Ralf Rangnick had a clean slate when he took charge of Manchester United four weeks ago, but it is telling that almost a month into his reign, he has chosen to stick by players who are so often made scapegoats by demanding social media supporters.
While there are still obvious concerns to be had over the lack of playing time for fan favourite Donny van de Beek, in his place, the often chastised duo of Fred and Scott McTominay have once again shown their importance, becoming the go-to midfield pairing for the third manager in a row.
In the weeks since Rangnick took over, Fred's "fan sentiment graphs" have soared after a string of impressive midfield showings, and after a comfortable victory over Burnley on Thursday night, the love for McTominay also seems to be the highest it has been in any period this calendar year.
The Scot has always been capable of superb individual performances throughout his United career, but so often he is criticised due to a harsh perception that he doesn't offer much in midfield and isn't as glamorous as others who dominate the gossip columns.
With the focus largely on what McTominay can't do, it is so easy to look beyond what he can offer. Once again, it is important to note that Rangnick, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Jose Mourinho have all seen something they like in him.
The performance against Burnley on Thursday represented the 25-year-old at his zenith, with a commanding midfield display which saw him contribute in every aspect of the central role required.
McTominay grabbed his first goal of the season, finished with a decent passing accuracy of 75 per cent, had the highest number of ball recoveries, won the most duels and also drew the most fouls.
He might not be the most glamorous player, but he is effective, and in any successful team, you need warriors like McTominay to do the dirty work in order for the more mercurial talents to shine.
The issue which Rangnick faces is that while Fred and McTominay have proven to be a reliable midfield pairing in his reign already, there is very little room for improvement from them as a duo given the restricted progress they have made.
It was no surprise to see McTominay shine alongside Nemanja Matic against Burnley, with the Scot invigorated by the attacking freedom he was granted playing alongside someone as defensively sound as the Serb. It is a luxury that is rarely warranted when partnered by Fred. It seems like only one of them can prosper at a time as a regular starter.
United are still desperate to sign another midfielder next year and, as such, there is only room for one of Fred or McTominay to form a main part of the team going forward, but the jury is still ever-changing in terms of which one it should be.
Fred's level of performance has arguably been of a higher standard this season, but McTominay's circumstances are affected by the ongoing identity crisis which he is experiencing, as he continues to flirt with the idea of being an attacking midfielder or a specialist defensive anchor.
His development was somewhat hindered by Solskjaer's indulgence in the Scotland international as an attacking threat, something which he does offer, but not a role United needed him to fill given their other options there, while there has been a glaring lack of a long-term successor for Matic in the midfield base.
After another stellar showing, there can be no denying the quality which McTominay has to offer Rangnick for the rest of the season, but with a new midfielder on the transfer wish list, his future at the club will likely be solved hand in hand with his ongoing identity crisis.
Having come through the academy as a striker, it is clear to see why the Scot is so eager to get forward at every opportunity, but if he wants to be playing every week, he might need to sacrifice those desires.
