Manchester United 2-0 Rangers: Five things noticed, including underrated one to watch

Manchester United have an underrated one to watch this summer as Erik ten Hag’s men defeated Rangers 2-0 in their second pre-season friendly of 2024.

Erik ten Hag opted to hand Leny Yoro his unofficial debut for Manchester United as the side lined up to face Rangers in game two of the club’s pre-season.

United looked much more positive in comparison to their opening fixture of the summer against Rosenborg, with those such as Jadon Sancho, Toby Collyer, and Amad Diallo impressing.

Read More: Player Ratings – Manchester United vs Rangers (pre-season)

After half an hour, it was Amad himself who opened the scoring against his former club, cutting inside from the right-wing byline to beat his man before slotting a rocket shot with his left foot past Jack Butland and into the bottom left-hand corner.

In the second half, all 10 outfield players switched at half-time, with only André Onana continuing in goal. Ten Hag continued to ensure that he maximised the minutes of all his players.

The second half started fairly slowly, but the game kicked into life when Joe Hugill smashed in the club’s second goal from the edge of the area to the underside of the bar and in after 70 minutes.

#1 – Yoro’s smooth first minutes

Following his signing earlier this week, Yoro was afforded his first minutes in a United shirt as he partnered with Jonny Evans against the Scottish outfit. He looked comfortable on the ball in the opening minutes, and 10 minutes in, he delivered a fantastic cross-field ball for Sam Murray to run onto.

He also chipped in with a few well-timed tackles and blocks and looked immediately well-tuned with his teammates. He was always making himself available for receiving a pass, and looked to make proactive but sensible decisions both with and without the ball.

Like all others who started, Yoro came off after 45 minutes and very much showed fans a glimpse into why United went toe-to-toe with Real Madrid and forked out £52 million for his signing.

#2 – Sancho’s bright return

Playing on his preferred left-wing position, Sancho was lively and looked to combine with Mount over the first 45 minutes at Murrayfield. As the match progressed, Sancho started to look more and more comfortable on the ball and was popping up on both sides of the pitch.

More than anything, Sancho looked confident with the ball at his feat. Granted that it was only pre-season, but considering his last 24 months at the club have not been what any footballer would have wanted, every minute counts.

Even if Sancho does not establish himself as a starting player at Old Trafford, his clear talent can provide the club with creative options across the season.

#3 – Amad’s proving Ten Hag right

Earlier this summer, it was detailed that Amad had become an integral part of Ten Hag’s squad following his good performances at the end of last campaign, and against Rangers, he proved why he deserves the increased responsibility.

📊 | Amad vs Rangers:

45 minutes
41 touches
25/29 successful passes
6 touches in opp. box
3 chances
2 shots
1 goal

Star. 💫 pic.twitter.com/5HKvhHwkHj

— UtdDistrict (@UtdDistrict) July 20, 2024

Scoring the opening goal of the first half, Amad was by far the side’s most lively player on the pitch, looking to create and shoot where he could. He will likely go into 2024/25 as the club’s starting right winger.

#4 – Collyer is one to watch

While many of United’s more established young stars, such as Amad and Yoro, were certainly the headline acts, Collyer must be given a mention for his performance.

The 20-year-old was one of United’s best players in the second half against Rosenborg, having been handed the captain’s armband. He was rewarded with a start over Hannibal against Rangers.

He was once again very good at the base of midfield alongside Casemiro, keeping himself composed and calm in tight spaces. He may be one to watch to make his competitive debut this season should United need midfield reinforcements across 2024/25.

#5 – Onana needs sharpness

After Radek Vitek’s stellar game against Rosenborg, the bar was set high as André Onana returned to the fold under Ten Hag, and it is clear that the Cameroon international is in need of some further match sharpness.

On multiple occasions, Onana’s long passing seemed a little wayward, although he looked solid when saving shots on goal. It will simply be a case of the player needing to find his range again after eight weeks off after the FA Cup final at the end of last campaign.

He will fly with the rest of the squad as they face Arsenal, Real Betis, and Liverpool in the USA before playing Manchester City in the 2024 Charity Shield on Saturday, 10 August.

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