<<Print>>

Humbled and humiliated, Manchester United’s players filtered solemnly into Carrington at 9am Monday, not more than 15 hours after the final whistle had sounded on a shocking capitulation at Anfield.

David de Gea, beaten seven times by arch-rivals Liverpool, and Luke Shaw lowered the sun visors on their cars to hide their shame from the cameras as they drove into the training ground for a planned recovery session. Alejandro Garnacho tried to disappear inside a white hoodie, pulled up tightly around his face.

Team-mates, some of whom had hastily cancelled social media events planned for Monday, still wore shell-shocked expressions.

Erik ten Hag had arrived two hours earlier, seething from what he had witnessed as his team collapsed to a club record-equalling defeat by Liverpool.

By the time he gathered them for a short talk, though, the theme was one of recovery rather than recrimination.

‘What happened doesn’t destroy all the good work we have done this season,’ was the message from the boss. He told them to be hungry to put things right. He spoke about the importance of not being depressed or losing confidence.

He said they would benefit from more sessions with Rainier Koers, the Dutch sports psychologist brought to the club by Ten Hag.