Manchester United has just concluded its pre-season tour with a disappointing record (2 wins and 3 losses). This is the worst performance since the 2018-2019 season, when Jose Mourinho was still in charge of the club. The Red Devils ended their tour with a crushing defeat to Liverpool and only managed to win one of six matches.
In addition to the poor record, the team suffered a significant loss of players due to injuries to Rasmus Hojlund and Leny Yoro. Furthermore, the defeats exposed several weaknesses and shortcomings, which may indicate a difficult season ahead for Erik ten Hag at Man United.
After a record-breaking season for most conceded goals, the defense remains the biggest concern for the team at Old Trafford. Leny Yoro's initial performance seemed to please the fans, but he suffered a broken ankle in his first match and will be out until November. A broken ankle is one of the worst injuries a defender would want to suffer. Lisandro Martinez also suffered a similar injury in April 2023 and had to undergo surgery for the second time in September 2023.
The injury to the new French player is a headache for Erik ten Hag ahead of the new season, as Harry Maguire, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Jonny Evans, and Victor Lindelof are all struggling with fitness issues. This means Martinez is the only defender fit enough to start in the upcoming English Super Cup final.
In the midfield, Casemiro's decline in form continues to be a major concern for Man United. Despite wearing the captain's armband, the Brazilian midfielder is consistently one of the worst performers in each match. According to Goal, Casemiro is slow and struggles to keep up with the pace of the game.
In the context of Kobbie Mainoo's steady improvement after his impressive performance at the 2024 EURO, M.U needs to quickly find a more dynamic midfielder to partner with the young English player. Manuel Ugarte is one of the targets being considered by the Man United leadership. However, the transfer deal has fallen through due to the club's refusal to meet PSG's demand of over 60 million euros.
The injury to Rasmus Hojlund has also significantly weakened the team's attack. The Danish striker struggled throughout his first season, scoring only 16 goals across all competitions. When Hojlund was absent in February 2024, Man United immediately struggled and lost to Fulham at Old Trafford.
In addition, new signing Joshua Zirkzee has not yet trained with his new teammates and needs time to adapt. According to Goal, Jadon Sancho is likely to continue playing as the "ghost striker" in the upcoming English Super Cup final against Manchester City. This is the same position Sancho struggled with during the pre-season tour against Real Betis and Liverpool.
The only positive note from Man United's pre-season is Marcus Rashford's performance, with 1 goal and 1 assist against Real Betis. The English winger is expected to make a strong comeback after a disappointing 2023-2024 season. Amad Diallo also showed improvement with 2 goals, promising to become a rival to Antony on the right flank.
It would be premature to evaluate Man United's performance in the 2024-2025 season based on their results in the US. However, the weaknesses and shortcomings exposed by the defeats will likely be a harbinger of a challenging season ahead for Erik ten Hag at Man United.
