Erik ten Hag Comes Up With A New Idea For Manchester United.

In the first matchup between Manchester United and Wolves one week from today, Erik ten Hag

thinks that a few starting spots are still out for grabs. After yesterday’s final preseason game, he

could be a little clearer.

The team chosen by United to face Bilbao on Sunday was essentially a backup group after they

fielded their top lineup to defeat RC Lens at Old Trafford on Saturday.

No matter how well most players performed, it seemed unlikely that they would push their way into

the starting lineup for the first game of the season, which was a fair assessment for the majority of

those who started at Aviva Stadium.

But not everyone experienced that. Although the United manager may be familiar with the majority

of his starting line-up against Wolves, there are still question marks over who will start at right-

back and in central attack.

 

The defense argument must be the strongest. Although Aaron Wan-Bissaka is not far behind and

once again shone against Bilbao, Diogo Dalot likely just beat out the competition during the

preseason.

Both players have yet to establish their supremacy at the position, therefore who starts at right-

back may depend as much on the teams they face as it may on their individual qualifications.

Yesterday, Wan-Bissaka once again sparkled with his defensive performance and superb game

reading, but again came up short with his progressive play as his side attempted to go up the pitch.

Although in games where there is an onus, the 25-year-old is still very much a specialist defensive

full-back, possibly the finest in the entire division for one-on-one duels. He remains an awkward fit.

It is particularly intriguing before the Wolves game given that Ten Hag must decide between the

safer defensive option of Wan-Bissaka to guarantee there are no opening day dropped points and

the greater aggressive threat of Dalot for a contest they are anticipated to dominate.

 

United has another selection conundrum during an attack. Rasmus Hojlund, a summer acquisition,

is anticipated to miss the first two games, thus the front three that started against Lens last

weekend are the most likely candidates.

In the absence of a true center-forward, Marcus Rashford is the most threatening attacker;

Alejandro Garnacho looked lively on the left; and Antony is still the only viable option on the right wing.

It implies that Jadon Sancho will probably have to make do with a spot on the bench, which is

possibly the kind of tough love he requires if he’s ever going to live up to his immense potential.

The 23-year-old’s performance versus Bilbao yesterday extended his strong preseason, though once

again it was as a false nine rather than as a central attacking threat.

When it mattered most, he lacked the conviction to score when you’d expect a striker to, despite

having excellent movement and mobility in the final third that allowed him to get behind the

defense.

 

Sancho also stood out for his off-the-ball work, making deft runs to expose the defense of the

opposition while also tracking back to help his team recover the ball when it was lost.

The second is that, despite being a solid forward option, Sancho sparkled last summer before a

challenging season followed. As such, it could be better if Ten Hag lets him earn any opportunities

rather than rewarding him when there is still work to be done.

United had two open jobs, and any one might be filled.