Harmony was well and truly restored to the Manchester United dressing room when Cristiano Ronaldo hosted Piers Morgan for his therapeutic ego trip in early November.
Ronaldo did not get a pay-off and his interview has paid off for United, undeniably a better team this season without one of their greatest players before and after he filed for divorce on Talk TV.
No right-minded football follower cares what Ronaldo is up to in an oppressive country where 81 people were beheaded in a single day less than a year ago. One of the great competitive careers in sport is over.
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Multiple sources close to United players have noted how much happier the squad is now the eggshells they were treading on are gone. Even players who are not regulars appreciate Erik ten Hag's directness and the clarity he provides.
Exactly a year ago today, the dressing room was teeming with disgruntled characters. Dean Henderson and Jesse Lingard were both denied loan moves amid firm interest from Watford and Newcastle and the fallout spread well into February.
Lingard recalled the episode recently in a chat with a holistic podcaster, dismayed by how United had misled supporters over his subsequent days off that were tagged onto a break in Dubai, ostensibly to soften the blow of no loan.
With an interim manager installed, Lingard did not think twice about disputing Ralf Rangnick's version of events, naturally, on social media. Anthony Martial had already done so the previous month when Rangnick claimed he asked not to be included in the squad against Aston Villa.
Martial at least got a loan to Sevilla but United kept Lingard. Ironically, Martial is regarded as so vital by Erik ten Hag he said last week United play their "best football" with him up front. That is true, but one could count on one hand the number of times Martial has been at his best in the last two years.
However much United supporters lapped up Rangnick's candour, it went down like a lead balloon in the dressing room and the environment became more sulphurous as the season progressed. Henderson aired his gripes in a pre-season interview and several other players have grumbled privately.
If we are to consider the number of players aggrieved by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's indecisive and soft management, the count is at four after the goalkeeping department. David de Gea was so affronted by the rotation with Henderson during the 2020-21 season a senior United player described it as a "big problem".
Henderson frothed at Solskjaer reneging on his pledge to install him as No.1, Tom Heaton rejoined on the assumption he would be No.2 and Sergio Romero was inexplicably denied a transfer in the short summer window of 2020.
Others were sold a pup or, in Lingard's case, not sold when he should have been. Axel Tuanzebe and Brandon Williams felt underused and Donny van de Beek was misled. Diogo Dalot was distrusted, Eric Bailly accused Solskjaer of favouritism and Anthony Elanga was neither loaned out nor integrated into the first-team squad.
Martial and Marcus Rashford disapproved of the management of their injuries and Ronaldo sanctioned Machiavellian briefings that brought about Solskjaer's defenestration.
United are finalising the list of players they intend to sell in the summer. Some either have an inkling their name is on it or already know. Unlike last year, none are itching to drive out of Carrington when they could be walking up the Wembley steps next month or in May.
From a soft touch to a hard taskmaster; Ronaldo ought to have known better than to underestimate Ten Hag.
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