Manchester United put in a commanding performance vs Real Betis in a 3-2 win where the scoreline didn’t do justice to the game.
Amad was the star of the show, having a hand in all three goals and probably sealing his starting place for the competitive fixtures beginning on August 10.
Harry Amass also put forward his claim to being United’s genuine backup left-back option, while Casemiro’s form will soothe United a bit.
Marcus Rashford’s injury is likely to put a small dampener on things, provided it’s not that serious, but one player who flew under the radar could be set to save United millions in the market.
Erik ten Hag’s pre-season experiment 2.0
It’s the summer of 2023. United are back for pre-season after a great first season under Erik ten Hag where they got back to winning trophies.
Players have returned full of energy and the manager is keen to put into action another layer of his philosophy on the squad that hasn’t been decimated by injuries (yet).
There is hope but frustration as Rasmus Hojlund’s transfer saga keeps stretching so in the absence of a natural center-forward, Ten Hag tries something out of the left field.
Jadon Sancho plays, and impresses, in multiple pre-season games as a false 9, linking up well with his teammates, with his touch in close quarters looking perfectly suited for the role.
Of course, that train would get derailed quite quickly in spectacular fashion once the season began as he fell out with the manager.
Fast forward to the present and in the absence of Rasmus Hojlund, this time due to injury, Ten Hag repeated his experiment from the last pre-season.
Sancho played as a false 9 again and a strikerless United side thrived against Betis, as the attackers ran the opponents ragged with their movement and link-up.
Sancho didn’t get on the scoresheet himself but his general play was full of invention and enterprise, as he stitched the midfield and attack expertly and thrived with players moving off the ball around him.
Far from being sold for a huge loss this summer, Sancho’s reintegration can potentially save United millions in the market, especially if he keeps up this form.
Hojlund has shown that while he is a player of elite talent, his minutes need to be managed if he is to play at his best for a long time.
Joshua Zirkzee has strengthened the attacking numbers and his injury record is great too, but United need more with so many games in a season.
If Sancho can show he is a genuine option for that position in the odd game or two, it saves United from buying another striker, even more since the club has an exciting youth crop strengthened by the addition of Chido Obi-Martin.
Buying another striker would hinder their development so Sancho being able to work as a makeshift solution helps United get through the season, frees up the clog on the wings, and accelerates youngsters’ development.
It is an experiment worth persisting with. Just no fallout this season, please!
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