The nine-hour flight from Bangkok to Melbourne will have been a happy one for Manchester United and new boss Erik ten Hag after their emphatic 4-0 win over arch rivals Liverpool.
The last time United were in Bangkok with a new manager, back in 2013 with David Moyes, they made a losing start to his ill-fated reign, going down 1-0 to a Thai Select XI in the same Rajamalanga Stadium. That defeat set the tone for Moyes’ doomed 10-month tenure, but Ten Hag left the Thai capital in upbeat mood, his players clearly having bought into his philosophy in the two weeks they have been working together.
The pre-match entertainment was provided by Hong Kong-born pop star Jackson Wang, who boasts 28.9milion Instagram followers. While most of the 50,000 fans in the stadium came to watch United and Liverpool, one supporter said his wife had only come to see Wang, her favourite singer, and was planning to leave before the game kicked off.
