MAN CITY – MU Kevin De Bruyne lift
Man City – MU Kevin De Bruyne lifts the Man City Community Shield Credit: Reuters/Toby Melville MU
MAN CITY There were more new
Community Shield There were more new Manchester United signings wear Holding gold and letting it fall ing suits in the Royal Box at Wembley than there were in the first gl cruel cycle
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there are encouraging indicators for Man Utd’s new chapter This might be how it is for a wh English Super Cup ile still now for the new Ineos executive hires: chief executive Omar Berrada, sporting director D Man City – MU
COMMUNITY SHIELD There were, Roy Kean
Man City There were, Roy Keane would say on ITV pundit duty, reasons for Uni MU ted to be upbeat if Ten Hag’s squad could stay injury-free – which is abo Community Shield
HOLDING GOLD AND LETTING IT FALL Erik ten Hag console
Holding gold and letting it fall Erik ten Hag consoles Lisand cruel cycle ro Martinez after the match Credit: Getty Images/Neal Simpson there are encouraging indicators for Man Utd’s new chapter
CRUEL CYCLE They endured a first
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There were more new Manchester United signings wearing suits in the Royal Box at Wembley than there were in the first glimpse of Erik ten Hag’s team for this latest chapter, of the revival or otherwise of the deposed kings of the English game.
This might be how it is for a while still now for the new Ineos executive hires: chief executive Omar Berrada, sporting director Dan Ashworth and technical director Jason Wilcox. They were assembled on public display for one of the first times, after the various wrangling over departures, and the United performance they watched will not have been discouraging.
There were, Roy Keane would say on ITV pundit duty, reasons for United to be upbeat if Ten Hag’s squad could stay injury-free – which is about as much as United might hope for at this stage. Less than 80 days earlier they had found a way to beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final. This time Ten Hag’s players endeavoured to do the same again in the Community Shield and fell just short.
They endured a first 30 minutes when they could scarcely get the ball from a City team without many of its biggest names. Later United would create much better chances. Against the better sides, and there are a few in the Premier League, it will be a case of finding a way. Yet there are not many ways past a team of the quality of City, who equalised through Bernardo Silva’s 89th-minute header and have years and years of success propelling them forward.
This is the standard to which United aspire – as demonstrated by the fact that Berrada and Wilcox both built their reputations at City. The club have made a big call to stay with Ten Hag, a manager who still feels like he may be glancing nervously over his shoulder, whatever assurances have been made. It will take years to rebuild the empire – if that is what is to happen – and establish some order over the playing style, and this strange assortment of players. In the meantime this kind of performance would not be a bad compromise for United.
They struggled through the first half hour, in which a City team without Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo, Kyle Walker, John Stones, Rodri, and others bent their opponents out of shape. Later there would be a starring role for Oscar Bobb in creating the City equaliser. The 20-year-old Norwegian was one of a group of young academy players who started for Pep Guardiola. They included Rico Lewis and Nico O’Reilly, both 19; and the returning loanee James McAtee, 21. Even so City looked comfortable.
Yet United managed to hold them at bay and they did create the better chances. On the face of it this looked like the most improvised of sides – starting with Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans at centre-back and Lisandro Martinez at left-back. Matthijs De Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui are on their way and much rests on their success, as well as that of the new signing Joshua Zirkzee who did not come off the bench.
It might have been second choice, but it was United’s defence on this occasion that acquitted itself best. City created very few good chances while United had some of their own. In attack, Ten Hag tried a variation on the false nine theme again with Marcus Rashford and Amad Diallo high and wide and Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount joining them through the middle. Casemiro has had a full pre-season, Ten Hag said, which has benefited the player, and it all looked quite adequate.
There was a first run of substitutes just before the hour including Alejandro Garnacho, who would score United’s goal, Scott McTominay, Facundo Pellistri and the 20-year-old former Brighton academy boy Toby Collyer. By then there had been two chances for Rashford who just could not seem to find the focus to bury either, and an earlier opportunity for Mount. United looked competitive, if not dominant and they would have their moment.
The reality is they are back at the foot of the mountain, under new executive management, and just beginning the Berrada-Ashworth rebuild. Eventually, all but a few of these players will be ushered out before United get close to fulfilling what the vision might be. But for now the restrictions of their situation – and in particular the profit and sustainability rules – means that this squad is what they must work with, under the manager whom they have backed for now.
Garnacho’s goal, after a good run from Pellistri, was a confident few steps in from the left and a tidy strike at the near post. With eight minutes to go, the 2024 Wembley double over City was on. This was where the experience of Guardiola’s players saw them through. It was Bobb who created the opening on the right side and Silva’s well-taken header at the back post. Silva would miss a penalty in the shootout – City’s first – but Sancho let United back in when Ederson saved from the Englishman.
Jonny Evans skied United’s eighth penalty and Manuel Akanji would finish the job for City. Afterwards Ten Hag would defend Rashford in terms of his confidence, and Sancho’s readiness to take on these difficult moments. Ten Hag started his United career on the back foot two years ago this week – with those defeats to Brighton and then Brentford at the start of the season. He lost six of his first ten games at the start of last season.
He is yet to have a comfortable start to a United season, and should he do so third time around that would be a small improvement. Those are the kind of steps the new regime would surely accept for now.
