Erik ten Hag's era as Manchester United manager came to an end with a 2-1 victory over Liverpool in front of a packed Old Trafford following a poor start against Brighton and Brentford.
With the first victory under Erik ten Hag, the season for Manchester United's players and supporters officially got underway.
After embarrassing losses to Brighton and Brentford, United's 2-1 victory over archrival Liverpool on Monday proved exactly how good they can be under their new manager. One of the greatest United performances in recent memory was supported by the very traits that Ten Hag's first two Premier League games lacked: intensity, enterprise, and endeavor.
Harry Maguire, the team's captain, and star player Cristiano Ronaldo, who will both undoubtedly start on the bench again at the weekend, were two of Ten Hag's bold selection decisions that paid off. Ten Hag and his team must now work to sustain that level on Saturday at Southampton; else, their triumph over Liverpool will be for naught.
Raphael Varane, the World Cup winner who made his first start of the year in the victory, said United must use the victory as a springboard for their season after a rocky beginning. Varane stated, "I hope it's the real beginning of the season for us because the mentality in the first two games was not good enough.
"We have to battle as we battled Liverpool. We are aware of the team's potential. We absolutely needed to react with pride in front of our supporters. It was unquestionably required. We accomplished what we knew we could do, and I hope we keep moving forward in this manner.
After Sir Alex Ferguson, Old Trafford was mainly inactive, with a string of unsuccessful managers failing to achieve success, consistency in performance, and results. But on Monday night, Ten Hag's United offered a peek of a potentially thrilling new age, as the energy at the Theatre of Dreams was tremendous and the noise deafening.
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MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - AUGUST 22: On August 22, 2022 in Manchester, England, Raphael Varane of Manchester United celebrates after winning the Premier League game between Manchester United and Liverpool FC at Old Trafford. (Image)
Varane, a four-time Champions League and three-time La Liga champion with Real Madrid, was taken away by the energy on the field as well as in the fans. Varane stated, "I really enjoyed it on the field - the ambiance, the attitude of the team.
"After everything I left behind in Madrid, I came to England to feel these emotions, and this feeling was incredible. The brawl on the field was amazing, as were the crowd and the fans. We didn't start the other games with the same fervor or battling spirit, for reasons that are difficult to pinpoint.
"We were motivated, but it's hard to explain why we had such a low energy level at the beginning. Football is all about energy, about knowing when to attack, when to defend, and when to press.
"Against Liverpool, we controlled the situation well. A mature performance was given. We make an effort to cooperate. As a team, we stand up for one another. Because of this, I really liked it.
The teamwork among United's players, according to midfielder Christian Eriksen, was a major contributing aspect in their comeback. According to Eriksen, "I suppose it [the unity] started after losing two games." "This has been about getting along and going back to the fundamentals. We had to demonstrate that we were more adept at handling the fundamentals, which I believe we did.
"With the South American and a little bit of Spanish style, there was a lot of enthusiasm on the defensive side, but we also tried to do anything we could on the offensive side.It's nice to play with people who want to play football and run, and we have some extremely quick players.
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