The scenes before kick-off that celebrated the life of Denis Law, the King of the Stretford End, were genuinely touching.
When it comes to the past, there is no club in England with a more glorious one. The juxtaposition with what followed remains the concern.
Manchester United are a poor football team. The table tells you that much. Watching them play makes it obvious. But the big news from Old Trafford on Sunday is that Ruben Amorim agrees, describing this current team as maybe the worst in the club’s history.
It has become a theme of his short reign so far, heading off criticism with honesty, blunt and bleak. He has spoken of relegation. In this same post-match press conference, he talked of being a coach who loses more than the last one. And the last one was fired.
There are no plans to deviate course. Amorim admitted that he did not even play two strikers when chasing the game against Brighton because he was more concerned with sending the message to his players that the style of play never changes, no matter what.
His hope is that this helps the idea click quicker, but bereft of confidence after a fourth home defeat in five, there is the possibility that these results are killing belief in his plan rather than fostering it. Sort all this in the summer? Right now, that looks a long way off.