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Manchester United's 2nd place finish in the Premier League last season meant it was only the 4th time in the post-Ferguson era that the Red Devils managed to finish inside the top four. Quite a frightening prospect for a team that has won the most league titles since its inception in 1992. Nevertheless, Ole Gunnar Solskjær has managed to steady the ship, to an extent. Bruno Fernandes turned out to be an inspiring signing, injecting some much-needed creativity and flair into the otherwise languid squad. Even though United have been on an upward trajectory since their arrival, the last piece of silverware won by them was the Europa League in 2017, under Jose Mourinho.
Players like Paul Pogba and Fred have picked up the slack by putting in some convincing performances from the center of the pitch. Even so, the club always seems to be shrouded in controversy. After four years at the helm, Solskjaer still hasn't entirely convinced the United faithful. The lack of consistency has been touted as the Norwegian manager's biggest shortcoming. However, having recently signed Jadon Sancho for an initial fee of €85m, things are looking relatively better for United.
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Manchester United's pre-season fixtures:
United will start their pre-season journey against Wayne Rooney's Derby County on July 18th. After facing their former legend's side, the Red Devils will travel to the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium to face QPR on July 24th. They'll have to battle newly-promoted Brentford on July 28th in their third friendly game. United will then wrap up an all-English pre-season tour after fixtures with Preston and Everton on July 31st and August 7th, respectively.
The Red Devils have assembled a capable enough squad to fit in Solskjær's 4-2-3-1 system. Nevertheless, there is a plethora of players at Old Trafford who have been underwhelming, to say the least. Let's take a look at five such United players who need an above-average pre-season under their belt in order to consolidate their position for the upcoming season:
#5 Alex Telles
Following Ashley Young's departure in 2020, the statement signing of Alex Telles was made to affix the left-back position for the near future. Telles was a highly rated defender during his Porto days and was due for a move to a bigger club. Therefore, his move to United for a minimal fee of €18m was deemed risk-free. Instead, the Portuguese is fresh off of an inspid debut season in England. Apparently, his arrival gave Luke Shaw the push he needed to unlock his true potential. The English youngster was down-right sensational last season.
In a counter-attacking side, Shaw managed to provide 7 goal contributions, producing 1.9 key passes per game in the process. This meant that Telles got on the pitch only 24 times for United last season. Even though the 28-year-old versatile defender is known for his offensive output, Shaw's form in the 20/21 season put every debate to rest.
With a potential bid for Kieran Trippier, who can play at left-back if needed, on the horizon, Telles will almost definitely have to settle for another rotational role in the squad. However, Shaw has had his fitness issues, with this season being the first where the England international has managed to muster a string of consistent performances. If Telles can prove his class in pre-season, who knows how things will unfold for him in the long run.
#4 Eric Bailly
Eric Bailly is the perfect example of 'what could have been'. Signed from Villareal as a 22-year-old, Bailly had the potential to become the bedrock of United's defense. Instead, the big Ivorian has spent most of his time in England at the treatment table. His ankle and knee injuries have plagued his United career from the beginning. In his 5 years as a Red Devil, Bailly has only managed to gather a paltry 66 Premier League appearances.
The €35m signing has failed to find his footing at Old Trafford, only playing a bit-part role even when fit. The subsequent arrivals of Victor Lindelöf and Harry Maguire meant that the Ivorian is now the third choice center-back on the red side of Manchester.
After enjoying a sumptuous Euro 2020 campaign, Lindelöf has almost assured his place alongside Maguire. Furthermore, United have been closely monitoring Raphaël Varane's situation at Madrid. If Bailly wants to stick around, he will have to recapture the form from his better days in Spain, which compelled the Reds to fork out over 30 million euros for a relatively unknown defender from Africa. The talented defender has been really unfortunate with injuries but if he is able to perpetuate some kind of form, things might transpire quite differently.
#3 David De Gea
No one could've predicted the sheer upheavals that have occurred in the Manchester United star's career over the past few years. De Gea has gone from being one of the best goalkeepers in the world to being displaced by the keeper of a club that finished at 10th in the Spanish first division. It is safe to say that De Gea has been through everything. He single-handedly kept United afloat on multiple occasions, pulling off some near-impossible saves to literally 'save' the Red Devils. The Spanish number one was the only consistent United player during all the managerial changes.
However, the only other thing that De Gea is famous for are his high-profile blunders. In retrospect, the 30-year-old Spaniard has never been the same after his mistakes in the World Cup 2018 fixture against Portugal. Dean Henderson's return from loan meant that for the first time in his United career, De Gea had an actual competitor for the number one spot.
And compete they did. Henderson proved to be a step ahead, keeping 13 clean sheets in 26 games, conceding just 22 goals on his way to this remarkable tally. Meanwhile, the United veteran could only manage 12 clean sheets in 36 games, conceding more than double the amount of his counterpart, with 46 goals.
With Henderson just 24-year-old and already eating up his minutes in his prime years, De Gea's time at the top of the pyramid might come to a premature end. The only United goalkeeper to win the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award, and the only one to do it thrice in a row, De Gea only has this pre-season to prove his worth.
#2 Donny van de Beek
Donny van de Beek, at 24 years of age, is still years away from his prime. However, if his first season at United is of any significance, the Dutch midfielder might just not reach his true potential. A highly coveted player, back in his Ajax days, Van de Beek was very close to joining Real Madrid last season, as confirmed by the player himself. As a result, his arrival at the 'Theatre of Dreams' was hugely anticipated. What followed was a total mishap.
A number six by style, Van de Beek has commendable control of the ball and loves to drift into the opposition's box to act as a box-to-box midfielder. Understandably, he was signed up as a cover for the ever-brilliant Bruno Fernandes. But United's dependence on their Portuguese talisman, coupled with Van de Beek's difference in stature, spelled disaster for the newcomer.
As expected, his minutes got shortened and most of his appearances in the famous red shirt, came as a substitute. While Solskjær refused to somehow incorporate the 24-year-old into his system, the former Ajax man could not replicate Fernandes' output in his limited game time.
Van de Beek is still very young and capable of adapting. Whether he will be able to slither his way into the first team or will end up on the chopping board is a question for the future. But a strong pre-season will only help the player's cause.
#1 Anthony Martial
Perhaps the most obvious inclusion on this list, Anthony Martial has had a disappointing 2020/21 season to his standards. The Frenchman could only rack up 14 goal involvements in the 36 appearances he made for the Red Devils. After 4 seasons of mixed bag performances, Martial really burst onto the scene in the 2019/20 season, firing 23 goals and providing a further 12 assists to wrap up his most productive year at United. Many thought that he had finally settled into life in Manchester. But after seeing his previous year's antics, his 2019/20 form can be labeled as a false positive.
Due to a lack of depth and quality in United's wings, Martial was often deployed on the left flank to create chances for either Marcus Rashford or Mason Greenwood. He was able to produce a decent output but it soon became evident that his preferred position was at the center. Nevertheless, a 34-year-old Edinson Cavani was able to dethrone him in his favored spot, moments after his arrival.
With the right flank already sorted with the acquisition of Jadon Sancho and Rashford thriving on the left wing, Martial has to rethink his options. It is quite apparent that Greenwood is considered a long-term fix for United at center. And with Cavani firing on all cylinders, Martial will have to force his way into Solskjær's plans.
