The mood at United, it must be said, was already lifting by the time football was suspended and the country went into lockdown on March 20. The arrival of Bruno Fernandes for £47 million from Sporting Lisbon in the final days of the January transfer window had a restorative effect on the field and in the stands and provided another reminder - if any was needed - that quality recruitment is fundamental to the successful running of any football operation, no matter its size.

Certainly since Ferguson retired, Old Trafford has seldom witnessed an atmosphere like the one during the resounding 2-0 win over champions Manchester City 12 days before everyone was told to stay home and save lives. By the time United had played their last game against LASK, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side were unbeaten in 11 matches and playing some of their best football for years. Odion Ighalo scored an exquisite goal in that particular match - his fourth in three starts - to suggest the Nigeria striker’s loan signing from Shanghai Shenhua, while most definitely no part of the club’s so-called “cultural reboot”, may indeed have its uses.

The sharp upturn in form of players such as Luke Shaw, Anthony Martial, Fred and Victor Lindelof offered Solskjaer fresh grounds for optimism while the likes of Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Maguire were starting to resemble money very well spent. The captaincy only five months after joining United for a world record £80m fee for a defender initially looked a burden Maguire could do without given the attention his pricetag brought but, as with Woodward, he appears to have grown considerably as a leader during this crisis. He was instrumental in helping to establish the #PlayersTogether initiative that is expected to raise millions for the NHS after his Liverpool counterpart, Jordan Henderson, leaned on him for help and he has proved an invaluable sounding board for Woodward, Solskjaer and his staff on squad matters during the lockdown.

Beyond that, the return of Scott McTominay in February after two months out injured was welcomed, understandably, with relish by team-mates and Solskjaer and, should we reach a point where the Premier League finally resumes in early June, the manager is expected to again be able to call upon two of his star players. Paul Pogba’s return will be interesting to witness on many levels, not to mention that of top scorer Marcus Rashford, whose long lay-off with a double stress fracture to the spine in mid-January only deepened the sense of doom and gloom at a time when Fernandes had still to enter the door, Erling Haaland had snubbed United in favour of joining Borussia Dortmund and the team were beaten by Liverpool and Burnley in back-to-back outings.

None of this means United are guaranteed to win games, of course, and the pressure to qualify for the Champions League, and deliver silverware, has not lessened any way. Equally, Woodward knows he could very quickly become a target for supporter dissatisfaction once again if the team’s form falters or the transfer window - whatever that ends up looking like - yields disappointment.

Yet, for now at least, United are likely to approach any resumption of the Premier League with a renewed sense of energy, focus and confidence and with their supporters, emboldened by the team’s pre-lockdown form, return of key players and a restored pride brought about by the club’s decisive, coordinated response to the Covid-19 pandemic, perhaps more optimistic and upbeat than have been for a good while.