Manchester United lost the final pre-season friendly of their tour to the U.S. to Liverpool 3-0, in front of 77,559 fans at the Williams-Brice Stadium – the largest attendance in the Carolinas for a football game.
Erik ten Hag’s team created many chances but were undone by Liverpool’s efficiency, and while the result is secondary to fitness and performance, the margin of the defeat, and United’s inability to score, does give food for thought.
United will have Bruno Fernandes, Lisandro Martinez, Alejandro Garnacho, Kobbie Mainoo, Luke Shaw, Diogo Dalot, Joshua Zirkzee back for the Community Shield against Manchester City on Saturday, but it was a game to show why Ten Hag wants reinforcements in certain areas.
Casemiro set to stay but United still want a new No 6
Casemiro’s future at United appeared very uncertain in the wake of the FA Cup final win, when he had reported a hamstring injury after the team-sheets were handed in at Wembley. There were talks with Saudi Arabia, one of the only destinations able to afford his wages, and the expectation was that his career would continue elsewhere.
But those conversations with Saudi have gone cold and Casemiro is now anticipated to be a United player into next season. His 90 minutes as captain against Liverpool showed as much, but his performance explained why United still want a new No 6 regardless.
He was beaten far too easily for Liverpool’s opening goal, running out to try and block Fabio Carvalho but succeeding only in over-committing himself, inviting his opponent to swerve the other way round him to finish. It was the same kind of approach that has seen him booked regularly for United, diving in rather than holding back. He went to ground twice in this game too, once being too late, the second winning the ball.
(Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
In possession, his short passing in midfield was wayward, twice in a matter of minutes shortly after the interval he gave the ball straight to a Liverpool player.
He did make positive contributions, scooping a pass to Mason Mount as he ran into the box. Mount took a touch and shot, drawing a good save from Caiomhin Kelleher. Casemiro also sprayed a pass to Marcus Rashford on the left wing to start a move that ended with Rashford testing Kelleher again. And he slipped a through ball to Ethan Wheatley, whose shot was saved by substitute goalkeeper Vitezslav Jaros.
But the reliability that Casemiro brought with him in his first season, especially in the middle of the park, is not there anymore.
This was toughest test yet for Amass and Collyer
During the tour Harry Amass and Toby Collyer have got extended minutes, enough to suggest they will be around the first-team squad at the start of the season, but each got their toughest examination against Liverpool.
Amass was up against Mohamed Salah, and Collyer faced an energetic midfield. They both were involved in Liverpool’s second goal, with Collyer trying a scoop pass under pressure to Amass and Rashford on the left that was overhit. Conor Bradley collected the ball and sent it forward to Salah, who was one on one with Collyer due to Amass advancing. Salah beat Collyer and squared for Curtis Jones to tap in. In that moment, United had become loose in their shape.
But Amass, 17, mainly did well against Salah, intercepting in the first half when the Egyptian tried to ghost inside him, and sprinting back to slide tackle him in the box in the second half then come away with the ball. Amass should have got another assist on this tour when his cross found Scott McTominay, but Jaros made a good save.
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Collyer showed his aggression off the ball, at one point early on nipping in to steal possession and set up Mount, whose shot was hard but too close to Kelleher.
The young duo linked up on a couple of occasions. First to the frustration of Bradley, who was taken out by Collyer then hit in the head with the ball by Amass as he lay on the floor. It may have been a friendly, but they were showing rivalry bite.
Later, Collyer hit a pass out to Amass on the wing, who slowed the move down then released the ball back to Collyer as he sprinted into the box. Collyer burst through and shot with his left, but Kelleher brushed the ball wide with his fingertips.
All in all, this was a beneficial learning experience for the pair.
Missed chances show need for a true striker
Jadon Sancho played false nine again, and had some good moments, but the need for a true striker was made clear with United squandering numerous opportunities.
United have failed to score against their Premier League opponents since Rasmus Hojlund went off injured early on against Arsenal, and the six weeks he is due to be out will creep along based on this evidence.
(Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
Zirkzee fits the bill, but he is new to England and scored 11 in Serie A last season, so is not a guaranteed source of goals. United have weighed up a move for a centre-forward with Premier League experience, including Ivan Toney and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, but had made the call that a major sale was needed before pressing ahead.
That is unlikely to change in the final weeks before the August 30 transfer deadline, with Ten Hag insisting United will “stick to the plan”, but the debate may be reprised at least.
After the game, Ten Hag said Fernandes is an option up top in the meantime.
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