Manchester United will return back from their pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia unbeaten and in good spirits.
Though it can be always dangerous to read too much into pre-season friendlies, impressive wins over Liverpool, Melbourne Victory and Crystal Palace were followed by a 2-2 draw with Aston Villa on Saturday.
Erik ten Hag has got to work quickly to instil his own style of play and tactical principles on a side that lacked any sort of identity last season, while new signings Christian Eriksen and Lisandro Martinez will join up with the rest of his squad imminently.
Even though there is more business to do, with the pursuit of Frenkie de Jong threatening to last all summer, there have already been hints at what we can expect during the Ten Hag era.
Here, The Independent looks at some of the clues provided by United’s tour as to how Ten Hag will set his side up…
De Gea still in goal but playing more expansively
With the departure of Dean Henderson to Nottingham Forest on loan, the theory that David de Gea’s position could come into question under Ten Hag’s management has been thoroughly debunked. There is now no doubt that he will be starting between the sticks on the opening weekend of the season.
Still, De Gea’s limitations with the ball at his feet and his more traditional goalkeeping skill set in general have been a point of debate for several years now, and the question of if he can adjust to Ten Hag’s definition of a modern goalkeeper is still a relevant one.
Last season, De Gea was an average of 13.6 yards off his line while performing defensive actions, the deepest of any goalkeeper at the ‘big six’ clubs. Yet the early signs are that he is adapting and becoming less risk-averse, if some rare forays off his line to sweep up danger and more ambitious, long-range passes are anything to go by.
There are likely to be teething problems – Ten Hag did not appear to be too pleased with one of De Gea’s passing choices during the win over Crystal Palace – but given that there is plenty of work to do in other areas of the squad this summer, De Gea will retain his place and be asked to play more expansively.
Maguire on the right of the defence, Martinez on the left
Although United have been frustrated in their attempts to sign other priority targets in the summer market, Lisandro Martinez will arrive as the most expensive defender in the club’s history. An agreement worth €55m (£46.8m) plus €10m in add-ons was reached with Ajax last weekend, subject to him completing a medical.
Martinez’s versatility and experience of playing as a holding midfielder have been highlighted – as has his 5ft 9in height – yet Ten Hag has given a clear indication of where his new signing will play. “I analysed and United last year were quite vulnerable over the left part of the defence. He is left-footed and that is an advantage in possession but also in defending.”
Harry Maguire typically played on the left-hand side of United’s defence last season. While Ten Hag’s identification of a ‘vulnerability’ will chime with many and might be interpreted as bad news for Maguire, the United manager has shown faith in his captain by retaining him as skipper and reaffirming his first-choice status.
“I think he is [a first-choice player]. He’s proved it in the past but he also has to prove it in the present and in the future. He has played 46 times for England. Harry is really impressive and I expect a lot from him,” Ten Hag said. “There is also internal competition and that is what a club like United needs. You cannot win with 11 players. We need a squad.”
Anthony Martial has found form during pre-season
Where does that leave Raphael Varane? While a World Cup and four-time Champions League winner might expect to be a regular starter, the reality of Varane’s first season at United was that he was often unavailable, failing to make their Premier League matchday squads 13 times.
Victor Lindelof might fairly expect to be more than a fourth-choice. Eric Bailly and Phil Jones remain on the books too. Maguire appears to have his manager’s backing and can expect to start alongside Martinez for now but the competition behind them both is suddenly fierce. Ten Hag has options to choose from.
De Jong as the holding player but, if not, Fred
United’s pursuit of priority transfer target Frenkie de Jong appears no closer to conclusion, despite an agreement with Barcelona over the structure of a deal totalling €85m (£72.3m). The issue of his unpaid, deferred wages – believed to be worth at least £17m – is still a major obstacle.
Erik ten Hag has liked what he has seen from Fred in a holding role
