like the start of a new era.
Perhaps nothing symbolised the beginning of that era than a cursory look at the touchline, where Erik ten Hag was joined by the new coach and club legend, Ruud van Nistelrooy.
He has been joined by Rene Hake and Jelle ten Rouwelaar but no other news got United fans quite as excited as the arrival of the man who used to score for fun in the United shirt.
After the initial euphoria of the reunion passes, however, the focus will turn to what he is actually contributing at the club. Erik ten Hag has revealed his specific role and it is exactly what United need.
Erik ten Hag details Ruud van Nistelrooy’s role
United lost Mitchell van der Gaag and Benni McCarthy this summer as both left to pursue their ambition of becoming managers.
Two in, three out, is the state of United staff overhaul so far and that means duties delegation will be done from scratch. Ten Hag will no doubt be mindful of Van Nistelrooy’s pedigree, who coached PSV to a Dutch Cup just two seasons ago.
Thus, he seems to have given him a crucial role in the new setup. Ten Hag spoke to MUTV after the game and said: “He is a very ambitious manager and he has a great skill set as a manager, so he will help the team and he will help individual players. He will help the team in all the team functions with football, especially in attacking and pressing plays.”
While the initial part of that message is a basic requirement for any coach, the latter part is telling.
“Especially in attacking and pressing plays” is something United have massively struggled at, especially pressing.
United were infamous last season for pressing aimlessly high up the pitch, leaving a sea of gaps in midfield the opponents strolled through.
Hunting in bunches, and identifying pressing triggers and hot zones is a hallmark of any modern great team and that was something where United were seriously naive and lacking.
Coming to the attacking plays, the stats speak for themselves. United were the lowest scorers in the top half of the league, with every team above them nearly 20 goals better off.
That is simply unacceptable and could be the reason why United felt comfortable letting McCarthy leave, as his job remit was the attacking patterns.
If Van Nistelrooy makes even a marginal impact on these two phases of play, then United will automatically take a huge step forward in their evolution.
A long-term process
In signing Erik ten Hag to a contract extension, Ineos made it clear that they are willing to look past immediate shortcomings to build a long-term project.
That is why the focus is on younger players, exciting, up-and-coming managers, and a robust executive structure.
An overhaul in the coaching team can take months to take effect or they are visible straight away. The key is to have patience and trust Ten Hag with his new coaching team.
Every new arrival comes with great pedigree, and in Van Nistelrooy’s case, brings a flavour to the job which made Ole Gunnar Solskjaer so successful initially.
It is now time to let the new team work and develop the team because as long as the roles and vision are perfectly aligned, success is a matter of when, and not if.