Outside Old Trafford a photo of Alejandro Garnacho had been vandalised with an X drawn across his face.
On the back of the matchday programme Jadon Sancho's name sat at the bottom of a long list of 38 Manchester United players. He was the only one not to be allocated a squad number.
Rasmus Hojlund, so often given the thankless task of spearheading the United attack last season, found himself dropped from the squad in a not-so-subtle message to pack his bags and leave before the end of the transfer window.