Manchester United are giving fans reason to be positive during pre-season, and it is very welcome.
After Louis Van Gaal’s 100 per cent pre-season record in 2015 led to an opening day Premier League loss at home to Swansea City, Manchester United fans have learned to be suspicious of friendly performances.
And yet after such a horrendous 2024-25 campaign, it is hard not to raise a smile to see Manchester United winning games in pre-season.
United’s performances have lifted the mood in the fanbase, with head coach Ruben Amorim finally looking like he might put his stamp on the team.
It has not gone unnoticed either. Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola praised United as ‘a hell of a team’ after his side were beaten 4-1.
Manchester United defender Patrick Dorgu celebrates scoring his team’s second with his teammates during the Premier League Summer Series football match between Manchester United and Bournemouth at the Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois, in 2025.
Photo by KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images
Manchester United ‘understood’ identity’
Manchester United’s win over Bournemouth was particularly impressive, with four different players on the scoresheet including youngster Ethan Williams.
Former Premier League player Graeme Le Saux is out in the US for Sky Sports and has had access to United’s training sessions, as well as the matches. And he has been very impressed with what he has seen.
Speaking before the 2-2 draw against Everton kicked off, Le Saux reflected on United’s squad looking close, focused, and tuned in to Ruben Amorim’s demands.
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He said: “They’ve come in with a determination and a togetherness that we’ve had the pleasure of seeing quite regularly when we watch them train.
“They seem to have understood their identity, the role within the team, and the performances have followed.
“Particularly the other night in Chicago [vs Bournemouth], I thought they were exceptional, because they didn’t just go one up or take the lead and then hold on, a little bit, drop back. They kept going. Kept going. There was an incentive there and an urgency to keep scoring goals.”
‘Best performance’ in years from United
Le Saux continued to hype up the pre-season victory over Bournemouth, claiming it was the best performance he has seen in ‘four or five years’. Quite a claim.
He said: “That’s the best performance I’ve seen from Manchester United, albeit preseason I understand that, but that’s the best Man United performance I’ve seen in terms of the team and the identity, I think, for as long as I can remember, in terms of the last four or five years.”
We understand the excitement, and there certainly were not many big domestic performances in the league from United to feel good about last season. The 4-1 win at home to Athletic Club might have been the best.
One of the best early season performances from United came against Leeds in 2022 under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, when we blew them away with a 5-2 win. This pre-season game did not compare to the heights and optimism we had that day.
But it sure is nice to see a United side scoring goals again, and that day at Old Trafford seems a lifetime ago now.