The pre-season stage is an opportunity for some Manchester United players to showcase their full potential and make a strong impression on coach Erik ten Hag. So, specifically, which stars need to overcome themselves during this phase?
Manchester United had a tremendously successful first season under Erik ten Hag, finishing third in the Premier League and ending a six-year trophy drought by winning the League Cup in late February. This promises a positive start to Ten Hag's rebuilding process at MU.
Here are the 7 players from Manchester United who need to make a strong impression on Ten Hag during the pre-season stage in the coming weeks to secure a place in his plans:
Sancho will definitely have to put in a lot of effort to justify the £73 million fee that Manchester United spent to bring him from Dortmund. After enduring the worst season in the Premier League era, which affected his performance as well, Sancho had a relatively improved second season. Both his appearances and goal tally increased compared to his first season. However, with the pressure of a high-value contract, Sancho still needs to demonstrate strong performance during the pre-season stage. Otherwise, he could potentially start the 2022/23 season as a substitute and, worse, face the risk of being sidelined.
The 23-year-old Czech goalkeeper signed a contract with Manchester United in 2018 and had an impressive period playing for the club's youth team before being loaned out to Swindon Town, Burton, and most recently, Sparta Prague. Kovar became the number one goalkeeper for Sparta Prague and won the Best Goalkeeper of the Season award in the Czech First League last season, keeping 10 clean sheets. Additionally, Kovar played a significant role in helping Sparta Prague win their first championship since 2014.
With Manchester United's goalkeeper situation currently undergoing some changes, the pre-season stage presents a good opportunity for Kovar to showcase his abilities.
At this time last season, it felt like Wan-Bissaka had one foot out of the door at Old Trafford. A year has swiftly passed, and now Wan-Bissaka is challenging Diogo Dalot for the right-back position. The pre-season stage is seen as an opportunity for Wan-Bissaka to further improve himself and gain an advantage in the competition with Dalot for the right-back position at Manchester United.
Both Sancho and Garnacho need to work harder
After a successful loan spell at Sunderland in the English Championship, where Amad scored 14 goals and provided an additional 4 assists, it is certain that this player has caught the attention of coach Ten Hag. Diallo's performance in the pre-season period could potentially determine the upcoming season for the Ivorian international. In other words, there is no better time than now for Diallo to make a strong impression on the Dutch coach.
18-year-old player Kobbie Mainoo from Stockport made his debut for Manchester United in the English League Cup match against Charlton at Old Trafford in December 2022. Perhaps Kobbie would have had more playing time towards the end of the past season if it weren't for the injury. Clearly, the pre-season period promises to be an opportunity for Kobbie to showcase all his best abilities and make a strong impression on coach Ten Hag.
Upon implementing Ten Hag's plans at the beginning of the previous season, a severe knee injury forced Van de Beek to reluctantly become bedridden for an extended period of time. If it weren't for the injury, Van de Beek would have undoubtedly played for Manchester United across multiple fronts. The pre-season period could be a great opportunity for Van de Beek to reclaim his place in the Manchester United lineup.
With 3 goals in 19 appearances in the previous Premier League season, the 2004-born midfielder managed to make an impact. The upcoming season could be completely different for the young Argentine player. Garnacho needs to seize the upcoming pre-season period to prove that he will be a reliable choice for coach Ten Hag, thereby solidifying his position at Manchester United.
