Manchester United have completed their first leg of the pre-season tour after games against Rosenborg and Rangers in Norway and Scotland respectively.
A win and a loss with some encouraging performances and plenty of players getting 45 minutes of action is a good start.
Now, the team will fly out to the USA for the next leg of the pre-season, with three fixtures awaiting them including two marquee ones against Arsenal and Liverpool, plus an interesting battle against Real Betis.
As the team gets deeper into the season, a lot more players are expected to return from their extended holidays after Copa America and Euros, meaning many youngsters who played these two games might not fly to the USA.
However, these three talents have shown enough in these two games to prove that they deserve to be on the plane to the USA-
(Note: Players like Toby Collyer and Ethan Wheatley, who were already expected to be part of the traveling squad, are not included).
Sam Murray
Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia are expected to be fit to start competitive games, while Harry Amass has long been tipped to break through and challenge the pair for the left-back spot.
Sam Murray has gatecrashed the party and staked his own claim for the spot, making the fight even more fierce.
Murray started both pre-season games, meaning he played in what was technically Erik ten Hag’s “first-choice” team, as mainly youngsters and reserves played in the second half of both games.
Notably, Amass came off the bench for Murray in both games, which means he might have been leapfrogged already.
He will be 20 in September so the clock is ticking for him to establish himself at Old Trafford, if he can at all. The first two games have been a good indication that he is taking the fight head-on and is determined to make Ten Hag’s choice even tougher.
After performing well in the two games, a continued ascent in form against better opponents in the USA could be the key to unlocking the first-team door out of nowhere.
Maxi Oyedele
We discussed earlier that even though Toby Collyer has earned the most plaudits, Oyedele has been quietly impressive in midfield these two games.
His assist for Joe Hugill after breaking through the lines with dribbling and then playing a progressive pass is exactly what United had been missing until Kobbie Mainoo came along.
As a natural ball-playing No. 6, he brings a different skill set to the table than the combative, defense-first mindset of Collyer.
They complemented each other superbly at the U21s level and a step to the senior team looks like a natural progression now.
He might not be as far along as Collyer in his breakout, but a good performance in the USA should open doors for him to land a high-profile loan move. He has earned that much.
Habeeb Ogunneye
Amidst the explosion of left-backs at United all of a sudden, it has gone under the radar that beyond Diogo Dalot, United’s right-back options look less than convincing.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka has failed to stand out in his two pre-season outings and the noise around his future refuses to go away.
Enter Habeeb Ogunneye, who has arguably outshone his senior counterpart in both games with his attacking intensity, calmness on the ball, and defensive instinct.
He played the second half of both games so he was playing in the more inexperienced batch but that didn’t stop him from impressing.
It is a huge advantage for him that he plays a position that is arguably up for grabs in the senior setup as it stands. Now it’s up to him to take that chance, and that begins by impressing in the USA.