The instant he emerges from the tunnel ahead of Manchester United's Carabao Cup quarter-final meeting with Charlton Athletic, Erik ten Hag turns to the Stretford End and stands still, applauding them for a fair few seconds.
It has also come to light that he even goes as far as shaking hands with each of those behind where he sits in the home dugout.
To many, these may seem simple gestures. But in the scheme of things, they symbolise much more. The fans have a manager that they feel they can completely trust. They view him as the man to stop the club's malaise, and he is clearly appreciative of that backing.
It would be disingenuous to suggest United eased past their League One opposition on Tuesday night, but they ended up comfortable victors. And with that, Ten Hag has already guided his side to the semi-final of a domestic cup competition.
Credit: Ash Donelon via Getty Images
Team selection is a big part of cup competitions, with these matches often being deemed as an apt time to rotate by managers. But Ten Hag hasn't simply named 'B-teams' - he has shown he wants to be the man to end United's nigh-on six-year trophy drought, and promptly.
He is clearly aware of the significance of ending United's run without any silverware - spanning since 2017 - and has reflected that with his team selections.
Even against a side two tiers below United, he didn't take his foot off the gas, even if he did take it as an opportunity to rest some of his key players amid a congested run of fixtures.
With Ten Hag, everything is strategic and organised meticulously. The side he named to face Charlton consisted of experienced heads, but he balanced that with levels of innovation while taking the opportunity to rest a number of his regular starting players and give opportunities to others. There was clear logic behind the approach.
Kobbie Mainoo was the headline starter - a 2005-born, 17-year-old midfielder from Stockport. It was an opportunity seized by Ten Hag given Mainoo has faced football league opposition in the EFL Trophy, and he looked by no means out of place. He conducted himself with maturity, composed and making the right decisions on the ball.
"It's an unbelievable feeling," Mainoo told MUTV after the match. "I've been at this club all my life. To have my family here watching me, it's amazing."
There is justifiably excitement surrounding Mainoo - regarded as one of United's best youth players at present. And while it's important not to put pressure on a player so young, he could prove a solution to United's need for more midfielders in the long run. At only 17, his game is already very refined.
Credit: Matthew Peters via Getty Images
One other innovation from Ten Hag was playing Anthony Elanga as the striker in a front three amid Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial being rested. It was a worthy experiment, although Elanga did prove there remains development for him to undergo given his inexperience after being almost thrown in at the deep end by Ralf Rangnick.
Lisandro Martinez was back in the starting side for the first time and was influential - committed to challenges and able to snuff out danger, dealing well with a physical striker. It was a good move from Ten Hag to start Martinez as he gets back up to speed.
Also given more minutes from the start was Diogo Dalot following a hamstring injury that saw him miss a selection of early post-World Cup matches. However, in his case, the night ended prematurely as he had to be substituted during the first-half due to another injury issue.
Dalot did start running gingerly prior to being withdrawn, finding himself only able to back off as an attacker attempted to take him on. He seemed to stop as soon as he realised there was an issue, which does offer hope that he may have just opted to take the precaution of not continuing - aligned with Ten Hag's post-match admission.
As much as naming your strongest side every match seems appealing, the sort of wear and tear synonymous with congested periods within a season does necessitate rotation, hence Ten Hag's decision to change his side somewhat to face Charlton was valid.
Credit: Matthew Peters via Getty Images
Antony was another player that was started due to being in need of minutes as he continues to adapt to English football. And his excellent first-half goal - a curled left-footed effort from outside the box - will have pleased Ten Hag, making it two goals in two matches for the Brazilian.
However, the goal did come when Antony was afforded space on his left foot - albeit it was to his credit that he punished that. For the most part, Antony was shackled by Charlton through the simple tactic of forcing him onto his right foot, which he again proved so resistant to use that he would end up passing backwards and would often lose the ball.
The highly noticeable troughs of Antony's game were still shown even amid the peak of the goal. He will continue to struggle for consistent joy when against higher echelon defenders.
More effective on the opposite flank was Alejandro Garnacho, who was at the heart of United's attacking intent. He never looks like an inexperienced teenager, instead he is a young player exuding confidence whenever he plays.
Garnacho's dynamism and directness troubled Charlton, with his first touch often impeccable when he offered an outlet for Harry Maguire's trademark switch from right to left. He was United's main creative body for large periods and was unfortunate not to score himself.
This lack of execution was an issue on the whole, with United not particularly comfortable until the very latter stages of the match. They lacked quality at times and sometimes appeared disjointed amid the changes made to the side.
It was a match more competitive than Ten Hag would have desired, with United long lacking a decisive edge to engineer an insurance goal. Charlton were marshalled well when they threatened to counter attack, but United weren't scintillating despite their control of the game.
Credit: Gareth Copley via Getty Images
Ten Hag didn't just let the match peter out though. He acknowledged the lack of comfort for his side, and started to make changes around the hour mark.
Casemiro, Christian Eriksen and Rashford were the first players to be introduced off the bench, before Facundo Pellistri was finally handed his United debut inside the final 10 minutes almost two-and-a-half years after joining the club.
And it is fair to say Ten Hag displayed his in-game prowess with the changes, which were game-changing. Rashford proved the difference-maker again, scoring twice in the closing stages - bringing his season total to 15 and extending to a run of scoring in eight successive matches at Old Trafford - having combined with a fellow substitute on each occasion.
Pellistri was lively during his cameo too. It shouldn't have come as a surprise given he started matches at the Qatar World Cup for Uruguay, but his impact was significant, even if he only featured from the 84th minute onwards.
The 21-year-old displayed his creative side as well as a cool head to slot Rashford through on goal to score his first of the two late consolidation goals, playing a well-weighted pass after carrying the ball. Rashford was similarly composed under pressure from Charlton goalkeeper Ashley Maynard-Brewer to finish.
While Pellistri's work on the ball, including his intricate footwork, caught the eye, his movement off the ball was also laudable. A matter of minutes after providing for Rashford, he played a key role in United scoring a third, dragging a man away from Rashford with a run from his right flank to the left to create a space for Casemiro to pass into.
Casemiro showed subtlety to play a pass to Rashford with the outside of his foot, with Rashford's run well-timed again and his finish, left-footed, clinical.
Casemiro was also heavily involved in both late goals - along with Pellistri and, of course, Rashford. His sublime passing display was plain to see not only from his assist for Rashford's second goal but also for his first, when he drilled a pass to Pellistri for the 'pre-assist'. A long switch from left to right before this also saw him find Garnacho and launch a promising opportunity.
Credit: Ash Donelon via Getty Images
It was a case of job well done to get past Charlton. United didn't produce any exceedingly good performance, but cup competitions are primarily about results. And Ten Hag reaching a semi-final during his first season in charge is a creditable feat.
The fans' belief in Ten Hag is already being paid back, with 20 wins amassed already this season equalling the overall tally of victories throughout the entirety of last term. Even more impressively, he is the fastest United manager to reach that landmark.
Nottingham Forest await United in the semi-finals after a favourable draw, with Newcastle United the biggest threat remaining following Manchester City's shock exit against Southampton.
The stars are aligning for Ten Hag, who is doing everything right as he continues on a course to win silverware at the first opportunity.
Comments