After all the speculation, conjecture and furore, Manchester United’s under-fire players and staff have returned to the daily task of preparing for Premier League action.
Now four days removed from Sunday’s Old Trafford debacle which saw Liverpool run riot during a 5-0 victory.
Since then, there have been autopsies, recriminations and finger pointing, with much of the blame being laid at manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ’s feet.
However, for now at least, the status quo remains. Solskjaer looks set to lead the Red Devils out on Saturday as they take on Tottenham in the capital.
There were points this week when Solskjaer’s odds of taking another training session at Carrington looked unlikely.
But with his short-term future assured, the Norwegian has been putting his charges through their paces in preparation for Spurs.
Here are five things we spotted from Wednesday’s session:
Solskjaer still at the centre of the action
News of Sir Alex Ferguson’s visit to Carrington got tongues wagging with suggestions that Solskjaer’s position was being undermined.
It was subsequently revealed that the former boss was at the training ground for a pre-planned suit fitting and left his former player to it.
Always hands-on during sessions, Solskjaer was seen right in the thick of it again, instructing his players and keeping a watchful eye.
If he was a man resigned to his fate, he hid it well.
Raphael Varane boost
As Liverpool hit United for five question marks over United’s Swiss cheese-like defence swirled.
With Harry Maguire not fully fit and Varane out of action, the £200million defensive rebuild looked a catastrophic failure.
However, the Frenchman looks poised to make a timely return with the centre-back appearing to be a full participant with three days between now and kick-off at Tottenham.
Varane and Maguire need every minute together they can to help build a partnership and a quicker than anticipated return could be a major positive.
Ronaldo sticks to his word
Cristiano Ronaldo told his team-mates that it was the players, and the players alone, that should shoulder the blame from the Liverpool humiliation.
On Wednesday he posted “hard work is the only pathway to victory. There are no shortcuts to glory. No pain, no gain”.
And the 36-year-old was seen putting maximum effort in drills alongside Marcus Rashford.
The England international was another to offer a personal apology to supporters in the wake of the capitulation and as a boyhood Red Devil he will be desperate to set them back on the right track.
If United are to get out of the mess they find themselves in, Ronaldo and Rashford are likely to be key.
Pogba hoping to silence the noise
There’s rarely a quiet week when it comes to Paul Pogba and Manchester United.
The World Cup winner made headlines for the wrong reasons when his second-half cameo was cut short with a red card.
Just 72 hours later it was his future back in the news, with reports that the Red Devils are growing resigned to the fact he will not sign a new deal.
Pogba faces three games on the sidelines following his dismissal but will be hoping to stay in the thoughts of his manager and prove his heart is still fully in it.
Matic desperate for a chance
In the absence of Pogba – and the continued critique of the Fred and Scott McTominay partnership – Nemanja Matic will be desperate for an opportunity to impress in the centre of midfield.
The Serbian has often proved United’s unsung hero and even though he may no longer be the driving force he was five years ago, his talents still offer a viable alternative to Solskjaer.
His ability to pass through the lines sets him apart from his midfield rivals and against struggling Spurs, he could prove key.