The good news for Manchester United is the early evidence suggests they have an identity again. A progressive style was one of the guarantees of appointing Erik ten Hag and treating matchgoers to watchable football will keep them onside and buy time.
The bad news for United is their squad is weaker than it was this time last year. Their central midfield lacks quality and presence and the depth in attack is so poor it is one injury away from collapsing.
Three signings and two priority positions unfilled in early August with the largest expenditure on a centre-back; it all feels very 2019, the last time United were reeling from finishing sixth and a new manager was getting his feet under the table.
Also read: Ten Hag is giving the United dressing room what it needs
United have more time to fill the final two positions; precisely four weeks. Their transfer activity - a free transfer and two additions from the Eredivisie familiar to their Dutch manager - reflects their underwhelming status as Europa League fodder.
Ten Hag is a more appealing manager to play for than Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his cachet has still not convinced Frenkie de Jong. United have discovered the pitfalls of targeting the English market and being levied with its tax. Three years ago, they splurged £140million on Daniel James, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Harry Maguire.
When Ten Hag said he would prefer to sign English players it seemed premeditated, a canny riposte to a query about the Dutch market United he has favoured. United did work on a deal for Kalvin Phillips but that petered out before Ten Hag introduced himself to the press with warm handshakes at Old Trafford on May 22.
Declan Rice or Jude Bellingham would be targets and both are unattainable this year. The grass is greener again at Tottenham for Harry Kane, who has entered the last two years of his contract, and Antonio Conte has assembled a more rounded squad than United to remain in the top four.
Conte's tendency to combust and the narky nature of Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea offer United some hope. From the outset, Manchester City and Liverpool are beyond United's reach while Chelsea and Spurs have better players and coaches. Arsenal's business has not been stirring and there are no standout upstarts outside the top six.
At United, some would argue it appears amateur hour again: an ill-advised pursuit of a Barcelona midfielder nine years on from the Cesc Fabregas ordeal and energy expended on keeping the wantaway star player. Supporters are getting flashbacks of the 2013 summer that ended with a Supermarket Sweep-style dash up and down the aisles, with Marouane Fellaini the only purchased item.
United have tightened up their defence with centre-back Lisandro Martinez and left-back Tyrell Malacia, only their starting centre-backs against Brighton could be Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof. Maguire overcame erring against Melbourne Victory and booing at the MCG to enjoy a decent pre-season but the United captain does not retain the full support of his teammates.
Diogo Dalot boarded United's flight home from Perth as one of their best players on tour, though Luis Diaz and Joao Felix exposed his defensive porousness. Malacia has impressed more than Luke Shaw, whose dawdling sullied performances in Melbourne and Perth.
In midfield, Fred continues to transcend managers and it is no surprise Ten Hag has seized on his flexibility. The Brazilian was always likely to have Ten Hag's confidence, irrespective of any midfield incomings, and that there have been none is negligent.
Everyone is familiar with the De Jong spiel and everyone tired of the ordeal some time ago. It is a failing of United's set-up they have put all of their chips on De Jong without a go-to fall-back target.
Scott McTominay has bustled around during pre-season but has a ceiling and has been operating above his brief for too long. Donny van de Beek continues to resemble an opera-goer who has arrived at Glastonbury and injury has prevented James Garner from making an impression.
It is dicey of United to depend on Anthony Martial to re-emerge as their dependable goalscorer when he has tallied eight goals for the club in the last two seasons. Martial has only broken the 20-goal barrier once in the last seven seasons but has impressed coaches beyond his potent pre-season form; specifically the timing of his presses.
Jadon Sancho flew back to Manchester as United's best player on tour and was one of the few to benefit from a manager who actually coached players in Ralf Rangnick. Marcus Rashford's hollow threat of contemplating a transfer was five months ago and sources insist he is fully committed to his boyhood club.
Cristiano Ronaldo isn't and his return has tested Ten Hag. He passed it authoritatively, rebuking all of the players who dodged matchday traffic by leaving before full-time against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.
As long as Ronaldo is available to Ten Hag he is an asset, even if he will probably be on benchwarming duties on Sunday. Some in the squad will be wishing him away but the majority remain in awe of Ronaldo.
Alejandro Garnacho made up for lost time against Vallecano and is another teenage United winger who runs to the sound of clattering seats as supporters rise to their feet. Remaining with the squad is in his and the club's interests amid a dearth of potential game-changers in reserve.
Christian Eriksen is a good player and, just as crucially, a good professional; a welcome personality to a squad still not short of egomaniacs. Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes have waxed lyrical about each other, and accommodating both in the same XI is manageable.
It's not all bad news.
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