Two games. Two wins. Eight goals scored. Just one goal conceded.
It has been a positive start to life in charge of Manchester United for new manager Erik ten Hag. The Dutchman oversaw his second victory in as many pre-season matches on Friday, watching his side come from a goal down to beat Melbourne Victory 4-1 at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground.
United's defensive frailties from last season are still lingering, putting in an appearance with just five minutes gone, with Melbourne cutting the defence apart with a well-worked goal. But after Tom Heaton had picked the ball out of the back of the net, United refused to look back, dominating proceedings, even though a strict level of patience was required before Scott McTominay's deflected effort eventually opened the floodgates.
READ MORE: Christian Eriksen explains why he has joined Manchester United
Facing Melbourne was always going to represent a completely different challenge to the one that Liverpool served up just three days earlier in Bangkok. But despite the differences, with Melbourne choosing to sit deep and be compact, United, although they remain a long, long way from being the finished article under Ten Hag, passed both with relative ease.
Despite the differences, however, one element of each of United's opening two pre-season assignments has been the same: the performances of Jadon Sancho. The winger, who joined the Reds almost a year ago from Borussia Dortmund, has been impressive in the opening two matches of the Ten Hag era, proving razor-sharp and full of confidence.
Sancho, who was left out of the England squad for last month's Nations League fixtures, has, arguably, been United's standout performer of their pre-season tour so far, scoring against Liverpool and proving menacing against Melbourne. But his brilliance has come on the opposite flank to where you would have expected him to grab Ten Hag's attention.
Although his goal against Liverpool came as a result of him having drifted inside from the left, Sancho has spent almost all of his two 45-minute run-outs so far in pre-season on the right. He started on the right flank against Liverpool, with Marcus Rashford taking up residency on the left, while Anthony Elanga was deployed on the left flank against Melbourne.
Doubling up with Diogo Dalot, just as he did in Bangkok, Sancho, who produced the best of his football in United colours last season from the left, was a constant threat in the first-half against Melbourne, with the bulk of the Reds' attacks coming from the right side of the pitch. The 22-year-old was United's main source of creativity, seeing plenty of the ball and creating opportunities for his teammates. He supplied the pass for Dalot to tee up Anthony Martial for United's second goal.
While it is important not to get too carried away after just two pre-season friendlies, where the intensity and competitiveness are not as high, it is impossible to ignore Sancho's opening two showings. He has been lively, threatening and, above all else, confident. He looks hungry to succeed and is already thriving from the way that Ten Hag wants to play.
Playing in a fluid front-three littered with pace and trickery is the perfect environment for Sancho to thrive; he is a player who loves nothing more than running at opponents, putting defenders on the back foot and showcasing himself in an attack-minded system.
Ten Hag, as expected, has already adopted a 4-3-3 system where the onus is on wide players to attack with purpose and impose themselves. Sancho is already benefitting from that and proving that he has the potential to become a key player in the style his manager is trying to implement.
Considering United still want to bring in a right-sided winger in this summer's transfer window, it remains to be seen whether Sancho will switch back across to the left once the competitive action starts next month. But if his opening two performances of pre-season have been anything to go by, Ten Hag might be happy to allow him to continue as his first choice right-winger, certainly for now. He looks comfortable in the role and is most certainly giving his manager food for thought.
But given that Rashford, who stepped off the bench against Melbourne, and Martial have also scored in pre-season already, it suggests that Ten Hag's approach and way of playing is having a positive impact on all of his forwards. It remains early days, but the Dutchman is threatening to get a likeable tune out of the former Dortmund sensation.
READ NEXT:
