Benjamin Sesko’s career at Manchester United breaks into two distinct periods. In the first, he played 1,404 minutes of football and scored two goals. In the second, he has played 274 minutes and scored six goals: 702 minutes per goal and then 45 minutes 40 seconds per goal.

There’s a very obvious explanation. On 4 January, Sesko toiled in a 1-1 draw at Leeds. He didn’t manage a shot on target. He completed only 76% of his passes. He didn’t attempt a dribble but still lost possession five times. He was caught offside twice. On 5 January, Ruben Amorim was sacked.

On 6 January, Sesko scored both goals in a 2-2 draw at Burnley. It seems a little unfair to compare Amorim, who always came across as a thoroughly pleasant and decent man, to the White Witch from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, but the similar thawing impact of their removals is undeniable. The snows are melting, the flowers are blossoming and creatures that had been turned to stone are becoming flesh and blood once again.

United, of course, have been here before, with an upturn under a beloved former player. The Ole Gunnar Solskjær experience...