It’s pretty obvious that Erik ten Hag’s first task as Manchester United boss will be to restore harmony in the dressing room.
Morale will be low after the club’s worst-ever Premier League season, during which team spirit looked non-existent. This lack of team cohesion has been pointed to as a reason why they lost out on so many points last term.
Old Trafford hero Rio Ferdinand identified this on his FIVE podcast in February. He explained that United tended to wilt when under the cosh and didn’t know how to play as a unit, with individuals trying to take responsibility upon themselves.
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"When those moments come you need a discipline within the team, to say ‘we stick together’ in them situations,” he said. "They end up becoming individuals more than ever and thinking ‘I can do this on my own, I've got to create a moment of craziness’.
"Individual mistakes or bad decision-making on individual parts is what's killing the team right now. Whether it's missing a chance, final ball delivery or defending a situation. Individuals are making mistakes in them areas."
Ferdinand's comments infer that if Ten Hag can indeed instil that regimented discipline into his squad, points can easily be saved. Learning how to consistently win games is something the Dutchman will need to implement as the season goes on.
But if he can restrict the number of goals shipped - of which there were 57 last season - then losses turn into draws and draws into wins. Getting this right will immediately put United on a good footing.
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