United stumble again to Spanish opposition despite youngsters sparkling - match report

Manchester United faced off against Spanish opposition Rayo Vallecano at Old Trafford just a day after their defeat against Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid.

Erik ten Hag fielded a starting eleven composed mainly of youngsters with a few first-team players. The most conspicuous addition to the team was disgruntled striker Cristiano Ronaldo, who started for the first time under the new manager in United’s final pre-season game ahead of the new season.

New signing Lisandro Martinez was also in the starting lineup with Christian Eriksen, with the duo making their unofficial bow in front of the Old Trafford faithful.

The Red Devils fielded a much-changed starting eleven consisting of Tom Heaton in goal in place of David de Gea, Ethan Laird, and Alex Telles in the wing-back positions, and team captain Raphael Varane forming the center-back pairing with Martinez. James Garner, Donny Van de Beek, and Eriksen formed the midfield trio.

Ronaldo led the line for the team, with academy stars Tahith Chong and Alejandro Garnacho on either side of the Portuguese captain.

Vallecano forced Heaton into an early save 10 seconds into the game with the Spanish team fashioning a chance that curved the United team wide open. With a frantic start to the game, United looked clumsy in possession, contrary to their displays in Bangkok, Australia, and Oslo.

Ronaldo came close to breaking the deadlock in the eleventh minute, receiving a Van de Beek ball inside the box, who played him through, but the star man could only blaze it wildly over the bar. Three minutes later, the standout performer of the first half, Garnacho, cleverly laid the ball into the path of Chong whose weak shot was easily saved by the Vallecano goalkeeper.

Eriksen nearly opened his United account after half an hour when the ball fell nicely for him, but his shot was deflected just wide of the post. Garnacho skillfully skipped past a few Vallecano players just before the break before teeing up Chong again, who fluffed his lines, bending his shot high and wide. The first 45, like yesterday against the Los Colchoneros, ended in a 0-0 stalemate.

The only change of the second half was Amad Diallo who came in for Ronaldo. The Ivorian youngster wasted no time, immediately putting United in the lead in the 47th minute converting a Telles shot from distance that was spilled by the opposition goalkeeper.

The Spanish side leveled the score ten minutes later through Alvaro Garcia. Telles allowed his man to advance and fire a shot which was saved by Heaton who could only push it to the waiting Garcia for a rebound. The manager responded by bringing on Hannibal Mejbri and Eric Bailly for Eriksen and Martinez who oozed calm and finesse on his Old Trafford debut.

Shola Shoretire and Zidane Iqbal came on for Garner and the impressive Garnacho, who got a nod of approval from his manager on his way to the bench. The young Argentine’s display made for a man-of-the-match award. Iqbal came close to putting United in the lead again but his effort came an inch wide.

17-year-old Isak Hansen-Aaroen, who has been training with the first team, came on for Chong and was immediately involved, seeing a powerfully driven shot blocked and almost setting up Telles for a second goal.

United’s final game of the pre-season ahead of the 2022/2023 season ended in a 1-1 draw.

The post Manchester United 1 – 1 Rayo Vallecano – match report appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Three things we learnt as United's youngsters dominate vs Rayo Vallecano

Erik ten Hag took charge of the final friendly match of pre-season as Manchester United drew with Rayo Vallecano 1-1 at Old Trafford.

It’s just under a week until the Red Devils face Brighton in the Premier League with this extra match being an opportunity for youngsters and fringe players to impress.

It also looks likely that this match will be used to sell any players who don’t fit under Erik Ten Hag’s plans or loan out youngsters who need time to develop.

Here are three things we learned from the match:

United have little to no depth at right back

It was clear to see from the first kick of the game that our options at right-back lack quality or experience.

Ethan Laird played in this position during the opening half of the match with Aaron Wan-Bissaka missing out on the squad.

It’s widely reported that both players will be leaving on loan and permanent transfer.

This will just leave Diogo Dalot as the only recognised right-back in the squad.

Brandon Williams has previous experience in this role but prefers to play at left-back.

It is clear to see from the final friendly fixture that Erik ten Hag needs to bring in another right-back before the transfer window closes at the end of next month.

An impressive debut for Lisandro Martinez

In what has been a pre-season full of different selections at centre-back, it’s starting to feel like we’re seeing the potential partnerships going forwards.

The Argentine who recently joined the club from Ajax put his stamp on the game and worked brilliantly next to Raphael Varane in the first half.

The 24-year-old looked composed on the ball throughout the match and didn’t put a foot wrong against a weak Spanish side.

He was replaced 60 minutes into the match with a quality first performance in Man United colours.

Youngsters continue to impress

Similar to the opening friendly fixture against Liverpool, the youngsters continued to impress as they decide their future with Ten Hag during the closing weeks of the transfer window.

Today’s players to impress include Alejandro Garnacho, who was very pacy in the attack with excellent runs to outpace Rayo Vallecano.

Despite the yellow card, James Garner also had a standout performance, protecting the back line in a defensive midfielder role.

Laird grew into the game after a difficult first half-performance but a loan move to Watford is on the cards for the youngster.

Isak Hansen-Aarøen joined in with the fun in the final five minutes of the match marking his first ever appearance for the senior team after an impressive time in the academy.

It’s now expected that Ten Hag will decide which players go out on loan or leave permanently as the pre-season campaign draws to a close.

The post Three things we learnt from Manchester United’s 1-1 draw vs Rayo Vallecano appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Ten Hag must keep this wonderkid at Old Trafford following breathtaking display

Manchester United took on Rayo Vallecano at Old Trafford this afternoon just over 24 hours after playing Atletico Madrid in Oslo, giving Erik ten Hag a chance to test out some of the younger players at the club.

Among them was Alejandro Garnacho, who lined up on the left wing.

The Argentine was lively in the early stages, getting on the ball and demonstrating his love for a shot as he cut inside onto his right foot on a couple of occasions.

He later initiated a counterattack by dribbling through the middle, before holding off his marker to release the ball unselfishly into Cristiano Ronaldo’s stride.

His ability to glide into the penalty area with the ball was a constant threat to Rayo throughout the first half, with the youngster showing no signs of being overawed by a packed Old Trafford.

Garnacho’s dribbles often began with the player himself winning the ball high up the pitch, and such an instance put a chance on a plate for Tahith Chong before the stroke of half time.

He was at it again in the first minute of the second half, twisting and turning to win a corner, which was claimed by the keeper, although the resulting turnover led to an Amad tap-in.

Withdrawn on the 72nd minute, the youngster enjoyed well-earned applause as he went off.

The MUTV commentary team went so far as to argue that his first half performance could give Ten Hag second thoughts regarding his squad selection against Brighton and Hove Albion next week, with his willingness to take people on a potential means to liven up a game from the bench.

While that might be a step too far, his performance will certainly have impressed the new manager.

Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, and Anthony Elanga are set to be the preferred wide options this season, with United in the market for another forward.

But if Garnacho can keep up this level of performance, he won’t be waiting too long for his first Premier League start.

The post Alejandro Garnacho impresses against Rayo Vallecano appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

This young star is the new king of Old Trafford - player ratings

Manchester United drew 1-1 with Rayo Vallecano at Old Trafford today in the final pre-season friendly. Here are our player ratings for the game:

(A score of 6 is around average.)

Tom Heaton 7.5 – Brilliant save in the opening seconds, great concentration from the off. Very safe pair of hands. Made good save but couldn’t prevent the goal in the second.

Ethan Laird 5.5 – Caught out in that break from kick off, improved as the game went on but then was caught napping for the Rayo goal.

Raphael Varane 7.5 – Looked comfortable and confident.

Lisandro Martinez 7.5 – Impressive debut. The partnership with Varane looks as if they have played together for years.

Alex Telles 5 – Poor on the goal and didn’t get up to join the attacks enough.

James Garner 7.5 – A good audition from Garner. He protected his defence very well and distributed the ball efficiently. Could be a very useful squad member this season. Arguably an upgrade on McTominay on this form.

Christian Eriksen 7 – A couple of visionary passes. Looked really bright.

Donny van de Beek/strong> 7 – Good performance from Donny, the best for a while. Still not setting the world on fire. but at least now he’s got a box of matches. Shot from free kick was, well, not good.

Tahith Chong 3 – Really disappointing from Chong. Poor decision making and wasteful finishing. With one year left on his contract, United might be wise to try to get a couple of million for him now rather than send him out on loan again.

Cristiano Ronaldo 6 – What was that strange passing thing he did with Garner?

Alejandro Garnacho 8.5 – Brilliant from the youngster. What talent and what confidence. Could be United’s secret weapon this season.

Substitutes

Amad Diallo 7.5 – Played very well and took his goal well.

Hannibal 6 – Did OK, no fireworks.

Eric Bailly 6 – Did OK.

Zidane Iqbal 7 – Looked lively and confident. Sublime skills.

Shola Shoretire 6 – Did OK.

Isak Hansen-Aaroen 6 – Did not have time to make an impact, although did nearly score with his first touch.

The post Player ratings: Man United 1-1 Rayo Vallecano – Alejandro Garnacho steals the show appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Confirmed United XI vs Rayo Vallecano: Ronaldo and Martinez to start

Manchester United see the return of Cristiano Ronaldo to the starting lineup for today’s friendly against Rayo Vallecano.

📋 Presenting today's team news…#MUFC

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) July 31, 2022

More to follow …

The post Cristiano Ronaldo and Lisandro Martinez start for Man United vs Rayo Vallecano appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Ronaldo must change this quickly if he wants Champions League football again - opinion

Manchester United face Rayo Vallecano today and have an opportunity to experiment with players yet to feature prominently in preseason.

The most high-profile of those players is obviously Cristiano Ronaldo.

Should he fail to get his move to a Champions League club in this window and stave off full transformation into a cringe-monster after declaring himself “King” ahead of the match, how Erik ten Hag uses the striker will be interesting for the coming season.

In his first interview as United’s new manager, Ten Hag gave a curt response when asked what Ronaldo would bring to the team: “Goals.”

At face value, this could be taken to simply be an assessment of the player’s otherworldly consistency in finding the back of the net.

However looking at his last season, it would be reasonable to expect that Ronaldo’s new boss harboured intentions of adapting his game to maximise his output.

The Portugal captain was actually playing in a lone striker role for the first time in his club career last season, and his habit of searching for ball wide and deep arguably made him far less effective as a goalscoring centre forward.

Indeed, in scoring only 18 goals, Ronaldo actually had his worst league campaign in over a decade.

In his previous teams, he has benefitted from playing alongside hard-working centre forwards with good link-up play, from Alvaro Morata and Mario Mandžukić to Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez.

His most successful goalscoring spell came with the fantastic Karim Benzema doing the centre-forward things for him, while he was deployed as a sort of roaming poacher.

Ten Hag has shown no signs of shifting to a front two and he most certainly does not have the options in the squad that would allow for such a formation change.

That means that Ronaldo (if he’s still around) will still be playing as a lone striker, but that does not mean he should go about it in the same way as last season.

In his absence, United have shown early signs of becoming a side far more comfortable in possession than they previously have been.

That could lessen the need for a centre forward to be so heavily involved in build-up play, which would allow Ronaldo to focus almost solely on getting himself into goalscoring positions, with the team now possessing the technical quality (read: Christian Eriksen) needed to find him there.

Should he remain a Red Devil, Ronaldo must be willing to change something about his game to stand a chance at being a major player in the Champions League in 2023/24, be that at Old Trafford or elsewhere.

Against Rayo Vallecano, we will see if such a will exists – if it doesn’t, Ronaldo’s last ever Champions League goal could well have already happened a November ago.

The post Manchester United vs Rayo Vallecano: Cristiano Ronaldo’s role appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Late goal sees Manchester United XI defeated by non-league opposition

Manchester United’s u21s rounded out their pre-season preparations with another test against senior opposition in local side Altrincham.

The first chance of the match fell to Altrincham when Marc Jurado cut out the cross but his header could only find Altrincham’s Toby Mullarkey, whose attempt flashed wide.

After a shaky start, United began to find their feet with some slick passing and possession retention but could not find the final gaps to test former United academy keeper Ollie Byrne.

Altrincham responded with a flurry of shots but Dermot Mee was up to the test with some strong saves.

Kobbie Mainoo looked to create the match opener in the 14th minute with a skilful run through the middle but Byrne was out quick to cut off the angles and save the midfielder’s attempt.

A back and forth affair, both sides came close in the latter stages of the first half. United first came close when Mainoo slipped through Omari Forson, whose shot was parried into the path of Mateo Mejia, but the Spaniard couldn’t redirect his shot onto target.

Mee was then called into action to stop Lewis Baines’ towering header at the back post from a corner.

But the biggest chance of the half came in injury time as Mejia sprinted in behind the backline and was through in on goal with only the keeper to beat but Byrne was out tall again to make a big save to keep it level at the break.

After the break, Mejia was put clear again but the jitters from the previous miss seemed to get the better of him as he went for a cross instead of shooting despite having no support in the box.

United would break the deadlock on the hour mark though, with Forson following up a clearance with a 25 yard strike that was deflected into the top corner.

Things started to heat up when Altrincham’s Ryan Colclough was incensed at not being awarded a free kick and responded by lashing out with a reckless swipe at Jurado.

Altrincham were gaining momentum in the dying stages of the match with substitute Marcus Dinganga in particular causing all sorts of danger, starting with a shot off the crossbar in the 75th minute.

Mee couldn’t keep them out forever though and Dinganga poked the ball past him shortly after the draw the match level.

It was Dinganga again in the 87th minute as broke through with some quick passing before striking past Mee to give Altrincham the win.

United: Mee, Wellens (Pye 63), Fredricson (Aljofree 78), Hardley (Bennett 78), Jurado, Collyer (Gore 63), Galbraith, Forson (Ennis 63), Mainoo, Mather, Mejia

Unused Subs: Wooster

The post Match report: Atrincham 2-1 Manchester United XI appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

These two academy stars could be set for United debuts today

Manchester United are rounding off their pre-season preparations today with a final fixture against Rayo Vallecano.

Coming just the day after a match in Oslo against Atletico Madrid, it is expected that Erik ten Hag will utilise a heavily rotated side.

This represents the chance for more academy players to get a possible chance under the new manager and the two most likely seem to be Charlie McNeill and Isak Hansen-Aaroen.

The pair were both absent from the u21s friendly at Altrincham yesterday, leading to speculation that they could be involved with the first team today.

Combined with both being spotted training with the senior side in the past week, their involvement looks probable.

An appearance today for either would mark their senior debuts.

McNeill, a clinical striker, will be looking to impress given United’s lack of depth in the forward position.

The 18 year old had a strong season last year at u18s level and played a key part in winning the FA Youth Cup.

Having 24 goal involvements in 32 appearances, the youngster likes to run the channels and play direct but did struggle with physicality at times when stepping up to the u23s.

Hansen-Aaroen, another member of the FA Youth Cup winning side, will be facing a tougher test in stepping up as he battles for the stacked attacking midfield spot, although he can also drop deeper into midfield.

A silky midfielder, often compared to Luka Modric, Hansen-Aaroen is immensely skilled technically and likes to play a pass and move style of game.

Having already made his professional debut at only 15 for his hometown Tromso IL, he will also be desperate to have another taste of senior football.

The post Academy duo set for possible involvement against Rayo Vallecano appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

100% tackles won, 7 possessions won - United star makes strong case for Brighton start

Manchester United slumped to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Atletico Madrid in Oslo at the Ullevaal Stadion.

In what was new manager Erik ten Hag’s first defeat as United boss, United failed to break down a defensively stubborn Atletico Madrid side that scored late into the game to take home a smash and grab victory.

United looked good, however, despite the loss and there are many positives to take home as the season kicks off in a week.

United finished the game with 56% possession and 13 shots, 4 of which were on target, compared to the Los Colchoneros’ 44% possession, 7 shots on target, with 2 being on target including the all-important Joao Felix goal.

There was little to differentiate the two teams with regard to their passing. The Red Devils completed 481 passes, with an impressive 86% accuracy.

Diego Simeone’s side on the other hand completed 377 passes, with a slightly lower 78% possession.

One of the standout performers in United’s narrow defeat was left-back Tyrell Malacia.

The new United signing came in for Luke Shaw who failed to make the team after an illness. Malacia certainly took his chance, with the Dutch international locking down the left flank. The 22-year-old impressed both offensively, combining well with Marcus Rashford, and defensively, rarely getting done over on his side.

In the first half, Malacia had 41 touches of the ball, making 14 passes into the final third, 10 of which he successfully completed. An attacking asset!

The former Feyenoord defender also won possession three times in the first 45 minutes and created one chance.

Malacia, who completed the full 90 minutes in what can only be described as a colossal defensive performance, won 100% of his tackles and defensive duels. The player finished the game with a 90% accuracy from his 51/57 passes completed, showing his ability on the ball.

He won possession seven times during his time on the pitch and also had a shot.

Tyrell Malacia’s game by numbers vs. Atletico Madrid:

100% tackles won
90% pass accuracy
51/57 passes completed
7 possessions won
1 chances created
1 shot

First choice LB? #MUFC pic.twitter.com/l221eOSQ6l

— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) July 30, 2022

If Malacia’s performance against Simeone’s men was anything to go by, Ten Hag may have a dilemma on his hands with regard to who starts the season in the left-back position. His numbers speak for themselves and there is a case to be made for him to become the first choice left-back ahead of Luke Shaw.

The post Tyrell Malacia shows why he should start the season ahead of Luke Shaw appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

88 minutes of maturity gives United hope despite unlucky defeat

Manchester United played Atletico Madrid today and right from the off, they were put under intense pressure by Simeone’s side.

The first half could largely be divided into two periods for the Spanish side, with each representing a different meaning of the word “aggression.”

The first 20 minutes or so featured an aggressive press, with David de Gea looking uncomfortable in the opening seconds, kicking a ball straight out of play before being closed down again moments later.

Fred was boxed in by Atletico’s forwards with Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof regularly charged down by Yanick Carrasco, Angel Correa and Matheus Cunha.

However, Erik ten Hag’s insistence on composure almost bore fruit immediately, with two fantastic opportunities falling for Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial within five minutes of kick-off.

A thunderous start showed that this United team never really lost its ability to effectively attack at speed, even if they did do an excellent job of hiding it over the last 12 months.

It was clever play from Tyrell Malacia that started the sequence for Rashford’s early chance, as he used his strength to turn Correa under pressure and find a ball out to Bruno Fernandes, who played in the England international beautifully.

In the early stages, this was not a game for settled possession, as both sides were quick to make challenges for the ball in a fiery contest.

The added work on possession has clearly benefitted Ten Hag’s team, as they were able to create chances as a direct result of Atletico’s early high press.

However, their attempts to unsettle United in the opening 20 minutes seemed to wear on them, with the Madrid side a couple of weeks behind the Red Devils in their preparations.

That gave United a different challenge, as they went from dealing with a co-ordinated high press to a tight mid-low block, with Simeone’s team eventually forced to defend exclusively in their own half.

In this second period of the half, “aggression” was synonymous with “dark artistry,” with Atletico relying on a series of cynical fouls familiar to their spectators.

No Atletico game is complete without fisticuffs, and they came shortly before the first half ended, with some excellent acting from Jan Oblak giving his teammates an excuse to petition the referee for a red card on Scott McTominay.

The referee saw a yellow card as a more fitting award for Oblak than the Oscar he was expecting, however.

The Red Devils kept their heads through this period well enough and managed to retain possession and work opportunities, with Anthony Elanga squandering a good chance just before half time.

In the face of aggression, the correct response is bravery and United were able to show it both on the ball and in heated moments.

The second half was much the same until the hour mark, when Atletico Madrid made nine changes, although they were still unable to recapture their early intensity.

While Atletico did manage to register their first shot on target 73 minutes in, United did a fantastic job of managing the game through its varying states.

Unfortunately a Joao Felix goal against the run of play late in the game took the shine off the performance.

In a recent United Matchday Magazine article I discussed David de Gea’s habit of conceding from the “sucker punch” and it seems to be an area he still needs to work on, although Felix did strike well.

For much of the game, United showed a maturity that was lacking when the sides last met, however that goal and Fred’s subsequent red card demonstrates that doing it for 88 minutes is not quite enough, particularly when chances aren’t taken.

Nevertheless, with the intensity of this match rendering the word “friendly” a misnomer, fans have plenty of positives to take away from this game.

The post Manchester United deal with Atletico Madrid aggression appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Ten Hag suffers first defeat of his United managerial era - match report

Manchester United faced off against Spanish opposition Atletico Madrid at the Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo, as Erik ten Hag looked to extend his unbeaten run in pre-season.

With just a week remaining before the start of the new campaign, Ten Hag fielded a strong team that many assume will start against Brighton in United’s opening match of the 2022/2023 season.

Former Los Colchoneros player David de Gea started yet again between the sticks. United skipper Harry Maguire was slotted in alongside Swedish international Victor Lindelof, as a center-back pairing. Diogo Dalot, who has seemingly cemented his place in the starting eleven, and new signing Tyrell Malacia played in the wing-back positions

Scott McTominay and Fred formed the midfield pivot, with Portuguese maestro Bruno Fernandes ahead of them. Anthony Martial led the line against Spanish opposition, with academy graduates Marcus Rashford and Anthony Elanga on either side of him on the wings.

The Red Devils started in a similar fashion, as they have throughout pre-season, with lots of possession, positional interchange, winning the ball back quickly, and creating a multitude of chances against a defensively stubborn Diego Simeone side.

United came close in the early stages with a brilliant Martial run behind the opposition defense to catch a Dalot ball, but the Frenchman who has been in excellent form on United’s tour misjudged his dink, sending the ball a few yards over the bar. Lindelof threatened again from a set-piece, connecting with Malacia’s whipped corner in the seventh minute, but failed to guide the ball home.

Martial proved to be a thorn in the side of the Spanish team’s defense, which could not deal with the number nine’s quick and tricky feet. As many United fans would have expected against a Simeone side, there were plenty of robust aerial challenges and cynical fouls that almost culminated in a brawl after McTominay clattered into the Atletico Madrid goalkeeper. The first 45 minutes ended in a goalless stalemate but was certainly not a dull affair.

United’s standout performers of the first half were Rashford, who seems to have rediscovered his best form, and Malacia. The pair who are building a formidable connection looked impressive on the left flank, something that will undoubtedly impress the boss.

The manager did not make any changes in the second half. The first half went on in pretty much the same manner as the opening 45. McTominay, who was already on a yellow and had his collar up in true Eric Cantona fashion was getting stuck in, rising up to the physical challenge presented by Simeone’s men.

United fans would have been scared after Martial went down just a minute shy of the hour mark after a challenge from Marcos Llorente that left the 26-year-old writhing on the floor. Luckily, he was soon back on his feet. Atletico Madrid made a raft of personnel changes bringing on the likes of Morata, Rodrigo de Paul, Felix, Griezmann, and Koke.

United’s first changes saw new signing Christian Eriksen and Donny van de Beek come on in place of Martial and Mctominay. The Dane wasted no time in reminding fans what he is capable of with his range of passing and crossing evident early on. Uruguayan Facundo Pellistri came on in the 76th minute for Elanga who never really had any impact in the game.

The deadlock was broken in the dying minutes of the game, with Joao Felix grabbing a goal for the Spanish outfit in one of the rare chances they created. Minutes later Fred was given his marching orders for a second bookable offence after a foul play on Morata.

With Felix clinching the win for Atletico Madrid late in the match, the game ended in defeat as Ten Hag suffered his first loss in the United dugout.

The post Manchester United 0 – 1 Atletico Madrid – match report appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Young star has lukewarm audition against Atletico ahead of Premier League opener

With Jadon Sancho unavailable for Manchester United’s game against Atletico Madrid today, Anthony Elanga was handed a chance to stake a claim for a starting spot next week against Brighton and Hove Albion.

Lining up on the right wing, the young Swede struggled to get involved in the opening quarter, with United opting for quick attacks down the left flank instead.

His touch was a little sloppy on a couple of occasions in the first half, although his pace was clearly an asset in limiting build-up opportunities down his flank, as he closed down with urgency.

That same pace led to a cynical foul from Thomas Lemar as the winger tried to initiate a counterattack.

He was later hacked down by Reinildo Mandava, requiring treatment.

Reinaldo escaped a booking on that occasion, but not for long as he committed another cynical foul to earn his yellow.

Having scored a dramatic equaliser at the Wanda Metropolitano in February, Elanga seemed to attract special attention from Atletico’s defenders.

Just before the stroke of half time, Elanga managed to escape them in the penalty area for a moment, although his shot was too meek to trouble Oblak.

At the start of the first half, a clever dummy almost set up Martial for a finish, but the Frenchman was not alert to it.

Soon afterwards, he skipped past Carrasco and Geoffrey Kondogbia in midfield, but his final ball was too heavy for Martial.

As his involvement in the game grew, so too did his rough treatment and he was eventually withdrawn with 15 minutes remaining.

The youngster did well enough in trying circumstances, and while he lacked the oozing class we have seen from Jadon Sancho on tour, should the former Dortmund maestro fail to be fit in time for Brighton’s visit to Old Trafford, Elanga’s audition will give Ten Hag confidence.

The post Anthony Elanga’s audition against Atletico Madrid shows positive signs appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Three things we learnt as United lose against a brutal Atletico side

Erik ten Hag took charge of the penultimate friendly match of pre-season against La Liga giants Atletico Madrid in a 1-0 loss at the Ullevaal Stadion in Norway.

With just a week to go until the Red Devils face Brighton in the Premier League, this team is starting to come together and we’re starting to get a feel of how they will line up this season.

Coming into this match unbeaten under Erik Ten Hag, Man United faced tough opposition in Atletico who have ambitions of winning the Spanish league title.

It wasn’t to be today as Joao Felix spoiled the fun towards the latter stages of the game with Fred receiving a second yellow card almost straight after the goal.

Here are three things we learned from the match:

United work hard when pressing

The players had an excellent first half with some impressive pressing when trying to win the ball back from Atletico in their half.

This is something United didn’t do last season and something that Ten Hag will be working on behind the scenes.

It’s clear to see that the current setup is working a treat for these players and fans will be hoping the squad can carry on their form into the Premier League season.

On and off the ball, United were working effectively and it proved to be a challenging time for the Spanish opposition.

Plenty of good partnership options in defence

For the majority of the match, Maguire and Lindelof played at centre-back and didn’t put a step wrong against a Champions League side.

New arrival Lisandro Martinez appeared on the bench and could appear tomorrow vs. Rayo Vallecano.

Rapahel Varane who didn’t travel to Norway for this friendly is another player who can slot into this defence providing he can prove his fitness to the manager.

Eric Bailly has played a small part of the pre-season fixtures with Axel Tuanzebe and Phil Jones yet to feature under Ten Hag.

It wasn’t quite a friendly…

This pre-season match marks the final friendly for a lot of the players and it is clear to see that the fitness levels have improved since the Liverpool fixture at the start of the month.

It was a tough game for Lindelof and Elanga after numerous of lunges into both players throughout the 90 minutes.

Both players will be hoping that they have impressed Ten Hag and they make it into the Brighton matchday squad after today’s performance.

Last season fitness levels slumped around the time of the clubs elimination from the Champions League.

Today it was clear to see that things are changing and players are proving to be fitter after a difficult game against a very physical side.

The post Three things we learnt as Atletico Madrid brutally win 1-0 against Manchester United appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Sucker punch sinks United, but who was to blame? - Player ratings

Manchester United lost 1-0 to Atletico Madrid today in a pre-season friendly in Olso, Norway. Here are our player ratings for the game:

(A score of 6 is around average.)

David de Gea 5 – A couple of errors in the first half.

Diogo Dalot 6.5 – Another decent performance from a player in hot form. Brilliant skill move in the first half but faded in the second. Could have done better on the goal, but had no support around him.

Harry Maguire 6 – Caught in possession in the first half and was rescued by Fred. Booted out into touch too often. Did make a couple of good blocks and a good recovery in the second. Missed a massive change on 75.

Victor Lindelof 6 – Mixed bag. Recovered brilliantly in first half from a mistake when the ball ricocheted off his own head. Got caught out a couple of times in the second.

Tyrell Malacia 7 – A very promising run-out from the new signing. There were a few misunderstandings, but that is to be expected. Great ball forward in the 2nd minute to Fernandes after staying cool under pressure.

Scott McTominay 5 – “Collar up” McSauce was combative but there was little productivity from a football point of view. Did make a good headed clearance in the first half.

Fred/strong> 6 – Superb from the Brazilian in the first half. Has always been a hard worker, but his tackling has improved and his runs and link-up play has been exceptional in pre-season. Looked tired in the second half and was justifiably sent off.

Bruno Fernandes 7 – Set up Rashford early on and created some good chances.

Anthony Elanga 6 – Got roughed up and didn’t contribute much in the first half. Nice dummy/layoff for Martial early in the second.

Marcus Rashford 5 – Looked strong and determined but didn’t produce much. Lame shot in the first half.

Anthony Martial 5.5 – Could not really get in the game.

Substitutes

Christian Eriksen 7 – Superb ball in the 71st minute. Made an instant impact.

Donny van de Beek 6 – Quiet.

Facundo Pellistri 6 – Did OK.

James Garner 6 – Did not have time to make an impact.

The post Player ratings: Man United 0-1 Atletico Madrid – sucker punch ends unbeaten pre-season run appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Confirmed: New signing start in United XI out for revenge against Atletico

The Manchester United team set to face Atletico Madrid has been announced.

David de Gea starts in goal against his former club and will be hoping to keep a clean sheet against a side who will test his physicality.

Lisandro Martinez could make his debut in the second half but Victor Lindelof starts alongside captain Harry Maguire, with Raphael seemingly fourth choice at United.

Waiting to make his first start is Christian Eriksen, who could have featured alongside Bruno Fernandes with Fred at the base of midfield.

However Scott McTominay is preferred in this fixture, as Ten Hag looks to provide a solid base against the Spanish side.

Jadon Sancho‘s unexpected absence due to illness means that the Red Devils’ right flank will see Anthony Elanga play in front of Diogo Dalot.

🗞 Our line-up to face Atletico Madrid is in! 👊

👀 Including two new faces on the bench…#MUFC

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) July 30, 2022

In The United Matchday Magazine, Red Billy argues that Dalot is finally set to realise his potential and he will be hoping to bolster that claim whether a good performance, having struggled against Renan Lodi when the two sides last met.

Luke Shaw remained in Manchester, meaning new-boy Tyrell Malacia starts at left back.

Ahead of him, Marcus Rashford will be keen to add to his two preseason goals.

The revitalised Anthony Martial starts up front, with the Frenchman looking to continue his fine form as the season-opener against Brighton and Hove Albion looms.

With Eriksen not in the picture, a 4-2-3-1 similar to the one United fielded against Liverpool is likely.

United will be hoping for another fine result against sturdy opposition today.

Atletico Madrid knocked the Red Devils out of the Champions League last season, and the players will be itching for revenge.
 
 

United Matchday Magazine – The Online Football Programme
Simeone and Atletico. It’s personal. Everyone’s buzzing. Get ready for the game with the United Matchday Mag.

• Online football content like you’ve never seen before
• Part programme, part fanzine, the mag gives you all the news, facts and features you NEED before every game
• Instantly delivered to your device with easy and secure online ordering
• Click Preview to see more or buy now for just £1.25/$1.50
• SAVE 40% on a season pass: use discount code TENHAG40TREAT at checkout

The post Confirmed XI for Manchester United vs Atletico Madrid appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Barcelona president throws down gauntlet as De Jong saga takes yet another twist

Manchester United have been linked with a move for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong all summer, with the 25-year-old being prioritised as Erik ten Hag’s primary target in the midfield position.

While a transfer fee and payment structure have been agreed in principle between United and the Blaugrana, there remains significant hurdles to overcome to get a deal for the midfielder over the line. An issue over the player’s deferred wages that he is owed by the Spanish giants has stalled any progress on the player’s pursuit which enters its twelfth week.

The seemingly never-ending De Jong transfer saga has taken another turn today after Barcelona president Joan Laporta came out with comments that deal another blow to United’s longstanding interest in the Dutch international.

Laporta reiterated the club’s commitment to retaining the services of the former Ajax player, hinting that De Jong would have to take yet another significant wage cut despite being owed massive wages, should he wish to continue at the Spotify Camp Nou.

“FDJ wants to stay and the club too.”

“Another thing is the talks we have because there is a new salary structure. We find a high wage bill, hence we have to talk to players.”

“We’ll do our best to keep him and I hope he will also do everything he can to stay.”

The Catalan club has come under fire for their treatment of the Netherlands international, whom they have been accused of treating with contempt and immorally as they look to get rid of him without settling the wages he is owed.

Speaking to Sky Sports, journalist Andy Mitten revealed that De Jong’s preference would still be to remain at Barcelona with the player reluctant on to join the Red Devils.

“I’ve not been given any evidence that Frenkie de Jong wants to join Manchester United.”

“Player is happy there. Barcelona wants to sell him. It’s a really unedifying and complex situation. I still think he’ll probably move.”

“I think Ten Hag must have got some hope that the deal should go through. I know that when Manchester United came to Barcelona for 2-3 meetings, United certainly left in an optimistic manner.”

🗣 "I've not been given any evidence that Frenkie de Jong wants to join Manchester United."@AndyMitten says there must be a chance of Manchester United signing de Jong but admits while reporting on the story there has been no indication from the player about his preference pic.twitter.com/uRYcCtup25

— Football Daily (@footballdaily) July 28, 2022

Reports suggest Barcelona will not be able to register their new signings without offloading De Jong. Should United patiently lie in wait and deliver Ten Hag’s man or should they pull the plug, count their losses and move on?
 
 

United Matchday Magazine – The Online Football Programme
Simeone and Atletico. It’s personal. Everyone’s buzzing. Get ready for the game with the United Matchday Mag.

• Online football content like you’ve never seen before
• Part programme, part fanzine, the mag gives you all the news, facts and features you NEED before every game
• Instantly delivered to your device with easy and secure online ordering
• Click Preview to see more or buy now for just £1.25/$1.50
• SAVE 40% on a season pass: use discount code TENHAG40TREAT at checkout

The post Joan Laporta: Frenkie de Jong wants to stay and we want to keep him appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Embarrassing: Glazers new million dollar ploy will cause uproar among Man United fans

The Manchester United owners are looking to further expand their commercial interests as they now turn their attention towards cricket.

Avram Glazer is set to own a cricket franchise in the inaugural t20 league set in the UAE.

The International League t20 will be the second most lucrative cricket league behind the Indian Premier League.

He will head Lancer Capital LLC.

The report goes on to state:

“The new tournament will be staged in the UAE and will be played between January 6 and February 12 next year, meaning it clashes with Australia’s Big Bash and South Africa’s new T20 competition.”

“However, the ILT20 is hoping to lure a number of the sport’s biggest stars with bumper pay packets for just over a month’s work. ”

“Among the six teams, three of them are owned by companies who already own IPL franchises, while Manchester United co-chairman Avram Glazer also owns one as the head of Lancer Capital LLC.”

According to espncricinfo,  high-profile players would earn as much as $450,000 per season, surpassing the salary cap of England’s very own – The Hundred.

Last year, the Glazers failed in their attempt to buy one of the new IPL franchises.

The RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group won the bid for the Lucknow franchise with an offer of over £686m.

United fans will be fuming at the Glazer’s constant search for new investments while their club suffers.

As per the report released by Swiss Ramble, the owners have not invested a single penny of their own money into the club over the past years.

Moreover, the club is in £530 million in debt, with Old Trafford yet to be refurbished.

#WBA £19m gross debt was one the lowest in the Premier League, far below the likes of #CFC £1.5 bln (Abramovich funding), #THFC £854m (stadium), #MUFC £530m (Glazers’ leveraged buy-out), #EFC £379m and #BHAFC £374m. pic.twitter.com/1kX2HoXE6y

— Swiss Ramble (@SwissRamble) July 11, 2022

It is a matter of time before the fans take things into their own hands. The Glazers must beware and provide the necessary funds to back Erik ten Hag this summer.

The post Avram Glazer to own franchise in International t20 cricket league appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

United plotting huge transfer gamble on expensive wonderkid - report

Manchester United are on the hunt for a striker, with Benjamin Sesko high among the names considered.

As reported by The Peoples Person earlier, direct talks with the player’s agent have already taken place.

According to Samuel Luckhurst, John Murtough even met Sesko’s agent Elvis Basanovic last week to gauge the possibility of a transfer.

🗞 John Murtough met Benjamin Sesko's agent last week. Murtough rendezvoused with Sesko's agent, Elvis Basanovic, last Wednesday to gauge the possibility of a transfer. [Samuel Luckhurst, MEN]

— Utd District (@UtdDistrict) July 29, 2022

But with complications arising owing to RB Salzburg’s unwillingness to do a deal in this window, is he a player United should be chasing?

The Red Bull side have already lost Karim Adeyemi to Borussia Dortmund this summer and reports have indicated that it would take around £55m to pry Sesko away.

For the mooted price, Manchester United would more than likely expect a player who could be trusted to start should Cristiano Ronaldo’s situation come to a head.

But journalist Jan-Aage Fjortoft has suggested that the player would not be an immediate help to the Red Devils, despite his potential to mature into a top striker.

“They rate him very highly in Salzburg. And they have seen some young strikers in the last years.”

“Personally I think he needs another half a season to mature. Wouldn’t help Man Utd right now.”

They rate him very highly in Salzburg. And they have seen some young strikers in the last years.
But he is still developing. Personally I think he needs another half a season to mature. Wouldn’t help Man UTD right now https://t.co/kby6SOMkQ2

— Jan Aage Fjørtoft 🏳️‍🌈 🇳🇴 💛💙 (@JanAageFjortoft) July 28, 2022

A look at Sesko’s stats last season would certainly suggest that he must develop further before he is ready to lead the line for a Premier League side.

While he has an impressive goals per game ratio, he only managed to play a complete 90 minutes three times over the course of the Austrian Bundesliga, Champions League and OFB Cup.

While he did miss games from thigh problems and suffered from a torn muscle fibre early on in the campaign, his rotation was more to do with the fact that he was a little raw to be starting, at least compared to Adeyemi.

Of course, Sesko has impressed this July, scoring goals in both of Salzburg’s competitive fixtures as well as against Liverpool in a friendly.

He is set to be the main man up front this season and looks to be on the verge of a breakout season.

For United, this of course makes him an interesting prospect, although it presently seems a deal would be more likely next season, with Salzburg understandably looking to reap the benefits of their scouting and development work for a year before letting the player go.

🚨 Man United will need a really important bid if they need to sign Benjamin Šeško this summer because the plan of Red Bull Salzburg is to keep the Slovenian for one more season and sell him next summer.🇸🇮🔴 #MUFC

(via @FabrizioRomano🌕)

— Football Transfers (@Transferzone00) July 28, 2022

A good season in Austria and a few goals in the Champions League would certainly make Sesko look more like a £55m player and would do much for confidence around Old Trafford in parting with such a fee.

However, this time last year Darwin Nunez had no Champions League goals and a worse goals-per-90 record than Sesko does now.

Seeing the Uruguayan as lacking in a body of compelling evidence, long-time admirers Brighton and Hove Albion baulked at Benfica’s €45m asking price.

Waiting for the player to have a breakout campaign can often look quite silly in hindsight and with the striker market being what it is, perhaps now is the right time to strike?
 
 

United Matchday Magazine – The Online Football Programme
Simeone and Atletico. It’s personal. Everyone’s buzzing. Get ready for the game with the United Matchday Mag.

• Online football content like you’ve never seen before
• Part programme, part fanzine, the mag gives you all the news, facts and features you NEED before every game
• Instantly delivered to your device with easy and secure online ordering
• Click Preview to see more or buy now for just £1.25/$1.50
• SAVE 40% on a season pass: use discount code TENHAG40TREAT at checkout

The post Will Manchester United be put off by Benjamin Sesko price? appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

“Lying about me”: It’s all falling apart for Ronaldo as he engages in bitter rant

Manchester United star forward Cristiano Ronaldo has hit out at the media on what he labelled as ‘lies’ told about him.

United’s number seven came out on social media, via his official Instagram account, in reply to a post. Ronaldo set the record straight, lambasting the media, accusing them of fabricating stories in an effort to get viewers’ attention.

The Portuguese’s post read, “Impossible not to talk about me one day. Otherwise, the press makes no money.”

“You know that if you don’t lie you can’t get people’s attention. Keep going that one day you get some news right.”

The five-time Ballon D’Or winner’s sentiments were in reply to a fan account post, in which a report outlining the player’s efforts to engineer a move away from Old Trafford was referenced.

The report by James Robson, “Jorge Mendes told Manchester United that Ronaldo is adamant about leaving the club – but left negotiations less than positive he’d get his move. Sir Alex Ferguson has intervened and United insists Ronaldo is not for sale.”

It is in response to this that Ronaldo came out, casting fresh doubt on the reliability and validity of Robson’s report.

Cristiano Ronaldo's comment on Instagram was in response to this post: pic.twitter.com/qV21EVa9Ui

— Utd District (@UtdDistrict) July 29, 2022

The highest official goalscorer in the history of men’s football has been making headlines after he requested United bosses to consider a permanent sale for him should a suitable offer arrive.

The 37-year-old has been linked with a bevy of clubs around Europe, most of which have firmly rejected his advances with public stances.

In recent days, Spanish club Atletico Madrid has emerged as Ronaldo’s preferred destination, although fans have so far resisted the former Real Madrid man.

Los Colchoneros’ club president has also publicly downplayed any potential move for Ronaldo, saying such an operation would be impossible to conduct.

It remains unclear whether Ronaldo’s retaliation against the media discredits the whole Robson report or specific elements of it. Only time will tell!
 

 

United Matchday Magazine – The Online Football Programme
Simeone and Atletico. It’s personal. Everyone’s buzzing. Get ready for the game with the United Matchday Mag.

• Online football content like you’ve never seen before
• Part programme, part fanzine, the mag gives you all the news, facts and features you NEED before every game
• Instantly delivered to your device with easy and secure online ordering
• Click Preview to see more or buy now for just £1.25/$1.50
• SAVE 40% on a season pass: use discount code TENHAG40TREAT at checkout

The post Cristiano Ronaldo hits out at lies by the media appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Serie A giants in head-to-head battle for 28-yo United star - report

Roma and AC Milan have both made official approaches to Manchester United for Eric Bailly.

Throughout the summer transfer window, it has been widely reported that alongside Axel Tuaznebe, the centre back will be leaving the club.

Both players have been on the fringes of the squad with the Englishman going on two unsuccessful loans last season.

With the arrival of Lisandro Martinez, the need to move on some of the players is as important as ever otherwise Erik ten Hag will have a huge problem on his hands.

Yesterday we reported that Roma were in for Bailly but now, according to The Daily Mail, Bailly has also attracted an approach from their rivals, AC Milan, who continue to look for defensive options.

The Serie A clubs will now get ready to battle it out with each other as they try and secure the services of the 28-year-old, who will be eager to play regularly.

The Ivorian international has told Man United he would love to fight for his place after huge interest from Napoli.

He has made 113 total appearances for the club after joining the club in 2016.

Bailly never kicked on after a couple of horrible injuries leaving him without a run of games for a couple of months.

However, with the £46million arrival of Martinez, the club are looking to offload quite a few defenders.

Transfers into the club could still happen as we enter the final month of the transfer window with United short on options up top.

The priority will be to sell the fringe players after the departure of Andreas Pereira to Fulham earlier on in the market.

United are also still working hard on the Frenkie de Jong deal who has been the primary target since Ten Hag’s arrival.
 
 

United Matchday Magazine – The Online Football Programme
Simeone and Atletico. It’s personal. Everyone’s buzzing. Get ready for the game with the United Matchday Mag.

• Online football content like you’ve never seen before
• Part programme, part fanzine, the mag gives you all the news, facts and features you NEED before every game
• Instantly delivered to your device with easy and secure online ordering
• Click Preview to see more or buy now for just £1.25/$1.50
• SAVE 40% on a season pass: use discount code TENHAG40TREAT at checkout

The post Manchester United’s Eric Bailly has attracted offers from AC Milan and Roma appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

United star takes cheeky social media dig at rival fans amidst transfer speculation

Manchester United and Portugal national team striker Cristiano Ronaldo took a cheeky social media dig at Atletico Madrid fans on social media, via his official Instagram handle.

The former Real Madrid player took to Instagram to laugh off a banner unveiled by the Los Colchoneros fans in protest of any potential move for the 37-year-old that would take him to the Metropolitano Stadium.

In a friendly match played by Diego Simeone’s side ahead of the game against the Red Devils tomorrow, Atletico Madrid supporters rolled out a banner that read, “CR7 NOT WELCOME.”

The banner follows a statement put out recently by fans of the Spanish giants who in their passionate letter, rejected any prospect of signing Ronaldo, even warning the club hierarchy against considering such a switch.

The statement labelled Ronaldo a ‘player in steep decline’ and one who would never gain the recognition and admiration of the club’s supporters.

The banner by fans in yesterday’s friendly came as just the latest form of opposition by Atletico Madrid fans against Ronaldo.

In what appears to be a response, the United star replied under a fan account that posted a picture of the banner, with a string of laughing emojis.

Cristiano Ronaldo responds to Atletico Madrid fans displaying a "CR7 NOT WELCOME" banner during their friendly this week.#MUFC pic.twitter.com/dQsSz4Q1IU

— United View (@unitedviewtv) July 29, 2022

It remains unclear how fans of the Spanish outfit will perceive such a cheeky dig or whether Ronaldo’s action will affect his move to the Metropolitano.

While the club’s president Enrique Cerezo came out saying it would be practically impossible for the player to join Simeone’s team, a report by journalist Manu Sainz emerged yesterday that the president’s sentiments had not put a dent in the five-time Ballon D’Or winner’s hopes of joining them.

According to the report, “Cristiano Ronaldo assumes that at this time he has to wait for Atlético Madrid to carry out the necessary operations to make room for him.”

“Morata and Griezmann are two of the names that could leave to make room for him.”

It is an open secret that Ronaldo has had bad blood with Atletico Madrid fans in the past, courtesy of his ties to their city rivals and the numerous goals he has scored against them.
 

 

United Matchday Magazine – The Online Football Programme
Simeone and Atletico. It’s personal. Everyone’s buzzing. Get ready for the game with the United Matchday Mag.

• Online football content like you’ve never seen before
• Part programme, part fanzine, the mag gives you all the news, facts and features you NEED before every game
• Instantly delivered to your device with easy and secure online ordering
• Click Preview to see more or buy now for just £1.25/$1.50
• SAVE 40% on a season pass: use discount code TENHAG40TREAT at checkout

The post Cristiano Ronaldo takes a cheeky dig at Atletico Madrid fans on social media appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Shocking stats show how many goals Ronaldo cost United last season

Cristiano Ronaldo scored 18 league goals last season for Manchester United, but whether the club are reliant on or even benefited by his contribution has been a matter of intense debate.

And with the Portugal captain trying to force a move to a Champions League side, that debate must also consider where the Red Devils are likely to get their goals from without him.

Preseason has been a source of optimism for United fans, who have seen a Ronaldo-less attack score 13 goals in four matches.

Anthony Martial looks a completely different player, with Jadon Sancho showing the flair and creativity that led to the club’s year-plus-long pursuit of him.

Bruno Fernandes seems to be cutting the waste out of his game while retaining his playmaking qualities, as Marcus Rashford has been in amongst the goals as well following a terrible 18 months.

In the last three years, each member of this quartet has at some point posted a 17-goal league campaign or better.

Two of them – Martial and Rashford – even managed to do it in the same side at United, forming a productive understanding in the 2019/2020 season.

So it would seem that the goalscoring potential is there, even if it will take some coaxing from Erik ten Hag to get them all firing at once.

What is exciting about this attacking unit is that it is fluid enough that play need not be funnelled into certain areas in specific ways in order to be successful.

When Ten Hag spoke of having “multiple weapons” to hurt opposition defences in order to avoid becoming “predictable,” this fluidity made a lot of sense.

Put Ronaldo in the side and one wonders if his teammates would default to hopeful crosses and punts up to the striker as they attempt to get the most out of the goalscorer.

Whether it’s because of his iconic status, his demanding personality or his flapping arms, Ronaldo is a magnet for goals as much as he is a guarantee of them.

While it is impossible to lay the blame for United’s capitulation last season at his door, it is noticeable that Martial, Rashford and Sancho had half as many shots per game (or less) than they managed the season before.

Fernandes was also affected, dropping from 3.3 shots per game to 2.5.

And with Ronaldo limiting the goalscoring opportunities of his teammates by his very presence, should he suffer a period of poor form – as he did when he had his longest goalscoring drought in over a decade last season – United will see wins turn to draws, draws to losses.

But will that attacking quartet score enough goals without him?

Well if everyone has their best possible goalscoring season then yes, easily.

But, inspired by Carl Anka’s article on The Athletic, we’ve taken a look at the average Expected Goals of the four tour attackers over the three years prior to Ronaldo joining Manchester United.

The reason we’ve opted to look at their expected goals rather than their actual numbers is to mitigate the impact of overperformance and account for deviations in form.

And in taking an average over a longer period of time, we hope to come up with a realistic estimate on what all four could achieve playing in the same setup, without any one of them taking up the mantle as the team’s focal point throughout the campaign.

We naturally excluded last season in order to get a more accurate idea of what these players can accomplish without a shot-magnet in the side.

Bruno Fernandes
–2018/2019 13.05xG
–2019/2020 13.13xG
–2020/2021 16.1xG
–AVERAGE – 14.09
Marcus Rashford
–2018/2019 10.65xG
–2019/2020 19.19xG
–2020/2021 8.95xG
–AVERAGE – 12.93
Jadon Sancho
–2018/2019 7.01xG
–2019/2020 10.14xG
–2020/2021 6.61xG
–AVERAGE – 7.92
Anthony Martial
–2018/2019 6.79xG
–2019/2020 12.1xG
–2020/2021 6.66xG
–AVERAGE – 8.51

That would lead to an estimated 43.45xG over the course of the season.

Comparatively, those four managed 20xG between themselves last campaign, so even adding in Ronaldo’s 18.08xG, the Ten Hag tour attackers seem better off without him according to these numbers, even a man down.

And if United can recruit another forward – one who does not limit the shots per game available to their teammates – that gap would only widen.

It would also make up for the periods of injury accounted for in our averages, which limited xG performance for everyone but Bruno in one season or another.

In his article, Anka suggests that 69 in the magic number for a Champions League side to aim for in assuring qualification.

These stats would suggest that Ronaldo is actually making that number more difficult to achieve.
 
 

United Matchday Magazine – The Online Football Programme
Simeone and Atletico. It’s personal. Everyone’s buzzing. Get ready for the game with the United Matchday Mag.

• Online football content like you’ve never seen before
• Part programme, part fanzine, the mag gives you all the news, facts and features you NEED before every game
• Instantly delivered to your device with easy and secure online ordering
• Click Preview to see more or buy now for just £1.25/$1.50
• SAVE 40% on a season pass: use discount code TENHAG40TREAT at checkout

The post Manchester United’s tour four could score more goals without Cristiano Ronaldo appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Fan favourite defender edging closer to grand reunion - report

Erik ten Hag had made it a priority to improve the defence when he was appointed Manchester United manager after last season’s horror show. And he has done exactly that with the addition of Lisandro Martinez, who is expected to play as the left centre half.

The Argentine’s addition has meant United currently have seven senior centre backs in the squad, including Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof, Raphael Varane, Eric Bailly, Axel Tuanzebe and Phil Jones.

Tuanzebe and Jones are expected to leave this window and despite impressive showings in pre-season, Bailly is also set to join them with AS Roma interested in his services.

🚨 Eric Bailly can leave Manchester United in the summer transfers window. AS Roma are interested in the centre-back and have opened talks for a loan.

(Source: @NicoSchira) pic.twitter.com/rLujPX7XDb

— Transfer Live (@Transferlivetv) July 28, 2022

Jose Mourinho, the current Roma boss, wants to bring the Ivory Coast international to Rome and talks are underway between both clubs.

The Serie A giants are looking at a loan deal with an option to buy, a tactic they used with former United defender Chris Smalling.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Bailly will also need to take a pay cut as Roma will not be able to afford Bailly’s current wages.

According to the same publication (via Romapress), the 28-year-old centre-back has already approved of the move and wants to join the Giallorossi in this transfer window.

Sports Journalist Nicolò Schira has revealed that talks have been opened between both parties.

Bailly’s United chapter to end?

The former Villareal defender was Mourinho’s first buy as United manager and despite a brilliant first season, a mixture of injuries and inconsistency has meant that Bailly has never really managed to do justice to his talents.

The most games he has played in a single season is 38 games in his debut season. Last season he played only 7 times and has amassed a total of 113 appearances in his six-year spell.

His all-action style has played a big part in his injuries and suspensions and that has impacted his ability to put in consistent run of games. He has missed 103 games due to injuries sustained in his United career.

Roma general manager Tiago Pinto has been told by Mourinho that he wants to bring Bailly to the Serie A and he could be available for as little as £10 million. United had splurged £30 million for his services back in 2016-17.

Roma already have the likes of Nemanja Matic and Smalling in their ranks and Bailly could be the latest Red Devil to head to Italy.

Ten Hag gave Bailly chances in pre-season and he once again impressed with his overall play including two marauding runs which led to goals against Liverpool and Melbourne Victory.

But with Martinez’s arrival, Bailly has further gone down the pecking order and he wants guarantees with regards to playing time, something the Dutch manager cannot give at the moment.

It might be time for fans to bid adieu to a favourite of theirs. Despite his potential, Bailly has never truly reached the heights expected of him and United need to look to the future instead of relying on another injury-prone defender.
 
 

United Matchday Magazine – The Online Football Programme
Simeone and Atletico. It’s personal. Everyone’s buzzing. Get ready for the game with the United Matchday Mag.

• Online football content like you’ve never seen before
• Part programme, part fanzine, the mag gives you all the news, facts and features you NEED before every game
• Instantly delivered to your device with easy and secure online ordering
• Click Preview to see more or buy now for just £1.25/$1.50
• SAVE 40% on a season pass: use discount code TENHAG40TREAT at checkout

The post Eric Bailly edging closer to Roma move appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Famous shirt number taken by United warrior aiming to follow in legend’s footsteps

Manchester United have revealed kit numbers for new signings Lisandro Martinez and Christian Eriksen ahead of the new season.

The pair represent the latest arrivals at the Theatre of Dreams, after Tyrell Malacia, with the club confirming the signing of the duo earlier this week.

Martinez and Eriksen have taken shirts vacated by Jesse Lingard and Paul Pogba, who have signed for Nottingham Forest and Italian giants Juventus, respectively, as free agents.

Martinez, who is the latest big-money addition at the club, having made a £46.5 million ($56m) transfer, is set to take the number six jersey, with his Danish counterpart occupying Lingard’s number fourteen.

The former Ajax defender wore the no.21 at the Dutch club under Ten Hag and is now set to take on a different albeit more prominent number.

Introducing our new no.6 🔥

🇦🇷 @LisandrMartinez#MUFC

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) July 28, 2022

The number has formerly been worn by Jaap Stam, who also came from the Eredivisie and is considered a legend of the club by many, someone Martinez will surely look to emulate in his time at United.

This is however not the first time the Argentine will be sporting the number six.

He wore it in Argentina with Defensa y Justicia, along with the no.24.

Meanwhile, the club has announced that Eriksen will wear the number 14 shirt.

He's a 🔟 but he wears 1️⃣4️⃣ 😎

🇩🇰 @ChrisEriksen8#MUFC

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) July 28, 2022

According to a report by the Mirror, Eriksen’s first choice jersey was the number 8, previously worn by Juan Mata, another player who has left the club. The jersey was however handed to Portuguese maestro Bruno Fernandes.

The playmaker who has the number 8 tattooed on his arm, ditched the number 18 in favour of his more preferred number.

Eriksen wore the no.8 at Ajax and wears the no.10 for the Denmark national team. The 30-year-old is perhaps more remembered among Premier League fans for his no.23 shirt during his spell at North London club Tottenham.

The no.23 presently belongs to Luke Shaw.

The United faithful could soon be treated to a game with their new signings donning their new kit numbers, should they make their unofficial bow in front of supporters over the weekend, with games lined up against Spanish opposition Atletico Madrid and Rayo Vallecano.
 
 

United Matchday Magazine – The Online Football Programme
Simeone and Atletico. It’s personal. Everyone’s buzzing. Get ready for the game with the United Matchday Mag.

• Online football content like you’ve never seen before
• Part programme, part fanzine, the mag gives you all the news, facts and features you NEED before every game
• Instantly delivered to your device with easy and secure online ordering
• Click Preview to see more or buy now for just £1.25/$1.50
• SAVE 40% on a season pass: use discount code TENHAG40TREAT at checkout

The post Manchester United officially reveal kit numbers for Lisandro Martinez and Christian Eriksen appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.