Man United ended their pre-season schedule with another trophy after a penalty shootout win against Fiorentina.
Samuel joined the Manchester Evening News in 2014 and is the Chief Manchester United writer. He has broken exclusives on Jose Mourinho’s appointment, the re-signing of Cristiano Ronaldo, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s sacking, the club’s interest in Ralf Rangnick and Erik ten Hag, as well as numerous other transfers and team news. He has represented the MEN on the BBC, Sky News, Sky Sports News, TalkSport, Radio 5 Live, CNN and various other media outlets worldwide.
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Sesko lines up with his fellow summer signings
Having commemorated the old and the new at their renovated Carrington hub on Friday, the theme continued at Old Trafford on Saturday. Manchester United supporters welcomed Benjamin Sesko and bid a formal farewell to David de Gea.
As there was a cup to play for, De Gea was withdrawn before the shootout. During his United career, he once conceded 40 consecutive spotkicks, the nadir coming with the 11 that flew past him in the 2021 Europa League final. De Gea did save one on his final appearance for the club at Old Trafford. He was granted a rapturous standing ovation upon his removal.
United completed a cup double: the Premier League Summer Series and Snapdragon Cup. Neither should adorn any of the alcoves the players walk past on the new stairwell at Carrington. They still played ‘Glory glory Man United’. Any excuse.
The attack is boxed off for United in this transfer window but uncertainty remains over the goalkeeper. Andre Onana, absent for their entire pre-season schedule, expects to be fit for the visit of Arsenal next Sunday. Altay Bayindir’s United career is memorable only for his penalty saves in the FA Cup win at Arsenal and his denial decided the shootout.
All four of United’s summer recruits were paraded before kick-off, each afforded a flattering introduction. The loudest cheer was predictably reserved for Sesko, barely two hours after his £73.62million signing was confirmed.
The players soon emerged and the Stretford End burst into a chorus of “Bruno, Bruno, Bruno”. Despite more than £200million invested in the attack, United matchgoers are particularly grateful to Fernandes for sticking around for another season.
Sesko will not struggle to make the starting XI next week. Ruben Amorim selected a strikerless side for the second match running and a United player did not get on the scoresheet until the spotkicks.
The start was played at the glacial pace of Glyndebourne when United ought to be prepared for a Glastonbury experience against Arsenal next week. The walking football was punished in the seventh minute through Simon Solomon Junior Sohm’s half-volley direct from a corner that drifted towards the edge of the area.
Amorim has not had a consistent back three across pre-season. Leny Yoro has started in four of the five friendlies but this was Harry Maguire’s and Ayden Heaven’s second starts of the schedule. Heaven limped off in the second half, which could deprive him of a start against his former club and pave the way for the lean Luke Shaw to be recalled.
Fernandes immediately demanded more urgency from teammates following the opening goal and United burst into De Gea’s area for the first time. United’s most threatening attempts tended to come from defenders. Yoro and Maguire drew routine stops from De Gea.
As late as the 79th minute, Fernandes was cajoling the sheepish Patrick Dorgu, at risk of regressing. A minute later, Dorgu charged towards De Gea with more gusto than he had displayed in nearly 80 minutes.
United’s only senior striker cannot get in the team as he is on his way out. Amorim is no longer concealing his distrust of Rasmus Hojlund, benched for the third game out of five in pre-season and second in succession. To add insult to injury, Mason Mount, recruited as a central midfielder two years ago, was picked up front.
Mount, possibly picked on the strength of his wonderful hit against Everton in Atlanta, has played in four different positions now for United. This still reflected more damningly on Hojlund, a sellable asset United are actively seeking buyers for. Hojlund was in a carefree mood during his warm up, opting for some ball juggling. He was completely unused.
Given Mount has done little of note playing in positions he is familiar with in two years at United, he was never going to cut it in an unforgiving role so alien to him. The experiment lasted 45 minutes and Bryan Mbeumo moved up front for the second half.
It would have been more beneficial for the players and signings to operate in the system with an actual striker up top and it spoke volumes that the equaliser was an own goal. The support striker for Sesko is Joshua Zirkzee, still injured and neither here nor there. Amorim considers him more of a No.10.
De Gea marked his return with a reenactment of some of his iffy keeping in his first United season as he was bundled over from a corner. The ball bounced in off Robin Gosen’s noggin amid a challenge from Yoro, who sympathetically helped his counterpart back to his feet.
Mbeumo and Amad are quickly developing a telepathic partnership on the right-hand side. Cunha was not as prominent and held a lengthy conflab with Amorim during a stoppage in the 31st minute. Fernandes headed over a few minutes later for some additional guidance.
Fernandes scored for the fourth time this pre-season in the shootout. There was nothing new there.