The hard work has started for Jose Mourinho and Manchester United in the quest to regain the Premier League title.
United touched down this week in the US ahead of their pre-season tour where they will play a total of five matches. With this being a World Cup year, the squad is missing a lot of its star players.
Whilst it will mean some games will not really reflect the team that will open the season against Leicester City, a tour always presents opportunities for fringe and youth players to shine.
The likes of Andreas Pereira will want to do well, as he did last year. He needs to because although his loan spell in Valencia was a success, Mourinho didn't want Pereira to go on loan last season.
The opportunities that came Scott McTominnay's way last year may well have gone to Pereira had he stayed. McTominnay is on the tour again and will look to cement his place in the early squads when the big kick-off comes around.
Youth may get its chance
There are several youngsters who have travelled. The likes of Angel Gomes and Tahith Chong have long been touted as first-team material in the making and will be desperate to impress.
Although all the youngsters will want a chance to shine it will be interesting to see if Mason Greenwood gets any playing time. He is a 16-year-old striker that has some similarities to Marcus Rashford, but he looks like he has potential to explode in the same way.
On top of the youngsters, there are established players that will be desperate to impress. Luke Shaw and Anthony Martial will have a lot of focus placed on them as they are continually linked with a move away.
It's in their interests to do well either to catch Mourinho's eye or put themselves in the shop window.
A World Cup takes the focus away from club football, but the Premier League start is imminent and Mourinho has a huge task on his hands to overturn a 19 point deficit.
There are many conundrums to solve if he is to achieve that feat, but one of his challenges will be to get two of his major stars to show their class.
Time to bring out the best
Paul Pogba misses the tour due to his history-making exploits in Russia. He is now having a well-deserved break after becoming the first Manchester United player to score in their final win over Croatia.
Alexis Sanchez didn't join the tour due a to a suspended jail sentence he received for tax fraud during his time in Spain. Legal experts are looking to appeal the decision not to grant him a visa, so he could yet join up.
Both players have something to prove in the coming season.
Mourinho was criticised for his handling of Pogba, and also the decision to bring Sanchez to the club and play him continually when he looked so out of sorts so often.
However, that was probably a little unfair on Mourinho. Pogba looked uninterested at times last season, and he has to take his own share of the responsibility for his numerous flat performances.
He showed for France he can do it all, and the defensive aptitude and discipline he so admirably displayed were probably the kind of thing that Mourinho was trying to get out of Pogba.
Having defensive responsibility doesn't mean he should feel stifled, but just like in the final he can pick and choose his moments to hurt the opposition.
For Sanchez, a good pre-season would benefit him, so this visa problem is not ideal, to say the least. He did not perform well for United, that much is clear.
Yet moving clubs in the middle of a season is not easy. Of course, the game of football doesn't change. Yet his teammates did, and there is the human element to everything.
Anybody that has ever moved house will know it can be stressful; even if you are moving from one mansion to another. You are in a new town, you need to get your bearings and all of these things can be a distraction.
There will be no excuses this year, and Mourinho does need those two to fire on all cylinders to stand any chance of even closing the gap to their Manchester neighbours.
The likes of Romelu Lukaku, Jesse Lingard, Marouane Fellaini and Ashley Young will all come back with a spring in their step. They all had good tournaments, and Lukaku and Lingard, in particular, enhanced their reputations.
New blood
New signings are always a big part of pre-season, as are departures, but as yet United haven't really taken off on that front. They pulled off a small coup by getting Fred from under the noses of City, but a young prospect and a veteran goalkeeper are the only ones to follow him in.
Fred looks a dynamic, creative and busy midfielder and could be a possible star. Diogo Dalot is probably one for the future, but he comes highly rated and could force his way in the side. Lee Grant is coming in as back up, as it is likely that Portuguese youngster Joel Pereira will be loaned out.
More signings are likely to follow, and equally, departures are almost inevitable. Daley Blind is the first high profile player to depart with a return to Ajax and several players are under the spotlight and linked with moves elsewhere.
The transfer window closes early this year, so Mourinho will have to pull a rabbit or two out of the hat shortly. You would have to say that even with improvement expected from certain players, the squad needs further recruitment for United to challenge.
City may not reach the heights of last season, but you wouldn't bet against them setting a huge points tally once more. So it is likely that United have to step up markedly on last year. Other teams are going to strengthen, and that is one reason why City may find it more difficult but the same applies to United.
Mistakes can't be repeated
Whatever Mourinho does in the remainder of the transfer window, he also has to step up his game. The fantastic start United enjoyed last year must be repeated but some of the woeful performances that followed have to be eradicated.
If he wants to tinker with tactics and make United tough to break down in certain games that's fine. He just needs to ensure that three points follow.
If United go another season empty handed then Mourinho is not guaranteed to be shown the door, or walk himself. Yet serious questions would have to be asked, so the pressure is most definitely on.
The World Cup is over, the Premier League is on the horizon. The hard work for United is just about to start.