Man United just beat Leeds on penalties in a friendly match on the morning of August 13 (Vietnam time) in Ireland. In 90 minutes of official play, the two teams drew 1-1.
The scorer for the "Red Devils" is Joshua Zirkzee. That is also the team's 9th goal in the summer tour after 5 matches, a fairly good performance. What is even more surprising is that Man United's attack is missing center-forward Benjamin Sesko in the context that none of the rest are remembered for this role.
Although he has gathered with the whole team in Ireland, Sesko has not been able to play because he is still practicing to recover from a calf injury sustained at the end of last season. There have been concerns that Sesko will not be able to return in time for the Premier League opening match against Hull City when he has not been accurately scheduled for complete recovery.
Under Carrick last season, Sesko scored 11 goals, including 9 goals scored after January 1. 2026. The Slovenian striker scored many important goals in the second half of last season, contributing to helping Man United finish in 3rd place. However, he has not played since the last match on May 5.
Not having Sesko in the pre-season period is a disadvantage for Man United, but that does not mean the team falls into a state of imbalance. Throughout the friendly matches that have passed and since the end of last season, Bryan Mbeumo has been assigned this responsibility. The Cameroonian striker played center forward in friendly matches with Atletico, PSG, Leeds with Patrick Dorgu and Amad Diallo on both wings. Mbeumo has 3 goals and 1 assist in these 3 matches!
Carrick using Mbeumo in the center forward position is not strange because as soon as he took over the team, in the victories against Man City and Arsenal last season, this happened. However, the way the attack is operated with Mbeumo as a factor at this time is what is worth discussing. Last season, there were matches where Mbeumo played very well, but because he had to rotate too many roles in each match, his ability to coordinate with his teammates was not smooth.
Sesko and Mbeumo have different characteristics: Sesko is strong in aerial combat, suitable for set pieces and receiving crosses. Meanwhile, Mbeumo is good at holding the ball, more dangerous when playing on the wing and experienced in coordination and linking with teammates.
Adapting to those changes takes time, especially for a player like Mbeumo. The versatility of positions makes him tend to drift to the wing or retreat deep, swapping positions right in the match with teammates playing on the wing.
That flexibility, if lacking in harmony, can lead to clumsy situations. The coordination and confidence of the attacking stars is what Carrick is trying to build in the pre-season period.
Patrick Dorgu's rather long absence in the second half of last season means that this is a rare time Mbeumo has the opportunity to coordinate with Dorgu (in the role of left winger). The connection between him and Amad is also increasingly flourishing as the Ivory Coast international is regaining confidence.
The attacking quartet including Amad, Dorgu, Mbeumo and Zirkzee showed impressive coordination in the match against Leeds. Zirkzee (number 10) had more touches in the opponent's penalty area than Mbeumo (number 9). Or the fact that Amad (right wing) launched more shots than Mbeumo clearly demonstrated their effective positioning ability.
The mutual understanding between the attacking quartet was also clearly shown even when Man United did not hold the ball. They were asked to press high in the first half, thereby creating a 4-2-4 formation with very little defensive support from the midfield. This was a risky approach, but when all 4 players pressed synchronously, this tactic was effective and brought Man United periods of overwhelming control of the game.
Man United is showing signs of improvement in attack in terms of diversity, but remember that this is only a friendly phase with low intensity, and the nature of the matches is not important. When entering the official season with harsh playgrounds like the Premier League or Champions League, it is not certain that letting Mbeumo play instead of Sesko regularly is a good strategy.
This is just a test phase, but when there are such good signals, Carrick can also be more confident as the new season is approaching, despite the fact that Man United may not have any more new players in attack.
