After thumping La Galaxy once again, the 5-2 victory may not be the only sigh of relief United fans have. Nobody got injured. Perhaps the only similarity between van Gaal's time as United’s head coach and Mourinho’s first season would be the cruel number of injuries, especially long-lasting injuries that caused even the youthful players to take months off.
Now that the pre-season is underway, Mourinho seems to have a conservative tactic in place which even caused LA Galaxy stadium staff to extend the away team's bench capacity. United’s two major signings this year (Lukaku and Lindelof) played only in the second half, giving fans and critics alike only a glimpse of how they are settling in in one of the world’s biggest football clubs.
While this game may only be considered a practice game, it was clear that many players took the opportunity to try shine on the pitch as the starting 11 is still up in the air.
A striker trio
Arguably England’s most promising player over recent months, Rashford is still holding his own at Manchester United. He netted two goals, both in the bottom corner. Even though Zlatan may still remain at the club, it would be no surprise if Mourinho chooses to groom Rashford and put him into the starting line up. After all, Lukaku became notorious for scoring late goals at Everton, often being used as a super-sub.
There is no doubt that Pogba would be expected to play full 90-minute games, given both his talent and his age (24).
Having two world-class strikers and one rising star, each with their own flair and attributes, should bring out only the best in Pogba, and allow him to prove his worth after last year's record signing fee.
The road ahead
United will be playing one more U.S. club, (Real Salt Lake) which takes place later today. After which, their U.S.
tour will be in full swing as they then play Manchester City, Real Madrid, and Barcelona. Then it will be back to Europe for two more games before the Super Cup Final against Madrid on August 8. There is plenty of opportunity for the new signings to prove themselves.
As Michael Carrick took up Rooney’s captain mantle and Valencia stepped up to vice captain, the two most faithful midfield players for United will lead them against the best in Europe -- this being adequate preparation before United plays their first UEFA Champions League game in over a year.
As always at this time of year, there are constant rumors of player movement before the season starts. If the LA Galaxy game was anything to go by, United will look to play exciting football next year, but the two Galaxy goals that happened in quick succession were all too familiar. Manchester United’s defense needs to stay disciplined if the team wants to compete in the biggest formats football has to offer.
