Erik ten Hag has done little to disprove the image of him as a ruthless manager over the last 12 months and the Dutchman will need to call on his cut-throat nature more than ever this summer.
From benching Marcus Rashford for turning up late for a meeting to axing Cristiano Ronaldo entirely, the Manchester United boss has taken no prisoners in his quest for success. Jadon Sancho - sent to the Netherlands for an individual training programme - knew exactly where he stood, as did Harry Maguire when the club captain was left on the sidelines with left-back Luke Shaw picked ahead of him.
Ruthless decisions have defined Ten Hag's first year at Old Trafford, and all of them have paid off. A world-class manager needs to make tough decisions and they need to get them right.
