We can barely see that on His face yesterday that Ten Hag is not treating Him well,I felt for Him though because He snub big clubs for Man United Now He is getting the harsh treatment that He deserves”, Former Chelsea manager Pochettino says Ten Hag is really treating £50m badly after the player emotional reaction yesterday during Rangers win
Manchester United won their second pre-season friendly of the summer 2-0 against Rangers on Saturday.
The Reds were defeated 1-0 by Rosenborg in Norway in their opening pre-season clash and there was a sell-out crowd at Murrayfield to watch this weekend’s game against Rangers.
United last met Rangers in the Champions League group stage in November 2010 but this game was an opportunity for both sides to gain fitness ahead of the new campaign.
It was also a chance for United fans to get a first glimpse of new signing Leny Yoro, who made his first start for the club since signing from Lille in a deal worth €70m.
Jadon Sancho made the starting team with Yoro, marking his first start for the club since August 26, and here are the talking points from Murrayfield…
Yoro makes his debut
United confirmed Yoro would immediately join up with the squad when his transfer was confirmed on Thursday, which teased the possibility of a first appearance against Rangers.
Yoro’s arrival has given supporters something to be excited about and he was enthusiastically applauded when emerging to warm up before the game. United believe Yoro can become one of the best defenders in the world and the first page of his story in Manchester was written in Edinburgh, albeit he only played the opening 45 minutes of the contest.
It’s important that Yoro gets minutes into his legs this summer to give himself the best chance of succeeding in his debut season – playing in central defence in the Premier League aged 18 won’t be easy, but he looked composed and at home from his first touch of the ball.
The only blemish on Yoro’s first-half performance was a stray pass to Toby Collyer but the midfielder wasn’t blameless, and he recovered well to thwart the danger.
Whether Yoro starts in central defence against Fulham on the opening day of the season remains to be seen. He possesses the stature to be a success in the Premier League and when he physically matures further, he should have the attributes to be an outstanding signing.
Sancho officially returns
Before starting against Rangers, Jadon Sancho last played in a United shirt 329 days ago when he came off the bench against Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford in August.
Sancho was welcomed back into the squad earlier this month after his fallout with Ten Hag and started on the left wing, which is his preferred position, at Murrayfield.
Although United should have known Sancho preferred the left when he was at Borussia Dortmund, he was still brought to the club in 2021 to feature on the opposite wing. The chopping and changing of Sancho’s position has exacerbated his regression but he hasn’t been good enough to start each game on the left, so can only blame himself for failing to nail down that spot.
Ten Hag has opened the door for Sancho to return and, while a permanent sale is still the best option for all parties, he impressed with a few sharp touches against Rangers.
There were no boos for Sancho, which was interesting considering Harry Maguire was jeered during pre-season in 2021, and how he’s received at Old Trafford against Fulham, providing he isn’t sold this summer, will be fascinating because it could be a different story.
Casemiro frustrated with himself
Casemiro wore the captain’s armband against Rangers, just as he did against Rosenborg, but there haven’t been signs to suggest he’s arrested his decline from last season.
The Brazilian’s struggles were well-documented and his performance against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park was the lowest point of his time at the club. The obvious caveat to that horror show was Casemiro was playing out of position but he’s also unconvinced in midfield.
Unfortunately, Casemiro’s body isn’t allowing him to perform how he did previously and there were visible signs of frustration when he misplaced a pass in the first half.
Casemiro attempted to find Aaron Wan-Bissaka on the right, but what should have been a simple pass was overhit. The 32-year-old reacted by falling to his knees and burying his head into his hands and it’s a shame to see the powers of a modern great diminish.
United must find a replacement for Casemiro before the summer transfer window closes and his departure would offset the purchase of his successor.
Amad makes his mark
Amad ended last season by starting the final three Premier League games and he impressed at a time when Ten Hag was under immense pressure as manager.
The youngster’s momentum hasn’t been halted by the summer break and he was United’s best player in the opening 45 minutes, looking bright, proactive and most likely to create something.
Amad was a constant threat on the right wing and his endeavour was rewarded when he cut inside, created a yard of space and brilliantly found the bottom left corner. He successfully made his mark in his first pre-season appearance and there should be more to come.
Wan-Bissaka’s poor cross
Whether you can judge a player on what they do in a warm-up is questionable, but some believe you should practice like you intend to play and there was a bad omen for Wan-Bissaka before kick-off when he overhit a simple cross that should have been planted on his teammate’s head.
Wan-Bissaka isn’t known for his attacking quality and that summed up what he offers in those scenarios. He has entered the final year of his contract and should be sold this summer.
United paid £50m to sign Wan-Bissaka from Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021 and this window is the last opportunity to recoup a reasonable amount of that investment.
