Manchester United's underwhelming exit from the Europa League last week left a sour taste in the mouth of supporters after a recent revival which had been so sweet.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had hoped to be preparing his side for a European final against Inter Milan on Friday night but instead the week has been spent recuperating as his players get ready to go again in the league in under five weeks' time.
The release of the Premier League fixtures on Thursday was a reminder of just how little time United have to prepare for their opening match against Crystal Palace, with little time for any meaningful pre-season preparation.
Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of United's exit from Europe was the fact they dominated the semi-final vs Sevilla but were ultimately undone by defensive errors and depleted energy levels — the two things they worked hardest to resolve last summer.
Luke Shaw's absence hampered United at the tail end of the season, while last summer's additions Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka endured nights to forget against Sevilla.
With the new season only weeks away it is crucial for United's players to rest as much as possible now and Solskjaer knows those opening two months of the campaign will be the ultimate chance for the team to prove just how far they have come in terms of their fitness levels.
In both of his seasons in charge Solskjaer has seen a resurgence in form followed by a worrying drop-off in energy levels. First season fatigue could be blamed on the previous management set-up, while last season's drop-off was understandable given the sheer volume of fixtures they had to contend with post-lockdown. That might be the case again come September, but there will be even higher expectations on United this time around.
Ever since he was appointed on a caretaker basis Solskjaer has repeatedly said United should never be outworked by an opponent and this was apparent when he vowed to improve fitness levels during pre-season a year ago. Charlie Owens was appointed as a fitness coach prior to pre-season and club sources revealed there was going to be a greater emphasis on running during training games and tactical drills.
The fitness overhaul also saw Ed Leng appointed as the club's new lead sports scientist following a recommendation from Solskjaer's old co-manager and mentor Warren Joyce.
Leng himself labelled the role as 'trying to take the players to the next level of performance' and United were more than happy to reveal the total running distance was up 10 per cent and high intensity drills had increased by 50 per cent compared with Mourinho's final pre-season in charge.
A year on and there are unlikely to be any double training sessions for United this summer as they gear up for the new Premier League season, but the focus remains the same.
United know that in order to close the gap on the teams above them they must not only strengthen the quality of the first-team playing squad in the transfer market, but they must continue to strive to be amongst the very fittest squads in Europe.
Returning to the Champions League will only add further pressure to a squad which was beginning to look physically spent towards the end of this season. It really will be a case of survival of the fittest.
