Erik ten Hag is finishing what Ralf Rangnick started with Manchester United changes

It is not September yet and Erik ten Hag is forging a siege mentality at Manchester United, unjustifiably advising one reporter to "do your research" and justifiably refusing to accept questions from another who publicly revelled in United's thrashing at Brentford.

That mindset has been adopted by some players with and without cameras present. In the warm-up at Southampton, the back four assembled for their usual pre-match aerial drill, flocking like birds.

It is one of the more routine and mundane drills a collection of footballers could go through yet the end of each phase was signalled by enthusiastic high-fives.

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Diogo Dalot, a growing character in the United squad, was particularly zealous and transmitted it to the 1-0 win, United's first away clean sheet since December.

Dalot was the only survivor from that fortuitous win at Norwich, United's last game before Covid-19 swept through the squad and postponed their two fixtures before Christmas. Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Alex Telles were the other starters.

One is off the books for a year and another is on the bench. Lindelof has been sidelined with an unspecified injury for nearly a month and is now fourth-choice centre-back.

What Ralf Rangnick started Ten Hag is finishing. The Anglo-Scandi backline Ole Gunnar Solskjaer entrusted has all but ended, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka available for transfer as deadline day looms and Luke Shaw Maguire's fellow spectator in the dugout.

Ten Hag has selected two back fours this season. One has shipped six goals and the other one. Raphael Varane and Tyrell Malacia merited starts on the opening weekend against Brighton and have lined up in the latter quartet.

Varane did not put a foot