Erik ten Hag insists having a strong team spirit will take his Manchester United side far after they recorded their first win of the Premier League season.
The Red Devils outclassed Liverpool at Old Trafford to register a 2-1 win thanks to goals from Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford. United were forced to respond after consecutive defeats, the second a 4-0 mauling at Brentford, which saw them heavily criticised.
Major figures Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Maguire were benched, but the starting XI showed plenty of character as they dominated a Reds team who have enjoyed great success at Old Trafford in recent fixtures. United's players have seen their attitude questioned more regularly than their ability.
Ten Hag is hoping that his players continue to come together in order to produce their best efforts as a team. He said: "What I demand is that players bring the top spirit every day. Every day, they have to bring it to the club. It has to be a way of life and I hope they understand. It's only working - high performance, high level - if you have that spirit and have that focus. If you accept that you have to hurt yourself, you have to suffer, to finally get the best level out of you."
Ten Hag is aiming to restore success to the red half of Manchester. The club are in the midst of a five-year trophy drought, with several managers failing to deliver. Sir Alex Ferguson remains the benchmark at Old Trafford - and he also placed great emphasis on team spirit.
The Scot's outfit were renowned for their late goals and battling qualities. These were never more evident than during their treble success of 1999. Ten Hag's comments will certainly resonate with Ferguson, who often hailed the character of his players.
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After a late win at Blackburn in April 2012 he said: "It was a long night, we had to persevere and persevere and we got our reward in the end but I have to admit that I thought for a long time. Scoring so late, it's typical of us, our history. We never stop trying, there's no question about that. It could be a very important moment."
That was a trend throughout his tenure. Just over a year prior, United had recovered from being 2-0 down at Blackpool to win 3-2. "They just never give in. I know the game's never done in situations like today," then-Blackpool manager Ian Holloway said. "You know at some point we're going to do something."
