They’re regarded as the biggest club in the world.
Mason Mount, the latest big-money signing for Manchester United, started in the Scottish capital as United’s new No.7 as he continued to bed in around his new team-mates. Erik ten Hag’s side forked out £55million for the Chelsea academy product. There is hope among the United faithful that the England international will be the missing glitzy piece in the midfield puzzle, eventually staring alongside Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro in the centre of the park.
It’s just a shame the rest of their trip to Scotland wasn’t treated with such prestige.
Premier League giants United were in town today as they took to Scottish soil for the first time in 10 years at Scottish Gas Murrayfield for a friendly against Olympique Lyonnais. It was a sea of Red and White as supporters welcomed their heroes north of the border.
It’s difficult to be critical when there were over £300million-worth of players out on the field, but the entire match ultimately had a weird feeling about it. Maybe it’s because it was played at a ground that usually hosts rugby. Maybe it’s because there were two fairly random teams to face off in Edinburgh. There were a few factors, no doubt, but the overriding feeling was just strange.
As well as Mount, fellow major first-team players such as Antony, Lisandro Martinez, and Rafa Varane also started the game. The trio will likely play a key role in any success the club achieves in the next 12 months. Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Jadon Sancho have had their futures doubted since ten Hag arrived last year, but they too started. The entire XI was changed at half-time, minus the goalkeeper Matej Kovar.
The issue for many punters, certainly on social media upon the release of the squad list for the game, was the omission of the club’s real superstars. There was no Fernandes. There was no Marcus Rashford, fresh from signing a new mega-money contract. There was no five-time Champions League winner Casemiro.
And, most disappointingly from a Scottish perspective, there was no Scott McTominay.
The only Scot among the player ranks of either club, the midfielder was left at Carrington with the other names mentioned, as well as Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire. Darren Fletcher was the only other Scot in sight, on the coaching bench alongside the likes of Steve McLaren.
Of course, it will be said that these players returned to pre-season training late as a result of their international involvement last month.
However, McTominay, Bruno, and Rashford were all included in the promotional poster for the match. The marketing for the game couldn’t have been clearer in the sense.
With fans paying between £40-80 for tickets depending on the view, it’s understandable that some may have been a tad miffed. It didn’t stop the supporters from enjoying the occasion. For many, this would have been their first time seeing United in the flesh. The vast majority of the crowd was composed of young families looking to make the most of a summertime event. Walking into the ground two hours prior to kick-off, the excitement from the thousands of children in the vicinity of the area was clear to see. A large gathering welcomed the teams into Murrayfield’s main entrance, seeing the players up close, providing memories to last a lifetime for sure.
Although, as a lifelong follower of United, it brings me to this question. Why was there no coherence between the promotion and the actual reality of the game?
It was a typical pre-season match, with plenty of youth and fringe players heavily involved. Amad Diallo, who spent time on loan at Rangers in 2022, and Will Fish, who is due to return to Hibs for a second loan, featured. That’s fine, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. These fixtures are a useful exercise in getting minutes into the legs of players who need it and to gain match sharpness. They also provide the chance for new players to get bedded in a non-pressurised environment.
Don’t make the event out to be something it’s not though, that’s the overarching sentiment here. Understandably, both clubs and other stakeholders wanted to sell as many tickets as possible. But it’s not fair to advertise such global superstars coming to Scotland in the build-up, only for that not to be the case at all.
It’s quite certain not everyone will feel this way, but it’s reasonable to assume that some in the 48,000-strong crowd will feel rather short-changed. As stated, the enjoyment amongst a decent percentage of those in attendance will have been there and that’s great. But as for anyone who expected a free-flowing game with plenty of goals and the top players on show, well, they probably wished they’d stayed at home.
The game was separated by just one goal, which was delivered by a fine volleyed finish from Donny van de Beek. The Dutchman enjoyed a decent 45 minutes. If he can keep up the levels he displayed, it’s doubtful he’ll be rocking up at Celtic any time soon, put it that way.
The Old Trafford club will now embark on a trip to the United States to fulfil the remainder of their pre-season duties. It seems incredibly unlikely United will leave their big stars out of that one.
