Erik ten Hag put £100million-worth of new signings in his line-up, but by the end of another painful, punishing defeat to Liverpool it felt like the man who Manchester United really needed was the one sat in the stands at Old Trafford.
Manuel Ugarte was paraded on the pitch to rapturous applause before kick-off, and the new £50.5m midfielder from Paris Saint-Germain then had to sit and watch helplessly from the directors’ box as Liverpool ruthlessly rained on United’s parade.
Ugarte was signed too late on transfer deadline day to be eligible for the game.