The dress rehearsals are all done. The preparations are nearly over. The next time Manchester United take to the field it will be for real and we will quickly see how far they have come in just a few short weeks.
New manager Erik ten Hag has already made a positive start to life in the United hot seat. Despite being hamstrung by Cristiano Ronaldo's desire to leave and a slow transfer window, he already looks to have imposed a structured, creative and exciting style of play on his team while beginning to rebuild shattered confidence levels.
A full pre-season has been priceless for the Dutchman in that regard, while the six matches and weeks away on tour have allowed him to really assess his squad closely and settle on which players will be crucial to his set-up, those that will be on the periphery and the ones which will be ushered out of the door. With United getting their Premier League campaign underway on Sunday against Brighton, there is little time left for anyone to change his mind.
