It can be difficult to quantify exactly what improvement a sports psychologist can bring to a team, there is no obvious way of judging their contribution, but in an era of marginal gains it seems incredible Manchester United have been operating without one for so long.
The appointment of Sascha Lense this week is the first time United have had a mental coach since Bill Beswick left 20 years ago. Plenty of their rivals have spotted the benefits of training the brain and it's an area particularly exploited by Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, but at Old Trafford, they've focused on the technical rather than the mental.
Listening to Ralf Rangnick speak this week after confirming the arrival of Lense, it was difficult not to wonder why United hadn't looked at this area under their previous managers.
Judging the work of a manager or a coach can be relatively simple, but in draining seasons when the pressure and, particularly at Old Trafford, expectations are relentless, having someone to work on the areas upstairs that we don't see can be absolutely vital.
Rangnick gave an insight into Lense's work earlier this week, making it clear he won't be stationed in his own office waiting for the players to come in and pull up a chair. Instead, he will be out on the training ground pitches, adding subtle improvements to players and working on their belief and confidence.
"For me it is a question of logic. If you have special coaches for goalkeeping, physical education, even for strikers, fitness, whatever, you should also have an expert for the brain," said Rangnick.
"It’s not so much putting them on the red sofa and holding hands for the players because most of them won’t do that anyway. For me it is about helping the players that the brain should assist the body not to work against it.
"The players and everybody in our team should think in the right way. Whenever we speak about football we know that the major part is up here. What do you think, how do you analyse the situation."
Not every player will feel the need to speak to a sports psychologist, but having them on hand can be very helpful for some and there will be an improvement. United have lacked consistency in recent years and this could be a way of improving that, for starters.
Interestingly, Rangnick has already identified one player who can benefit from working with Lense, in 20-year-old forward Mason Greenwood.
The German's media dealings so far have been wonderfully open and he has talked with clarity and conviction about what he sees, eschewing platitudes and cliches for talking with interest and honesty, and while he had to be impressed with Greenwood's performance against Young Boys on Wednesday, he mentioned mentality as an area he could develop.
“I am not so much worried about his technical level," said Rangnick.
“We need to develop him physically and mentally to become the strongest version of himself. And if we manage to do that, he can become a regular player and a valuable player for our club in the future."
There is understandable excitement around Greenwood and there's always been discussion about his natural technique, his ability to use both feet and where he will eventually end up playing, but nobody has mentioned - publicly at least - the idea that a 20-year-old playing for one of the most scrutinised clubs in the world might need some help mentally.
There will be plenty of players that Lense can get an extra one or two per cent from, but Greenwood is clearly someone that Rangnick believes will benefit.
