United have been relatively comfortable this preseason, bar a loss to a MSN-led Barcelona team. New boys Lukaku and Lindelof are gaining more chemistry with the team and this preseason has seen time given to youngsters such as Fosu-Mensah, McTominay, and more. While the team as a whole has been performing quite well, there are a few standout players from this summer’s tour.
Andreas Pereira
United fans must be close to begging Jose Mourinho to give the young Brazilian real minutes this season. Silky and technically gifted, Pereira has been a breath of fresh air for Manchester United this summer. Coming off a relatively successful loan at Granada, Pereira looks ready to contribute to the side. His creativity and close control in tight spaces could be a serious asset of the bench. Because he’s able to play as a 10, a winger, a box to box midfielder, or even as a deep lying playmaker, Andreas Pereira is practically a new signing for this United team. Let’s hope Mourinho is as eager to see him develop as the rest of us.
Paul Pogba
This one is obvious. Pogba seems ready to pick up where he left off last season at United. Over the course of this summer’s games, he’s combined a range of passing reminiscent of Paul Scholes with his incredible athleticism and brilliant footwork. With a proper preseason under his belt, Pogba should be able to dominate the midfield much more regularly for United, especially if they bring in a true holding midfielder (see Matic).
Romelu Lukaku
Grabbing a bullet header against Valerenga gave Lukaku his third goal this preseason. Seeing his name regularly on the scoresheet is why United paid such big money for the Belgian marksman. More than just goals, his workrate seems to have doubled under Mourinho, a coach renowned for his admiration of defensive work from attacking players. At Everton, Lukaku rarely chased down opposing centre-backs or fullbacks. But now, even in games which hold very little weight, he’s been seen hunting down loose touches from the opposition. An even better version of the Lukaku who scored 25 goals last season? United will love that.
Scott McTominay
What a year he’s had. His sudden growth spurt and technical development landed him on this tour and he’s taken his opportunities with grace and calm. He’s quite Carrick-esque in the way he caresses the ball from teammate to teammate. But, unlike United’s new captain, he’s quite athletic and mobile, which has helped him enforce the midfield press that Mourinho enjoys so much. McTominay has the potential to be a future holding midfielder, perhaps alongside Fosu-Mensah. At the very least, he’s done nothing to hurt his chances of earning more playing time this season.
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