It will feel like a lifetime ago since Manchester United travelled to Anfield and returned with a cloud hanging above them. Most fans, then, would have been grateful at the timing of the international break, giving them an opportunity to lick their wounds and prepare themselves for the final push of the season.
No one should be more relieved about the break from club action, and the potential it has to reinvigorate the team, than the club itself. The infamous 7-0 defeat at old rivals Liverpool was the sort of result that will be remembered long after the campaign finishes, but it’s one that the United's players can’t afford to dwell on.
It has the power to completely derail a season that looked promising not too long ago, or to inspire the team to never have a repeat performance of that humiliation.
ALSO READ: Ralf Rangnick confirms Man Utd's Marcel Sabitzer has injury problem
Based on what happened prior to the international break, which direction United go from here could be the difference between a good season and a great one.
In the wake of the Anfield disaster, United made light work of a Real Betis side sitting fifth in La Liga, running out 5-1 victors over the two legs of their Europa League tie.
Although Sporting Lisbon highlighted the potential of the proverbial banana skin in their triumph over Arsenal, this was a contest that United were always expected to win convincingly. The fact that they were able to do so should have been a testament to the character and mentality of the players.
Games played in a domestic setting seemed to contradict this at times, highlighting the work that still needs to be done, no matter how positive the mood has become on the red half of Manchester.
Coming either side of the Betis double bill were the visits of Southampton and Fulham to Old Trafford, in the league and FA Cup respectively. Two games that were ultimately dictated by red cards and two games that, in another reality, could have seen United limping into the international break.
Southampton should have won with the chances they had, thanks, in large part, to Casemiro’s second suspension of the season. But, going into the game, the relegation-threatened Saints were seen to be the perfect side for United to face, a side they could use to put right the dire display of the weekend before. In the end, it was a match that saw Southampton have more shots, more possession, more passes, and a higher pass completion rate.
It’s entirely possible to pin this down to having one less man on the pitch for a large chunk of the game, especially one as crucial as United’s midfield general. It could be seen as a decent point, the sort of battling display that shows the gritty resilience of a side that has been culpable of being flaky in the past.
Even though hopes of a title challenge faded away with that result, these were always the illogical dreams fans have only been able to have because of the upward trend the team has been on.
The return of club football brings with it potential cup glory for the second time this season, even if United’s progression was down to a large stroke of fortune.
Up until the 72nd minute, they were outplayed on home turf by a Fulham side that, to be fair to them, have far exceeded expectations this season. A goal up with less than twenty minutes to navigate, the Cottagers were fantasising about a trip to Wembley for the first time since play-off final victory in 2020 and United were making it easy for them.
Then the away side decided to implode in one of the most ludicrous series of events seen on a football pitch, giving away a penalty for handball and losing two players and their manager to red cards. After that, it was impossible for United not to reach the semi-finals for the thirtieth time in their history.
For a fortnight, United were resembling a disjointed side, rather than the well-oiled, three-point-earning machine that they’ve grown to be. But the fact that that machine exists in the first place, and could return at any moment, is the one thing that is keeping fans optimistic about what the future holds.
Erik ten Hag will certainly hope that he’s made the most of this break, particularly with Marcus Rashford being absent from the strains of England duty. Parts of his squad have had excellent showings, with Scott McTominay the pick of the bunch with his two-goal contribution for Scotland against Cyprus.
The freedom of playing on the international stage, instead of being ground down by the stresses of club football every three days, may be exactly the thing that the squad needed. They’ll have remembered just how good they are, a mentality that the manager must continue to instil.
It doesn’t get much easier once they’re back. A trip to Champions League-chasing Newcastle on Sunday is followed by the visit of giant-killing-experts Brentford and another tricky away game at Goodison Park. All that positive feeling worked up over the international break will need to be utilised if they are to have any chance of ending the season on a high note.
In recent years, the sorts of performances seen by United before the break would have been enough for fans to turn against the team. But they now have reason to back Ten Hag, to believe in what he’s creating. Instead of gratefully embracing the presence of international football to help them forget their woes, they’ll have been impatiently daydreaming about the Premier League’s return.
It’s down to the players to ensure that the wait was worth it.
READ MORE:
