Where Erik ten Hag's signings rank in Manchester United's transfer traffic light system

One of the more innovative pieces of punditry in recent seasons was Gary Neville's traffic-light system that categorised Manchester United's signings in the post-Ferguson era.

The list consisted of permanent major outfield signings, so there was no Radamel Falcao or or Lee Grant. In Neville's breakdown, only two players were in the green, seven in amber and the rest in red.

Neville's ranking came in August 2022, two days after United's numbing 4-0 thrashing by Brentford. That searing afternoon in west London ended with some in the away end offering incendiary hand gestures to the players who offered cursory applause.

There were some subjective selections from Neville. Harry Maguire, reeling from a walking disaster of a season and about to be dropped, was in amber and Juan Mata, a signing Neville and his Class of '92 coterie never warmed to, was in the red.

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There were other contentious calls: the uncommitted Edinson Cavani in amber and committed Marouane Fellaini in red when they should have been in opposite camps. Luke Shaw was also a fortuitous amber addition at the time.

But the crux of the experiment was that United's recruitment was unconscionably low. Thirty-three players were listed and two were deemed successes. That is a hit rate of 6.061%.

Neville gave Bruno Fernandes and Zlatan Ibrahimovic the green light. Fernandes has been United's best signing since Robin van Persie in August 2012 and Ibrahimovic was a roaring success until he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament. United have all but airbrushed his aborted second season from history.

Cristiano Ronaldo was an individual triumph in a