Admittedly, the match itself was more of an exercise in recovering sharpness for the two different outfield line-ups fielded by Ten Hag. Ronny had noted beforehand, upon our early arrival at the Lerkendal Stadium, that Rosenborg would clearly be fitter, considering the fact they are in the middle of their domestic programme.
The impressive 21,000-plus crowd at least had a goal from their local team to witness in the dying seconds, plundered by Noah Helm, who was happily signing autographs for young fans as we passed him en route to the bus, revelling in his role as the matchwinner against United.
As the coaching team and players embarked on their trip to the airport, the stardust sprinkled in this part of Scandinavia will have left its mark. The love of the Premier League, and of the Reds in particular, is so incredibly strong and positive.
So it’s a new season, with fresh hopes and ambitions, plus an expectation of what can be achieved in Erik’s third year in charge. As the boss pointed out when talking to journalists in the mixed zone, only Manchester City can boast more trophies than us since he took charge, but we want more.
Being able to soak up and savour that FA Cup final victory provided an afterglow that lasted with me ever since that unforgettable day out at Wembley. Not only was the United shirt being worn with pride throughout the Trondheim city centre but this will be the case when any of us embark on our summer holidays, wherever that may be in the world.
The backing for Erik and his team stretches far and wide – and it is a beautiful thing to see and feel part of.
The opinions in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Manchester United Football Club.
