The nine-hour flight from Bangkok to Melbourne will have been a happy one for Manchester United and new boss Erik ten Hag after their emphatic 4-0 win over arch rivals Liverpool.
The last time United were in Bangkok with a new manager, back in 2013 with David Moyes, they made a losing start to his ill-fated reign, going down 1-0 to a Thai Select XI in the same Rajamalanga Stadium. That defeat set the tone for Moyes’ doomed 10-month tenure, but Ten Hag left the Thai capital in upbeat mood, his players clearly having bought into his philosophy in the two weeks they have been working together.
The pre-match entertainment was provided by Hong Kong-born pop star Jackson Wang, who boasts 28.9milion Instagram followers. While most of the 50,000 fans in the stadium came to watch United and Liverpool, one supporter said his wife had only come to see Wang, her favourite singer, and was planning to leave before the game kicked off.
United have been back in pre-season a week longer than Liverpool and it showed in their superior sharpness and fitness, but there were also several notable differences in the way they played under Ten Hag. With United playing a higher line, goalkeeper David De Gea, who rarely comes off his line, swept up the ball confidently on several occasions outside of his area and was assured in possession.
Midfielder Fred, who has divided opinion in his four years at United, showed great industry and scored with a sublime chip over Alisson. With just eight goals in 156 appearances for United, increasing his output on that front will be something ten Hag will want to see. And with United pushing to sign midfielder Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona, Fred knows his place cannot be taken for granted.
Fellow United midfielder Scott McTominay was in belligerent mood, playing the friendly against Liverpool as if it were a competitive clash, with the two sides meeting in the Premier League in less than five weeks. McTominay was combative throughout his 45-minute outing, twice clashing with James Milner. The veteran Liverpool man came off worse in an aerial challenge with McTominay, with Milner exacting revenge moments later with a blatant block.
United skipper Harry Maguire did not feature against Liverpool, after complaining of an issue after training on Monday, which led to full-back Alex Telles playing in central defence in the second-half. Maguire will hope to be fit for the Melbourne leg of the tour, but United are flying young defender Will Fish out to join them in Australia, which suggests the skipper may not be risked in the second game on Friday.
United are launching their new away shirt in Melbourne on Saturday, taking over the city’s iconic Federation Square to unveil the new jersey. The team will wear the new shirt for the first time in their game against Crystal Palace, in Melbourne, next Tuesday.
Marcus Rashford, Luke Shaw, Jadon Sancho, Bruno Fernandes and McTominay will join kit sponsors Adidas at the official launch of the new shirt, along with club legends Bryan Robson and Andy Cole.
