Until Erik ten Hag set foot inside Old Trafford last summer, the only throats Manchester United’s players were likely to grab would have been each other’s.
There is little doubt Ten Hag walked into a toxic dressing room. Stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Paul Pogba had been calling their own shots, some players were seething over their lack of playing time, and others were plotting their departures. It was the polar opposite of what the new manager would have wanted, and Ten Hag set about putting it right.
Arguably his greatest success so far has been to transform a bunch of self-centred and rather disillusioned individuals into a cohesive squad ready to fight for their club and each other.