Iqbal shines again
There's often one youngster who takes a big step forward on pre-season tours and for Manchester United at the moment it looks like Zidane Iqbal is that player.
It might have been expected that James Garner, Hannibal Mejbri or Alejandro Garnacho would have been the standout youngsters in Thailand and Australia, but none of that trio has had a kick so far.
Garner was absent from the squad for the second game in a row as he battles a minor injury, while Mejbri and Garnacho have been unused substitutes against Liverpool and Melbourne Victory.
READ MORE: United player ratings vs Melbourne Victory
Iqbal, 19, has come on at half-time in both fixtures, however, and looked at home. He has operated in a deeper midfield role in the two games and has looked assured in possession. He has a game that is very neat and composed.
If Frenkie de Jong finally arrives from Barcelona it will push Iqbal down the pecking order, but he might still have a part to play this season. Erik ten Hag showed at Ajax that he has faith in homegrown academy products.
Garner was expected to get a chance during this tour to prove his own credentials for a similar role, but his absence must be frustrating and at the moment it is Iqbal who is shining in midfield.
Attacking full-backs
Luke Shaw was caught up the pitch in a defensive situation for the Victory goal, but when United had the ball both Shaw and Diogo Dalot again took up very high positions, often helping to form a front five.
It's clear Ten Hag wants his full-backs to be a lot more attacking and they are both expected to play an active role going forward. It spells bad news for Aaron Wan-Bissaka and it's no surprise United are looking at signing a right-back. It was also interesting that Ethan Laird came on in that position rather than Wan-Bissaka for the second half.
Shaw was impressive as a more attacking left-back two years ago and Dalot's strength is certainly in the final third, as he showed with the run and cross to help create Anthony Martial's goal on the stroke of half-time. That also came after a rotating triangle between Fred, Bruno Fernandes and Jadon Sancho that eventually led to a passing angle to play Dalot in down the right.
Interestingly, the full-backs are not just staying wide either. They are being encouraged to come infield, either to midfield positions or making final-third runs between the winger and the centre forward.
Pressing issues
United's press looked a lot sharper against Liverpool in Bangkok, but there were warning signs in that game. On a couple of occasions, Liverpool played through it and enjoyed dangerous attacks which they failed to take advantage of.
Melbourne Victory made no mistake when they got a chance. Shaw was forced to try and win the ball back midway through the Victory half and when he was bypassed United were immediately in trouble. Ben Folami got the run on Victor Lindelof and Chris Ikonomidis was ahead of Harry Maguire in the centre to finish.
When the press failed against Liverpool, United were often left defending two v two or three v three and that is a dangerous position to be in. The same thing happened against the A-League side here and while the press has improved under Ten Hag, this was evidence that there is still work to do.
Rashford's challenge
Two of the three changes Ten Hag made for the game against Victory were enforced, with David de Gea and Raphael Varane carrying knocks, but Marcus Rashford was dropped to the bench and while it is only a pre-season friendly he might well have been disappointed to be the only player out of the side.
Rashford's 45 minutes against Liverpool in Bangkok was pretty inconsistent and he was the weakest player in that front three. He should have benefited from a summer off and an early return to pre-season training but it's been a slow start to the games.
This is clearly a defining season for Rashford and he might be a little nervy at seemingly already having a fight on his hands to keep his place. His absence from the starting XI might have been understandable had he come on at centre forward in the second half, but he was on the left again and looks like he has a battle with Anthony Elanga for that role.
The good news for Rashford is that he looked sharper than Elanga in this game and took his goal well. If these two halves were an audition for both players then it is Rashford who should be happier.
The enigma of Bailly
Most United fans have long given up trying to understand Eric Bailly but in tour games in Bangkok and Melbourne, he has shown why he is such a confounding centre-back.
He had a very good second half against Liverpool and even created a goal by stepping out of defence and driving forward, before playing a perfectly weighted through ball. He repeated that trick in Melbourne, taking the ball around his man before playing in Rashford, who finished well.
But he was far less sound defensively and twice lost possession to set up dangerous attacks for Victory. It's that kind of loose defending that can prove costly.
With Lisandro Martinez on the way from Ajax the competition is about to increase for Bailly, who fell out of flavour dramatically in the second half of last season. He could soon be the fifth-choice centre back and that is unlikely to appeal to him, but it's difficult to see him forcing his way into the side.
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