Manchester United players have been warned that they do not want to fall foul of Erik ten Hag, whose ruthless streak has caught the eye of ex-Red Devils midfielder-turned-pundit Owen Hargreaves.
It has been a mixed start to life in the Old Trafford hot-seat for Ten Hag, who is desperately trying to implement his philosophy as soon as possible while balancing the need for instant results, something always required for a club of United's stature.
The Dutchman has overseen four defeats across all competitions, but has also enjoyed an impressive run of victories that saw United topple two of their fellow 'big-six' rivals Liverpool and Arsenal at home. One theme of the early stages of Ten Hag's reign has been a fearlessness in decision making.
He has proven he is not remotely phased by the potential repercussions of dropping some of the biggest names in his side, with both Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Maguire facing lengthy spells on the sideline already this term.
United's most recent outing saw them scrape a 1-0 win at home to mid-table Cypriot outfit Omonia, with Scott McTominay sparing Red Devils' blushes courtesy of his 93rd minute winner.
During that clash, Ten Hag made the bold decision to hook three of his own summer signings in Casemiro, Tyrell Malacia and Antony before the full-time whistle in what was further evidence he is not afraid to remind all players of their place.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Has Ten Hag got a good grip on the United dressing room? Comment below
The substitutions impressed Hargreaves, who clearly admires Ten Hag's no nonsense approach.
"He’s got his finger on the pulse. He knows when the team is not performing and who’s not," the ex-United star told BT Sport.
"And if you’re not playing well he’ll take you off and make changes and you won’t play. There are only four or five players guaranteed to start, and now he’s made changes and those players (who came on) may play on the weekend.
"He hasn’t settled on his best eleven because he’s got a big squad but I think he’s doing a great job of making changes when he needs something."
Ten Hag's desire to make it clear that the team comes above any individual interest is something that in truth has probably been needed at Old Trafford for at least the last five years.
The reigns of both Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer were both at least partly undermined by constant reports of dressing room rifts and training ground disputes. Ralf Rangnick failed to truly gain much authority during his interim stint, but Ten Hag seems to have done what his predecessors couldn't and at long last instilled some discipline.
