Erik ten Hag finally bagged his first win as Manchester United manager against Liverpool on Monday night.
Shouldering immense pressure on the back of humiliating defeats to Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford, Ten Hag must have breathed a huge sigh of relief when the final whistle confirmed a 2-1 victory this week.
It might not have been a performance that encapsulated the philosophy 'Ten Hag Ball', but it was nevertheless enough to best one of the league's finest sides courtesy of goals from Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford.
If nothing else, it made for a marked improvement compared to the catastrophic 4-0 Brentford loss, suggesting that Ten Hag did a lot right between then and the triumph over the FA Cup and Carabao Cup holders
Obviously, part of that was the inspired tactical decision to bring in Raphael Varane and Tyrell Malacia for Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw, but Ten Hag was up to more than just starting XI tweaks.
Man Utd squad run 13.8km
That's because, as you might already know, Ten Hag had a truly extraordinary reaction to the Brentford defeat behind closed doors and it came in the form of a gruelling 13.8-kilometre (8.5 miles) run.
For those unaware, that was because United players had run 13.8km less than Brentford during the defeat, leading to them having to make it up just 24 hours after the loss with Ten Hag cancelled their day off.
When the information initially broke last week, it was met with a mixed reception as some applauded Ten Hag for taking no prisoners and others questioned whether it could actually work against the players, particularly as they had to run in 33-degree temperatures.
Ten Hag joined the players
However, the whole situation has been given a new twist thanks to a remarkable detail that has emerged after the Liverpool win: the fact that Ten Hag himself took part in the run as well.
Multiple reports have now claimed that Ten Hag joined in with the brutal punishment, but it's a piece by the Mirror that gives it the most colour as they write that the United coach "was said to have been left physically shattered," by the exercise.
Nevertheless, it's said that "his pain made a deep impression on his players," by way of indicating that he too was accepting an element of blame for the humiliating result.
A Carrington source is quoted as saying: “The players were raging when they discovered their punishment for the no-show at Brentford would be an 8.5-mile run. But the moans ceased when it became clear that the manager was planning to do the same as them.
“He didn’t have to tell anyone why. It was clear that he wasn’t going to let his players take all the blame for the performance. Ten Hag also felt he had to show that he also felt culpable. It was a tough run for the players - but it was even more gruelling for Erik - and they were impressed.
“It may have taken a hugely physical effort, but ironically it showed that the manager understands the psychology of the modern player. You could see in the build-up to the Liverpool game that he had convinced them about the intensity and commitment he expects.”
Remarkable.
Soccer Football - Pre-Season Friendly - Manchester United Training - Rajamangala National Stadium, Bangkok, Thailand - July 11, 2022 Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag during training REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa
Kudos, Erik
It clearly worked, too, because not only did United bag their first win of the season next time out, but the combined distance of 109.4km they covered against Liverpool was almost 14km further than what they managed at the Brentford Community Stadium.
And while Ten Hag might have run the best part of a half-marathon to get his point across, it's exactly the type of no-nonsense coaching that could well see him make a real difference at Old Trafford this season.
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Fair play, Erik.