Regardless of how new the 'new' era at Manchester United actually transpires to be, it will begin in earnest on Tuesday as Erik ten Hag takes charge of his first game.
Debut opponents don't come much tougher than Liverpool, with the old foes facing off in a friendly in Thailand to kickstart their pre-season tours. Jurgen Klopp's side may have lost Sadio Mane this summer but they have been boosted by the signing of Darwin Nunez and will be a formidable first opponent for United, who in contrast have lost seven players in total - including Dean Henderson on loan and the retired Lee Grant - and only brought in a left-back so far.
Though a friendly, both sets of players will be hoping to get pre-season off to a positive start and United's stars will especially be looking to impress their new manager. Ten Hag has been running the rule over his players for the last few weeks in training but the game offers him the chance to see how they have taken to his instructions.
READ MORE: United are already listening to Klopp's advice on Ten Hag
It also gives the Dutchman the opportunity to experiment with his new side as he looks to figure out his strongest XI before the Premier League season begins anew. Though Tyrell Malacia is the only new arrival thus far there are plenty of potentially exciting new ideas Ten Hag could try in the game. Three of which are:
New midfield
Scott McTominay and Fred are probably United's first-choice midfielders at present coming off of last season but neither have the technical qualities on the ball that would seemingly suit them to a Ten Hag midfield, especially alongside each other. The new manager will be looking for his team to be patient in their build-up and that requires great passers.
As a result, we may see a new-look midfield for the first time at the Rajamangala Stadium, with returning loanees Donny van de Beek and James Garner potentially getting a chance. The pair are much better on the ball than the more defensively-minded Fred and McTominay and seem to be more in the mould of what Ten Hag would want in the middle of the park.
With neither Frenkie de Jong nor Chrisitan Eriksen through the door yet, Ten Hag will have to use what he has at present as he looks to impose his identity on the side but Garner and Van de Beek could immediately make United more proficient in possession.
Who plays up front?
A lack of signings has also left United severely light in attack, especially as Cristiano Ronaldo has not travelled to Thailand due to an ongoing family issue. With no signing in the position imminent, Ten Hag will again have to try out a few different options with the players already at his disposal.
The most obvious candidate, though he hasn't earned another chance there, is Marcus Rashford. He endured his worst ever campaign last term with just five goals but he has proven in the past to be more than capable in front of goal. Perhaps playing under a manager who will coach attacking patterns will help him finally flourish in the middle.
Another option is Anthony Martial, who deserves another chance even less. The Frenchman also struggled last year and flopped massively on loan at Sevilla. Yet he has also shown flashes of brilliance when leading the line. There may even be a chance of Bruno Fernandes finding himself in a more advanced position, playing in a false nine role.
It will certainly be interesting to see who Ten Hag chooses to spearhead the attack.
Youngsters
What fans will be most excited to see is if any of the club's promising youngsters will get a chance to impress the new manager and force their way into his plans for the forthcoming season. Ten Hag proved at Ajax he was more than willing to throw players into the deep end regardless of how young they were if they were good enough. Now it's up to those who have made the trip to prove that they are good enough.
Most eyes will be on last season's breakout star Alejandro Garnacho in the hope that he continues to build upon his excellent Youth Cup-winning season to be involved heavily this year. Garner, Amad, Facundo Pellistri, Ethan Laird, Hannibal Mejbri, Charlie Savage and Zidane Iqbal will also be eager for a chance.
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