Manchester United players reported for training on Tuesday morning - 24 hours after a senior group of stars urged the club to invest in their stuttering squad.
The Red Devils have endured a nightmare start to the season under new manager Erik ten Hag, losing their opening Premier League game 2-1 at home to Brighton. Things got even worse for them on Saturday evening as they were hammered 4-0 at Brentford.
As exclusively revealed by Mirror Football, a senior group of players - including Cristiano Ronaldo, Harry Maguire, Marcus Rashford, Luke Shaw and Bruno Fernandes - have asked United chiefs to bring in more transfers before the window shuts on September 1.
United have made just three signings so far this summer - Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen and Lisandro Martinez - and all three have failed to make an impact so far. Martinez in particular has struggled to cope with the physicality of the Premier League.
Ten Hag forced his players to report to training on Sunday - postponing their day off until Monday - after their abject performance against Brentford. Ronaldo and his teammates were back at their Carrington training ground on Tuesday to prepare for their next game.
The fixtures don't get any easier for Ten Hag's side. They face Liverpool at Old Trafford on Monday night, just 10 months after Jurgen Klopp's side mauled them 5-0 in their own backyard. It marked the beginning of the end for ex-manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
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Ronaldo gave a thumbs up to the photographer outside Carrington when he arrived on Tuesday, with David de Gea, Martinez and Raphael Varane also spotted driving into the complex. More under-performing players followed in due course.
Despite their own poor performances, United players believe the club's lack of summer signings shows a lack of ambition. They are concerned about the gaping holes in the squad following the departures of Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic, Jesse Lingard and others.
Perhaps the biggest area of concern is central midfield, a problem for United even before Pogba and Matic left the club. They are yet to bring in a central midfielder this window and are even contemplating letting James Garner leave Old Trafford.
United have been after Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong's signature all summer, although that move seems dead in the water. They are close to signing Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot for an initial £15million, which would appease some concerns in the squad.
In truth, United need to make more signings before the window shuts if they are to realistically challenge the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham for a top-four finish. The players' concerns are shared by fans, who have urged owners the Glazers to sell up immediately.
The American family have overseen United's least successful era since the early 1980s, not winning a trophy since their Europa League success in May 2017. Although they've invested heavily in the squad before, there doesn't appear to be a strategy to their transfer business. United fans are also concerned about the decaying state of Old Trafford.
A statement from the Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST) reads: “As we’ve always said, a fish rots from the head. And the ultimate responsibility for the terrible state of our football club must lie with its owners, the Glazer family.
"It is now for them to explain to United fans just why we are in this state, and what they are going to do about it. We’ve had some difficult times in the last decade, but this really does feel like rock bottom.
"On behalf of Manchester United fans everywhere, we demand urgent and radical change. Aside from protests, we will also be raising fans' concerns directly with the club and demanding answers for supporters on issues including ownership, debt, dividends and team performance and the need for real change on all these fronts."
