Let’s take a look at the notable issues surrounding the Old Trafford team in the pre-season.
Worthwhile upgrade
David de Gea has been with Manchester United for more than a decade, witnessing the collapse of the Old Trafford team after Sir Alex and the Red Devils went through many ups and downs with the Red Devils. However, just a season after coach Erik Ten Hag brought glimmers of hope to Man Utd, De Gea had to be wrapped up in the club.
Although somewhat cruel, it was a reasonable decision from Ten Hag, because De Gea was no longer suitable for modern football and above all, the football philosophy of the Dutch strategist. Just a few days after parting with De Gea, Ten Hag welcomed his former student Andre Onana to Old Trafford. And with what has shown in a few appearances under the Man Utd shirt, it can be affirmed, Onana is really an upgrade of De Gea.
Onana’s ability to play feet, pass the ball, distribute the ball or command the defense is completely beyond De Gea. And despite being responsible for the situation when Man Utd conceded a goal against Lens, Onana also showed his top reflexes with 6 saves in this match. Next time, surely the Cameroonian goalkeeper will be even more impressive once he fully adapts to the new environment.
Ten Hag was right
Last season, Man United was seriously affected by the lack of a top-class central striker, and this continued to be a weakness for the Red Devils in the pre-season. In turn, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford have both been arranged to play at the highest level in attack, but they have not brought the expected effect and both do not possess the playing style of a true striker.
Therefore, the process of deploying Man Utd’s attack sometimes still has problems, and more importantly, a series of delicious opportunities have been continuously missed by attacking players. Therefore, it can be said that Ten Hag was completely right when he put all his efforts into the task of recruiting a central striker, and after many efforts, the Dutch strategist also completed this plan with a copy of the plan. blockbuster deal for Rasmus Hojlund.
Bright talents
Over the years, Man Utd has always seen a series of impressive performances from young players in the pre-season, such as the case of Alejandro Garnacho and Zidane Iqbal last year. And this year, it can be said that the stage belongs to Kobbie Mainoo, Facundo Pellistri, and Dan Gore, the most prominent names among the “jewels” that have been given the opportunity to play by Ten Hag.
Obviously, the most impressive is still Mainoo, who was praised by Ten Hag himself in a recent press conference. Unfortunately for Mainoo, however, he picked up an injury against Real Madrid and is expected to be sidelined for the first part of the new season. However, the opportunity to participate in the first team will certainly still come to Mainoo, because Ten Hag has decided to keep him at Old Trafford instead of accepting a loan deal.
It is easy to see that Facundo Pellistri has also improved significantly compared to last season, leaving a strong impression with a goal against Athletic Bilbao and directly helping Man Utd avoid ending the pre-season with a defeat. lose. Similar is Dan Gore, who always impresses on the pitch with his all-round defensive ability, but still needs to improve his passing ability.
Contrary to Mainoo, it is expected that Pellistri and Gore will leave Old Trafford on loan to gain experience and continue to develop themselves.
