Erik ten Hag, Manchester United's manager, criticized his players for their lack of fitness and stated that their performance was "not the standard for top football" after the team suffered a humiliating loss to Rosenborg in Norway on the opening day of the preseason.
This culminated in a humiliating 3-0 defeat to Liverpool, their archrivals, in South Carolina.
In between, the team secured victories over Rangers and Real Betis and a 2-1 loss to Arsenal, precipitated by the long-term injuries of Rasmus Hojlund and Leny Yoro.
Despite their impressive performances at the European Championship and Copa America, numerous key players could not contribute. They have less than a week to prepare for the Community Shield against Manchester City.
In the most recent FA Cup final, United emerged victorious over City, resulting in a significant upset that ultimately secured Ten Hag's employment. United, however, feels like the underdogs heading into Saturday, particularly after City thrashed Chelsea 4-2 in their final pre-season game.
The pre-season is, at best, a time-waster, albeit one that United was unable to govern due to the absence of so many significant players. In the worst-case scenario, it has depleted the already scarce resources and diminished the enthusiasm for the forthcoming campaign.
Most unfavorable season in the past six years
This preseason campaign has been United's most unsuccessful since 2018-19, the final season of Jose Mourinho's tenure at the club. During that disheartening campaign, which also featured a substantial loss to Liverpool, United secured only one victory out of six games.
The Portuguese's dissatisfaction with the club's hierarchy was evident during the pre-season tour and inevitably permeated the season, culminating in Mourinho's dismissal before Christmas.
Although the outcomes may have been marginally superior this time, the injuries sustained by Yoro and Hojlund render the situation even more dismal than Mourinho's previous preseason.
Yoro's arrival had elicited significant excitement among supporters, particularly as the club had secured his signature ahead of Real Madrid. He had made an impression during his debut against Rangers and was one of the tour's main attractions.
However, the 18-year-old's decision to transfer to Old Trafford from Santiago Bernabeu was ultimately reversed in the first half of the inaugural game of the tour against Arsenal, despite the diligent efforts United made behind the scenes.
An innocuous collision with Gabriel Jesus resulted in Yoro's foot breaking, necessitating his absence until November.
A metatarsal fracture is one of the most severe injuries that a competitor can sustain. In the lead-up to the 2002 and 2006 World Cups, David Beckham and Wayne Rooney sustained identical injuries. More recently, Lisandro Martinez sustained the same injury in April 2023.
Defense issues
The injury immediately terminated the Argentine's campaign and continued to plague him early in the subsequent season, necessitating a second foot operation in September. After returning to play only a few games, he subsequently sustained a severe knee injury.
The pursuit of Yoro was undoubtedly motivated by Martinez's injury issues. It was so exasperating for the Frenchman to succumb to the same injury in only his second appearance for the club.
After the Copa America, Martinez has recently resumed training with United.
United must hope that he remains unharmed during or before the Community Shield. Harry Maguire was absent from the Liverpool game as a precautionary measure, Jonny Evans, 36, was substituted at halftime due to illness, and Victor Lindelof was substituted as a precautionary measure too.
Will Fish, previously considered unlikely to be included in the first-team squad, was evacuated on a stretcher.
Consequently, Martinez is the sole central defender with no uncertainty regarding his fitness. And it will require some time for him to become acquainted with the material.
The United defense is in dire straits, as it conceded 58 goals in the league last season and had the second-highest number of attempts. Additionally, it was the second-worst backline in the Champions League group stage.
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