What a difference 90 minutes can make. Manchester United were hugely impressive during their statement victory over rivals Liverpool on Monday night - so much so that even Roy Keane had to soften his stance.
Over 15 years on from hanging up his boots on a glittering playing career, the ex-United captain is as hard-nosed as a pundit as he was in the engine room. However, when the situation commands, he can also dish out praise.
Erik ten Hag brought fresh hope when he was appointed as United manager this summer. Brighton and Brentford did their best to dampen that mood at Old Trafford before goals from Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford gave United and Ten Hag an important win over Liverpool to leave their rivals winless after three games.
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Following planned anti-Glazer protests before the Monday night showdown, the mood changed somewhat during 90 pulsating minutes and Keane was forced into a U-turn on United's players. His post-match comments were a far cry from what he said about, largely, the same group back in March.
While on duty for Sky Sports this Monday night, he said: "It was a good vibe, good energy before the game. What I liked was they played great as a team. Defensively, midfield outstanding, going forward they looked dangerous and they could've scored a few more goals.
"They deserve the victory and it was a big boost for the players. Before the game the manager made some big calls, some changes, kept [Harry] Maguire and [Cristiano] Ronaldo out, but they responded, they were excellent. Quality, great commitment, desire and that's what you want from any player, especially at Manchester United."
Keane was not the only one to take aim at United last season as they finished a dismal sixth in the Premier League to miss out on Champions League qualification. However, one analysis piece he put together following their heavy reverse against Manchester City was particularly damning.
On that occasion, he said: "It's no good having moments in games... the match is 90 minutes long and you've got to do it all game long. I don't think the manager [Ralf Rangnick] could have done too much differently, but by the time the substitutes came on, the fight was over.
"Egos come into it. You leave egos at the front door and these guys are all about, 'how am I looking? Are my boots nice? Is my hair looking good?'. Play the game.
"You're at Manchester United. We were looking up at the fans behind the goal and they knew, they're not daft, this team we're supporting have given up. It's what you do on the pitch that interests me, not all the other garbage."
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