Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United: pace, pace, pace!
By Ali Akbar
Pre-season is well underway for Manchester United, and fans already know exactly what to expect from their playstyle next season: pace.
Manchester United thrashed Leeds United 4-0 in the second fixture of their summer tour in Australia.
Youngster Mason Greenwood grabbed the opening goal – his first for the senior team – after poking home a low cross by new signing Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who earned his first assist in a red shirt.
Marcus Rashford doubled United’s lead before half time after a terrific bit of skill, dummying past the entire Leeds defence before slotting the ball under the keeper.
The Red Devils were just as dangerous in the second half, with Phil Jones adding to his side’s goal tally with a powerful header from an Andreas Pereira corner.
Anthony Martial sealed the 4-0 victory from the spot after Tahith Chong was brought down in the box, making it the perfect pre-season friendly.
However, what was most impressive about United on the day was not the goals themselves but how the got into the positions that led to these chances.
In the past, United have often been lethargic on the ball, passing it side to side, waiting for an opening before either passing it back to David de Gea or losing the ball entirely.
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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side are a far cry from United of the last few seasons – the players were constantly bombing up and down the pitch and were always looking to run onto the ball to get into scoring positions.
United have had pace in the squad before in the form of Rashford and Martial, but previous managers had never played to their strengths.
Solskjaer has recruited even more pacey players in the form of Wan-Bissaka and Daniel James, who proved too much for Leeds and will no doubt cause problems for Premier League sides next season.
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With Greenwood and Tahith Chong also featuring prominently this pre-season, it’s safe to say that Solskjaer has one word on his mind going into next season: pace.