Erik ten Hag took charge of the final friendly match of pre-season as Manchester United drew with Rayo Vallecano 1-1 at Old Trafford.
It’s just under a week until the Red Devils face Brighton in the Premier League with this extra match being an opportunity for youngsters and fringe players to impress.
It also looks likely that this match will be used to sell any players who don’t fit under Erik Ten Hag’s plans or loan out youngsters who need time to develop.
Here are three things we learned from the match:
United have little to no depth at right back
It was clear to see from the first kick of the game that our options at right-back lack quality or experience.
Ethan Laird played in this position during the opening half of the match with Aaron Wan-Bissaka missing out on the squad.
It’s widely reported that both players will be leaving on loan and permanent transfer.
This will just leave Diogo Dalot as the only recognised right-back in the squad.
Brandon Williams has previous experience in this role but prefers to play at left-back.
It is clear to see from the final friendly fixture that Erik ten Hag needs to bring in another right-back before the transfer window closes at the end of next month.
An impressive debut for Lisandro Martinez
In what has been a pre-season full of different selections at centre-back, it’s starting to feel like we’re seeing the potential partnerships going forwards.
The Argentine who recently joined the club from Ajax put his stamp on the game and worked brilliantly next to Raphael Varane in the first half.
The 24-year-old looked composed on the ball throughout the match and didn’t put a foot wrong against a weak Spanish side.
He was replaced 60 minutes into the match with a quality first performance in Man United colours.
Youngsters continue to impress
Similar to the opening friendly fixture against Liverpool, the youngsters continued to impress as they decide their future with Ten Hag during the closing weeks of the transfer window.
Today’s players to impress include Alejandro Garnacho, who was very pacy in the attack with excellent runs to outpace Rayo Vallecano.
Despite the yellow card, James Garner also had a standout performance, protecting the back line in a defensive midfielder role.
Laird grew into the game after a difficult first half-performance but a loan move to Watford is on the cards for the youngster.
Isak Hansen-Aarøen joined in with the fun in the final five minutes of the match marking his first ever appearance for the senior team after an impressive time in the academy.
It’s now expected that Ten Hag will decide which players go out on loan or leave permanently as the pre-season campaign draws to a close.
