As Manchester United left the field after convincingly beating Real Madrid 3-1 at the International Champions Cup in Ann Arbor four years ago, a long-time member of staff approached Louis van Gaal. "Thanks for making us smile again," he told the Dutchman.
Van Gaal had been at the club a month or two but a 100 percent record in preseason lifted the mood after a dire season under David Moyes. Despite adding to the squad with the signings of world-class players Radamel Falcao and Angel Di Maria, United went on to finish fourth, 17 points behind Jose Mourinho and champions Chelsea.