13 March 2023 , 13:14
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Erik ten Hag's side had a united desire to beat Southampton after Casemiro's red card on Sunday afternoon - something that would have been unthinkable last season.
Manchester United were held to a goalless draw after Casemiro was shown his marching orders during the first half, but the reaction of Ten Hag's players suggest they wanted more.
That is far cry from last term, when rumours of a dressing room split between the Portuguese speakers - such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes - and the non-Portuguese speakers dominated the back pages. United players have since dispelled these reports - but that did not stop them from causing chaos under Ralf Rangnick.
Casemiro was sent off for a reckless challenge on Southampton midfielder Carlos Alcaraz. He was initially booked by referee Anthony Taylor, but that decision was changed when VAR official Marc Perry advised his colleague to consult the pitch-side monitor.
The Brazilian was devastated by the decision and struggled to hold back his tears. Antony consoled his compatriot before telling him, "I will win this game for you".
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There was a similar attitude in United's dressing room at half-time, as revealed by David de Gea. The goalkeeper was asked by MUTV if United believed they could still win the game after Casemiro's dismissal. De Gea replied, "Of course, that's what we said at half-time."
Antony promised to win Sunday's game for Casemiro (Premier League Productions)Do you think Manchester United are united again? Let us know in the comments below!
The words of Antony and De Gea speak volumes about the impact Ten Hag made at Old Trafford. Although United are still vulnerable to the odd collapse - such as their record-breaking 7-0 loss to Liverpool earlier this month - they are much more resilient unit.
United's position in the table suggests as much. They are third in the Premier League, six points ahead of Newcastle in fifth having played a game more. That is a huge improvement from last season, when they finished sixth in the Premier League under Rangnick.
United also ended their six-year wait for a trophy last month by beating Newcastle 2-0 in the Carabao Cup final. There is a good chance more silverware might be on the horizon for the Red Devils, as they are still going strong in the FA Cup and Europa League.
United were plagued by reports of division last season, as well as dressing room leaks. Fewer private conversations have leaked out of Old Trafford since Ten Hag's appointment, with club CEO Richard Arnold telling fans the situation was resolved last June.
Cristiano Ronaldo left Old Trafford nearly four months ago (Getty Images)Gary Neville insisted he knew who the leaks were in a scathing rant last February. He told Sky Sports, "They are at it, the PR teams, the agents and the marketing teams, as a self-preservation for their own player. But what they do not realise is that unfortunately, when they go to the media then those media people go to us – so we know who is briefing.
"The reality is that we do not like it, but we know who it is. We are not going to throw people under a bus here because we have that journalistic respect... They need to stop it and work as hard as they can."
It appears Neville's request was heard. United's dressing room is quite literally united again, and Ten Hag will be hoping his team will be successful years to come.