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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Samuel Luckhurst

'That's what we're all about' - Manchester United dressing room reaction to beating Arsenal highlighted winning mentality

Sean Dyche was cutting his teeth in his first senior coaching role at Watford when he got insight into the winning mentality that coursed through Manchester United.

In January 2010, second-placed United travelled to Arsenal, only a point behind them in the Premier League table, and leaders Chelsea within touching distance.

Only eight months earlier, United had outclassed Arsenal in a clinical 3-1 victory in the Champions League semi-final second leg and they won by the same scoreline in the league encounter to go a point behind Chelsea.

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Tom Cleverley had made his first senior Old Trafford appearance four months earlier, scoring in a home friendly win over Valencia, and he was on loan at Championship side Watford, where Dyche was assistant to Malky Mackay.

Sir Alex Ferguson, mindful of Cleverley's development, called Mackay and informed him Cleverley would be invited into the away dressing room at the Emirates Stadium to gain some invaluable experience.

"I remember when they beat Arsenal 3-1 away when Rooney scored the amazing one-two and ran up the other pitch and scored," Dyche told the Training Ground Guru podcast. "And Tom Cleverley was with us at Watford.

"Sir Alex rang Malky Mackay and said, 'I want him to come over to get in the dressing room'.

"So I spoke to [Cleverley] on the Monday and I was like, 'Tom, what was it like? Massive result!' And he just said, 'Do you know what? It was just like another day. Just well done, well done lads, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Not like high-fiving and running around like crazy'.

"And that was a big game, a massive game for them. And he just said, 'yeah that's what we're about'."

Cleverley was included in United's pre-season tour squad of the United States that summer and scored a neat lob in their 5-2 victory over the MLS All-Stars, leading to a progressive loan with Wigan Athletic in the Premier League.

The United midfielder eventually made his debut in the 2011 Community Shield, emerging at half-time to transform the game with United 2-0 down to Manchester City. United won 3-2.

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