Sunday, July 14, 2019

Glory in Perth?

Perth Glory were never really going to test Man United. But as pre-season games go, well it's a pretty good way to start.

Just look at the stats. No shots at goal for Glory. Almost 30 for the Red Devils.

But games like this one are a good opener. New signings Dan James and Aaron Wan-Bissaka got their first game (or half a game, actually) for United. Axel Tuanzebe donned a United jersey for the first time in a while, as did Joel Pereira. And the Academy grads got some time in as well.

That's not to mention James Garner getting his first senior goal. And what a goal it was. He showed excellent presence of mind and reading of the game to pick up that loose pass from the back, then score a screamer with his next touch.

Mason Greenwood and Angel Gomes played well, as did Tahith Chong. These guys are the future of United. And the future looks bright. Let's not forget that players like Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard and Andreas Pereira are still pretty young, even if it seems that they've been around for quite some time.

But, let's not get ahead of ourselves. It's just the first game of the Tour, and the season hasn't even started yet. Leeds United will be a bigger test for us. And then there're Internazionale and Spurs. Let's see how we do then. And it's not the result I'm talking about. It's how we play.

On the back of a disappointing season, these games will give us an idea of just how far we've come along.