Barring an opening 33 minutes at the magnificent SoFi Stadium, which saw Rasmus Hojlund and Lenny Yoro both come on straight after injury, Manchester United’s pre-season has been full of positivity.
The upgrade of Carrington, early signings with an attempt to beat Real Madrid in the market, certainty about Erik Ten Hag’s future, new football structure and providing support on the American tour, the return of Ruud van Nistelrooy as coach…
It looked good, great, magnificent. The double injury has taken some of its shine off, and scans are due soon to provide clarity on the extent of the damage to Hojlund and Yoro.
United had to wait at least 24 hours for the swelling to go down before making any assessment.
Whatever the results, there is a determination not to be overwhelmed by negativity; not to become a crisis club. United feel they have done extensive work to establish their operational structure ahead of this summer window, to ensure there is a fresh approach to driving performance gains across the board, and to achieve immediate and long-term goals – the essence of the latter among them being to build a world-class stadium.
Ten Hag said the new procedures have made him feel good and he is feeling light and refreshed on tour. Following his talks with the new leadership team in Ibiza, where he emphasised that respect, open communication and professional etiquette must be followed, the manager and the football operations structure have gelled.
Dan Ashworth, Sir Dave Brailsford and Jason Wilcox have spent time in training sessions to make everyone feel more supported and build a stronger sense of togetherness. The relationship between Ten Hag and the trio, as well as chief executive Omar Berrada, is developing to very good effect in LA.
Now everyone is adopting the policy of ‘one club, one vision’.
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Dougie Critchley reveals how quickly Manchester United could move from Old Trafford to a 100,000 capacity stadium
Ten Hag was perhaps reluctant to let go of his former assistant Michel van der Gaag, but he felt a different dynamic was needed in the coaching staff.
Van Nistelrooy’s arrival was an immediate success for the team, and several players praised his impact and new approach during interviews with Sky Sports News.
Their attacking sessions have been very intense, but they are aimed at getting the players to react automatically to situations on the field with repeated drills. The focus is on passing through a compact opposition, countering successfully with minimal touches and adding variety to attacking methods.
René Heck has taken over most of Van der Gaag’s responsibilities, and the feedback is that he is easier to work with and has a more open demeanour.
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Sky Sports’ Melissa Reddy has an update from California as Manchester United await news on injuries to Rasmus Hojlund and Lenny Yoro
Goalkeeping coach Jelle ten Roovelaar’s sessions, like Van Nistelrooy’s, are designed to improve cognitive function and get players used to certainty and automatic decision-making.
Aside from the backroom staff, the recruitment has also felt different; more front foot and less passive. One example was with Yoro. In the recent past, United would have thought it unwise to challenge Real for such a prospect.
By and large, they have stayed away from deals that would have been very difficult to negotiate, such as buying Harry Kane from Tottenham – even though that would have made a huge difference.
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Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag said the club is still trying to bring in more players during the summer transfer window
While United still need to make some changes to the way they do business, they are not sitting idly on standby. A number of deals have already been made should United need to move – such as with Bayern Munich’s Noussair Mazraoui, which is a departure from the norm. They are not stuck in sub-optimal situations because they can’t replace players.
On that note, United have finally started selling well. Massive buy-backs, less stringency on valuations if wins can be secured differently in a deal, and acting on reason rather than emotion make the process even better.
United are adding new players to the squad to create a new dynamic in the team: for example, Mazraoui is the opposite of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who likes to play one-on-one and Ten Hag’s football, which is too defensive.
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Melissa Reddy explains why Manchester United want to sign Noussair Mazrawi from Bayern Munich
There are still some puzzles to solve in team building, but United are confident they will do things in a more sensible and sustainable way.
The players have been a mix of determined and composed on the tour, with most players reiterating the message that they want to emulate a winning performance in the FA Cup Final.
The approach has been praised in training and leisure time has been spent playing golf, shopping on Rodeo Drive, or sunbathing on the beach.
Kobi Manu is still on vacation, but he couldn’t resist himself. He was spotted playing football with kids at Venice Beach.
Ten Hag spoke to Yoro during the game against Arsenal
The team hopes changes to medical and conditioning personnel and drills will pay off. Two first-half injuries against Arsenal will prompt rolling eyes and a flood of memes, but the procedures have not been in place for a long time and must be evaluated over time.
This system has drawn criticism from some individuals, but as one source said: “Anyone who thinks injuries are the fault of a physio or a doctor understands nothing about body mechanics, loads and, even going into the technical details, how much time and effort the conditioning staff put into keeping players in the best possible shape. They spend more time doing this than they do with their families.”
Now they are hoping for the best possible outcome from those scan results.
Man United 2024/25 fixtures: Ten Hag starts against Fulham, live on Sky
Manchester United will kick off their 2024/25 Premier League season with a home match against Fulham, broadcast live on Sky Sports, and will face Liverpool in the opening month of the season.
The first match of the new campaign will be played on Friday 16 August, kick-off at 8pm.
This will be followed by a visit to United Brighton ahead of the first big derby of the season at home liverpool on Sunday 1 September.
The reverse match will be played at Anfield on 4 January in early 2025.
Fans will have to wait until December for the first Manchester derby of the season. Manchester City The second match will be played at Old Trafford on April 5.
Manchester United team will visit here on Boxing Day. WolvesAnd they will finish the 2024/25 campaign at home Aston Villa On 25th May.
