Manchester United fans caught their first glimpse of new signing Tyrell Malacia in action as the youngster made his debut in the 4-0 pre-season friendly win against Liverpool.
The Red Devils supporters were made to wait to see their new man turn out in the red shirt after the 22-year-old was named on the bench, as Erik ten Hag fielded a strong starting XI to face Jurgen Klopp’s youthful Liverpool side at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand..
Ten Hag’s work with his squad on the training pitch appears to have worked wonders as his side looked sharp and comfortable in their 4-3-3 system. Jadon Sancho opened the scoring with a clinical finish inside the first 10 minutes before Fred’s delightful chip doubled their advantage. Anthony Martial then produced a similarly classy chip to beat Alisson Becker and make it 3-0, before Facundo Pellistri made sure of the win with a sweeping strike.
Malacia was introduced at the break as Ten Hag made wholesale changes to his squad - and Mirror Football looks at his first contribution on his debut and what we learned about the young defender.
Ten Hag prediction spot on
Ten Hag had been clear in what had convinced him to make Malacia his first signing at Old Trafford, speaking about how the ex-Feyenoord man checked the boxes as far as he was concerned.
“I think he’s the modern left-back or full-back," said the Reds manager. “He suits the profile [we were looking for] and most important from every full-back is that he closes the right area. He can also take part in the offensive side of our game, and he can do that really well. I think he will really contribute to the team.”
While his attacking instincts were somewhat stifled in his first quarter-hour of action due to Liverpool's domination after the break, he showed a willingness to cover ground and suffocate the space for Oxlade-Chamberlain on the right. And after the game, Malacia echoed his manager's comments, telling MUTV: "I'm very happy. It feels amazing to be here and wear this shirt. I hope to defend well, get some assists and give some energy to the team."
Defensive ability rated
Malacia's first contribution to the game came when he was tasked with blocking Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain with his body and succeeded in stopping the midfielder in his tracks. From that point on, he was heavily involved as Liverpool attempted to attack mainly down the right flank.
The pair continued their battle throughout the second half and Malacia showed impressive awareness and timing to execute a sliding challenge on the Englishman inside the penalty area. That earned him a round of applause from some sections of the ground as he settled into the game.
Playing alongside Alex Telles, who was deployed out of position as a centre-back, would provide a tricky test for the youngster. And while he is not the tallest of defenders, his energy shone through as he managed to keep the likes of Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez at bay.
Salah test
What better way of preparing yourself for Premier League is there than facing the winner of the Golden Boot last season? As Salah made his way onto the pitch on the hour mark, Malacia would have been glad to have the minutes under his belt to settle into the game.
The Egyptian is a direct runner with the ball and often tries to pick out his team-mates, so Malacia had to keep his eyes fixated on the winger in order to protect the clean sheet. And as the 30-year-old found his rhythm, the youngster found it a difficult test to contend with.
On two occasions, Salah and Nunez were allowed to ghost into the space he should have been occupying after Malacia struggled to track back towards his own goal. Fortunately, Telles was present on both occasions to provide cover, but it is one area where Malacia will know he can improve in the coming weeks. However, his last-ditch block on Salah will give him a massive boost in confidence - and a clean sheet to boot.
New philosophy
One noticebale trend in Malacia's game was his tendency to receive the ball under pressure, something Ten Hag would have encouraged, as he tries to implement his possession-based style at Old Trafford.
The Dutchman is keen to bring his successful blueprint of football that worked for five years at Ajax to United and Malacia is a keen guinea pig in helping test out the theory. Several times in the second half, he found himself in tight areas on the touchline.
And while United players of the past would have cleared their lines, Malacia intelligently found a way out that not only kept possession but looked easy on the eye. That would have pleased his manager, showing that the players - current and new - are buying into his philosophy.
