BANGKOK – Manchester United are set to face Liverpool tonight in their first match under Erik ten Hag. The Dutchman is hoping to secure victory as he looks to make his mark at Old Trafford, having already impressed players in training.
However, he’s without a number of players he’d ideally like to have at the current moment in time.
David De Gea is expected to start in goal for United.
The Spain international is a stalwart at Old Trafford and impressed last term, managing to keep Dean Henderson at bay – who has since proceeded to join Nottingham Forest.
It’s possible Diogo Dalot will play at right-back, with Ten Hag hoping to get the best from the Portugal international.
While they still have Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Dalot is more in line with what his new manager wants due to his prowess going forward.
At left-back, Ten Hag is primed to start Tyrell Malacia – who remains their only summer signing so far.
Harry Maguire, too, should feature despite the England international only just returning from his holidays.
Five things to look out for
How strong does Ten Hag go?
With no significant signing through the door yet there is no point in debating United’s strongest XI as they do not have one. It is a match between incomplete and complete squads; as Liverpool conducted all of their meaningful business before July.
United arrived in Bangkok a day earlier than Liverpool but it is the same porous defence as last season, the same underwhelming midfield and an attack devoid of its only dependable goalscorer. United have 31 players in Thailand and Liverpool 37 and substitutions are set to be unlimited, which is perhaps just as well for United’s sake.
Does Malacia start?
It was an area in need of improvement but one of the last positions United needed to reinforce was left-back. Luke Shaw has more credible competition in Tyrell Malacia, seven years younger than the aimless Alex Telles, and for the sake of variety, a start for the Dutchman would be welcomed as he is the sole signing in a squad that does not give supporters much confidence.
What formation?
Erik ten Hag does not have the personnel but he does have the framework for his favoured formation ahead of the new season that is only 26 days away.
If United are to operate in a 4-2-3-1, then Scott McTominay, Fred and Bruno Fernandes are familiar with that. If it is 4-3-3 then Fernandes would have to adapt but it might benefit the surfeit of left-sided forwards who would have freedom to roam.
Ultimately, this match is more beneficial for the United commercial department than the football figures. It is an underwhelming squad responsible for the club’s worst season in decades and the only addition is the fourth senior left-back available to Ten Hag.
Start of salvation?
There is no chance United will sell all of the wantaways and the players the club want away in the next seven weeks. Dead wood will linger and certain individuals performing across the tour would at least soften the blow.
Primarily, it is defenders. Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Telles, Eric Bailly and Axel Tuanzebe is a balanced back four. Individually, all are surplus for umpteen reasons.
United would likely need a fifth centre half for the new season, so one of Bailly, Tuanzebe and the indestructible-yet-destructible Phil Jones could be needed regardless of whether Lisandro Martinez comes in.
Returns
United invested £135million in Anthony Martial, Donny van de Beek and Amad and all three were loaned out in January. United had arranged for Amad to be loaned to Feyenoord in the Eredivisie in August before it collapsed and he did not hack it with Rangers in Scotland. United are now focused almost entirely on the Dutch transfer market.
Van de Beek is Dutch, played for Ajax and under Ten Hag yet there has been little fanfare about their reunion and a lot would have to happen for him to start the season against Brighton. Fernandes’s vlog with Martial could come back to haunt both, as well as the United social media team.
