Recent comparisons between Manchester United's points tally last season compared to this were quickly dismissed by the Reds' fanbase.
While United may have shared one similarity with last season when it comes to the points they have accumulated, that is where the comparisons end. The difference between the Reds this campaign compared to many of the seasons post-Sir Alex Ferguson is night and day.
Marcus Rashford is the epitome of just that. There is no denying that last year he was a shell of the player that burst onto the scene in 2016.
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His confidence was at an all-time low and this negativity was pulling him down into a deeply worrying position. However, under Erik ten Hag, Rashford has become a new man and his whopping 28 goals so far is testament of that.
In truth, the Reds are a long way from the side that Jose Mourinho criticised after an underwhelming draw to Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2018. "They play like I like to play which is like the World Cup final," he said.
"That’s the attitude I like my teams to have every match. We didn’t have that, they did.
"They play every ball with every second with the maximum intensity and desire and we didn’t. This is something you learn when you are a kid in the academy, you don’t need experiences at the highest level to learn that."
Looking at Ten Hag's side now, it is hard to see any of the characteristics that Mourinho detested five years ago. Of course, it has not been easy and there is still work to do.
United still lack that killer instinct in front of goal and that has made the battle for the Premier League's top four trickier than it perhaps needed to be. But, one thing is for sure, Ten Hag's men cannot be questioned for their lack of desire now.
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