Calum Chambers’ stoppage-time goal ensured Manchester United wouldn’t fly home from their pre-season tour with a perfect record.
After thrashing Liverpool, Melbourne Victory and Crystal Palace, the Red Devils were minutes away from victory over Aston Villa in Perth. Having led 2-0 Erik ten Hag’s side were in full control, but conceded twice after the break, including Chambers’ late, late show.
It was a minor blot on what has been an encouraging start to Ten Hag’s tenure as United boss. Having come in following the club’s worst ever Premier League campaign, any shoots of positivity were likely to be clung on to, but there have been real causes for early optimism.
Ten Hag now has two weeks until the competitive stuff starts when they host Brighton on the opening weekend of the new season. Before that, there are back-to-back friendlies against Atletico Madrid and Rayo Vallecano, where the Dutchman can make his final adjustments.
So with United flying back to the United Kingdom and returning to the confines of their Carrington training base, Mirror Football has taken a look at some of the things the new manager will have learned about his new charges.
Sancho and Dalot partnership one to watch
Jadon Sancho is arguably the biggest success story of the summer so far. After a tricky first season, which saw him fail to reach the standards he set at Borussia Dortmund, the England international looks like a player reborn under Ten Hag.
He flies back to Manchester with three goals and some much needed confidence under his belt. And his flourishing partnership with Diogo Dalot has offered fans a tantalising glimpse at the plan of attack under Ten Hag.
Whilst there is still work to do on the opposite side of the pitch, the Dalot/Sancho axis appears to be in fine working order. The manager publicly praised the duo and they appear to have the makings of something very exciting.
Anthony Martial still has something to offer
Before the pre-season programme started, the prospect of Martial remaining with the team past the end of the window looked unlikely. But like Sancho, the Frenchman has appeared revitalised in the new setup.
His pressing and work rate - areas which have constantly come in for criticism during his seven years at United - have been particularly impressive. Such has been the turnaround, it’s now unlikely a move will be sanctioned and he will have the chance to rebuild his reputation which had become so damaged.
Should Cristiano Ronaldo return to the line-up, his opportunities could be limited, but until that point he has proven an able deputy. Speaking of which…
There is life without Ronaldo
How refreshing it must have been that Ten Hag could focus on the players that were actually on the field - rather than the one who is yet to appear this summer. Ronaldo’s decision to not fly out on tour - made on the grounds of a personal issue - was excused by the manager, but the speculation surrounding his future must be becoming exhausting.
United’s squad, which had become so fractured under Ralf Rangnick, showed signs of togetherness and perhaps more importantly, showed signs of a more fluid attacking style. This is not to say United should simply cut their losses on the 37-year-old. Even with his advancing years he is still a goalscoring supremo and almost single-handedly ensured last season didn’t quite reach the catastrophic levels it could have.
But United have proven that they are a more than capable attacking unit without the Portuguese icon. And if his presence was to detract from the good work done by the new regime, there is evidence they could move on without him.
Question marks over the defence remain
For all of the positivity, the late Villa goal did show that some familiar problems remain. United conceded 57 times last season, more than all-but one team in the top half.
And while Harry Maguire has enjoyed a solid couple of weeks, some of the options around him have struggled. Raphael Varane suffered yet another injury and discussions over whether Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly are good enough should now be consigned to managers past.
Lisandro Martinez’s introduction and how he is integrated into the team will be fascinating, with Ten Hag insisting he has been signed to ‘improve the team and not the squad’. Will that mean Varane is battling for a starting berth? Or will the Argentine instead become a screen for the back four? Either way, there are issues to be ironed out, particularly with a contest against a Brighton side which plundered four past them last season, waiting in the wings.
Players are buying into his methods
After months of training ground leaks, public scorn and coaching credentials being questioned, the mood at United has significantly changed. Both Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Rangnick had their methods criticised, with the latter facing a dressing room revolt over his choice of assistants and quality of sessions.
The early weeks of Ten Hag’s reign have instead been punctuated by players falling over themselves to praise his impact. Player after player has gone on record to discuss the seismic change the new man in change has already made.
Amidst the praise, there have been some particularly damning insights into his predecessors, but for now at least, there have been nothing but glowing reports for the former Ajax tactician.
