The players emerged to 'Glory glory Tottenham Hotspur'. The only club that has restored the 'glory glory' is Manchester United but this was not an evening to air it.
Casemiro stood, hands on his hips, dumbfounded at full-time. Bruno Fernandes expressed his frustration. Others handed their shirts to supporters.
This latest throwaway by United is unlikely to be significant and Tottenham's freefall has been so steep that Aston Villa at home on Sunday is the bigger game this week. Too often, though, United's mentality jars with what their supporters expect. Twice this month, United have let a 2-0 lead slip to draw 2-2.
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United should have vanquished Tottenham but they are incapable of putting teams to the sword. This was a throwaway of a result and another failure away from Old Trafford. United have one win out of 10 against the 11 top 12 sides they have faced in the Premier League this season.
Spurs, like Sevilla, are a shadow of the side they once were. Bruno Fernandes, virtuoso at times, will curse his punt against the crossbar that would have restored United's two-goal advantage.
As much as Spurs are spiralling, they earned their point, capitalising on another lax start to a second half by United and more dubious substitutions by Ten Hag. United relinquished control with Christian Eriksen replaced by Fred and the lethargic Martial on for the renascent Jadon Sancho.
After Newcastle and Sevilla, it is the third time this month Ten Hag's in-game changes have badly backfired. His Dutch solidarity will be tested in the summer, for his compatriots and signings Wout Weghorst and Tyrell Malacia weakened United at both ends. Malacia's dozy positioning let in Harry Kane to tee up Son for the equaliser. The only surprise was Tottenham took until the 76th minute to level.
Fred charged around like a headless chicken but at least his shirt will be drenched by sweat as well as rain. Martial seldom sprinted and there was little chance of him warming up sufficiently for his gloves to be removed on a chilly evening.
Ten Hag will doubtless read from the same script after another negative result but for a coach whose in-game management has impressed so much this season it will be disconcerting for United supporters he has lost that Midas touch in the run-in. It cost United against Sevilla and cost them points here.
Ryan Mason may be a rookie of a manager but the introduction of Dejan Kulusevski, which coincided with the inexplicable removal of Eriksen, was a masterstroke. Ten Hag's response was to introduce an out-and-out left-back in Malacia when he ought to have trusted Diogo Dalot's defensive instincts, as loose as United were for most of the night.
"Harry Kane, will see you in June," chirped the United away-dayers in the second half. Over Daniel Levy's dead body would a nine-figure transfer get concluded so swiftly. This was the disgruntled derby, with both sets of followers singing from the same hymnsheet: "we want Levy out" and "we want Glazers out".
If this was a brochure United presented to Kane, they sold themselves impressively for 45 minutes. Their identity under Ten Hag is becoming more visible and their commanding performance in the first half was one of their best halves of the campaign. Luke Shaw was authoritative at centre half again and Eriksen, cheered and applauded back at Tottenham, was at times vintage.
Ten Hag dropped United's No.9 amid plans to assign that squad number to Kane. It was Kane's opposite number, Marcus Rashford, who was sharp at the tip of the arrow. When Martial emerged, United were blunt.
United's habit of ending their scoring at two continued and they showed why they need Kane or a striker with comparable qualities. Despite this result, United are on the up, have won one cup and are in the final of another. Their name will be back in the Champions League seedings pot next season. Tottenham's won't.
None of the Spurs supporters would begrudge Kane a move now, not after such distinguished service. Kane's commitment against his potential employers was faultless and there were glimpses the United followers appreciated from the north-west corner. Kane's took the game by the lapels in the second half.
The night was not without its positives for Ten Hag. Sancho had to turn up as a starter and did, sweeping the ball past Fraser Forster in the seventh minute. Sancho used Eriksen's overlap as a decoy yet the gap to shift the ball and hit it was only open momentarily and his fleet of foot deflated an already subdued Spurs support.
There were high-fives all round from Ten Hag for his staff members. Sancho has tested his manager's patience in a season he was absent for three soul-searching months and this was his finest performance.
United were so commanding prior to the pause every outfield player was ushered into the Tottenham half when they advanced with the ball. The transitions from defence to attack were the most effortless all season and Mason was so dissatisfied the first raft of Spurs substitutes were instructed to warm up in the 18th minute.
The Tottenham right wing-back Pedro Porro was repeatedly targeted and Sancho was unfortunate not to score an identical second, his side-footer nodded off the line by Eric Dier. There were other ways to prey on Dier and Rashford isolated the centre half to dash onto Fernandes's prompt pass. Dier underestimated Rashford, inviting him to shoot with his left foot. He rifled the ball in.
Casemiro, Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelof and Luke Shaw eschewed the celebrations for a conflab with Ten Hag. As impressive as it appeared, United failed to retain that focus into the restart. Dier will have been delighted to see Rashford move to the wing.
Spurs denied Rashford the glory.
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