In football, it is customary for a big win or a big loss to accelerate development both in the administrative and in the competitive part. V Manchester, a humiliating 7-0 defeat to Liverpool that won’t soon be forgotten, has likely made matters more difficult: events surrounding the club’s imminent sale are “frozen” as the Glazer family considers “strategic alternatives” and thoughts that can make this particular composition. If possible, when we talk about such football figures. And yet, everything is mixed up and whatever decisions are made, no doubt, require subtle manipulations.

Erik ten Haag sent his players to a psychologist after a hard score so as not to get hurt, because they have decisive matches ahead of them. And in the first test, he justified himself. Using the same line-up as Liverpool’s sevens, there was a reaction as his team beat Spanish Betis 4-1 in the Europa League’s 8’s and the crowd cheered. Perhaps the Dutchman himself followed his advice. Especially if he was referring to the failure of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer when he tried to drastically change the team’s playing structure after losing 4-0 to Everton in April 2019.

When the Norwegian wanted to get rid of the players he inherited from Jose Mourinho once and for all.

“We can’t change the whole team, but step by step we will do it,” said Solskjaer. Finally, two years later, as we said goodbye to Old Trafford, there were still nine Mourinho players in the dressing room…

There is a theory that one of Solskjaer’s problems was that the “massacre” he predicted in the Everton press room never happened.

He doesn’t speak but he does

This does not mean that there will be no changes. Ten Hag, who has eaten up Cristiano Ronaldo and publicly scolded Marcus Rashford since taking office over the summer, has shown himself far more ruthless. He may not say much, but he does. The Dutchman’s favorite phrase is “good is not enough” and while the Red Devils have won their first League Cup trophy in six years and are heading into next season’s Champions League, many of them are “in the air”.

The Dutchman brought Casemiro, Martins, Anthony and Malasia to Manchester in the summer for more than £220m, with a striker, midfielder, full-back and goalkeeper likely to be added in the next phase of the renovation, budget permitting.

However, there must be relegations to make room for new players and this Liverpool crash is a good reason for any clearances.

Fred’s contract runs until 2024 after he extended it by one year in December, but Ten Hag wants to bring in another midfielder and interest in Barcelona’s Frank De Jong and Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham has been renewed.

The midfield upgrade is also likely to affect the future of Scott McTominay, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Anthony Elanga.

De Gea, who is having a good year, is likely to be asked to renegotiate his contract for a reduced salary, and his manager is looking for another goalkeeper. It could be Dean Henderson, 25, who is on loan at Nottingham Forest. This month the club will hold meetings with its representatives to discuss a possible return in the summer.

As for Harry Maguire, signed from Leicester in 2019 for £80m, it is clear he will be leaving after only five starts this season. Interest from West Ham was turned down in January, but the England defender himself has already begun looking for the next stop in his career.

In Ten Hag’s case, “No Effort, No Way” will be the motto he will use to bring United back to the top.