NATHAN SALT: Man Utd have an ability to give opponents hope when they shouldn't

‘We can play [to] very high levels within the same match, and also we can go [to] very low levels in the same game,’ Erik ten Hag mused in the bowels of Wembley Stadium.

‘That's not explainable but it has to do with managing the game, taking responsibility, taking responsibility for each other. I have to teach my players clearly. We have to do better in such occasions [after conceding] but the difficult thing to do is put ourselves in a winning position, the last thing is much easier.’

Still teaching two years into his tenure? Easy to pass on those instructions? Don’t be ridiculous, Erik.

The problems that led to United’s dramatic 30-minute collapse at Wembley - arguably the most damning of the Ten Hag era - were oh, so familiar. So damning was this display that the teaching may well get cut short before he even reaches summer school.

While United kicked and screamed their way to the final via a 4-2 penalty shootout, going from 3-0 up to 3-3, and then extra-time where a Haji Wright's ‘toenail’ was all that spared a 4-3 defeat, makes it thrown away leads at Brentford, Chelsea, Liverpool and Coventry in the space of a month.

Here sat Sir Jim Ratcliffe, fresh from a personal best time in the London Marathon, Sir Dave Brailsford, as well as a rare appearance for Avram and Joel Glazer. Jason Wilcox, the club’s new technical director, was in the stands, too.

Trust Ratcliffe, who arrived at half-time, to miss the first half party where United got everything they wanted. All he got to see was a chaotic team lacking any sort of identity.

There were Coventry team personnel at half-time talking about enjoying the day out and the challenge. Down 2-0 and barely troubling Andre Onana, they looked defeated. What they should have known is