Bryan Mbeumo started as a No.9 for Man Utd against Atletico Madrid and he looks more at home through the middle than on the right-wing.
Bryan Mbeumo
Bryan Mbeumo scored twice for United against Atletico Madrid
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It might only be pre-season, but Bryan Mbeumo's performance for Manchester United against Atletico Madrid in Stockholm continued a trend from the second half of last season.
Since Michael Carrick's arrival in January and United's switch to a more stable 4-2-3-1 system, Mbeumo has either played as a centre-forward or a right-winger.
The former Brentford man was often used as one of two No.10s by Ruben Amorim following his £71million switch from the Bees, but that position was put in cold storage when the Portuguese head coach was sacked and Mbeumo's role changed.
He is comfortable on the right and of his 242 games for Brentford, 161 came on the wing, allowing him to cut in on to his stronger left foot. He reprised that position for Carrick in the second half of last season.
But it wasn't the only role he performed and with Benjamin Sesko at times struggling for fitness and not yet trusted to start, Mbeumo was played through the middle. He is clearly a different type of striker from Sesko and doesn't offer the same height, although he is strong.
He drops deeper, makes different runs and tries to link play. Sesko often scored when he played but Mbeumo linked all facets of the attack well.
There is a sense that Sesko is ready for a bigger role this season, although at the moment he is continuing to work on his fitness after a shin injury brought last season to an abrupt halt. In his absence, Mbeumo might just be showing that he is good value to start in the middle of the attack.
Joshua Zirkzee had started the first two friendlies of the summer, but Amad's return allowed Mbeumo to play centrally and Zirkzee dropped to the bench. Having looked a little short of rhythm in pre-season, Mbeumo came to life in Sweden, scoring both goals as United beat Atletico Madrid 2-1.
One was a coolly taken penalty, the other a case of right place and right time, but he had other chances, including a first-half header he glanced narrowly wide.
Interestingly, all of Mbeumo's goals under Carrick have come when playing as a centre-forward. There were five in nine games last season and now this double against Diego Simeone's side.
The 26-year-old scored against Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham in three of Carrick's first four games in charge, but then went 11 games without a goal, often finding himself back on the right as Sesko forced his way into the team. When the Slovenian striker missed the end of the season, Mbeumo started as a striker in the final two games of the campaign and scored in both of them.
These are still early days under Carrick, but so far Mbeumo looks more suited to playing as a No.9 than he does on the wing. That switch would allow Amad to play more regularly on the right and for Shea Lacey to force his way into the side as well.
Mbeumo is a taciturn character in front of the media and although he spoke after the game in Stockholm, he didn't give much away when it came to where he preferred to play.
"I’m lucky to be able to play a different position and I try to give my best," he said. Would he want to play as a striker permanently? "Depends on the games," was the shrift response.
That is how Carrick will probably approach it as well. He has shifted his approach around depending on the profile of the team they are playing against and different games will require a different approach between Sesko and Mbeumo.
One area where the Cameroon international was a bit more forthright was in his decision to push for a move to United ahead of Tottenham last summer. "I will never regret to have this challenge," he said.
But with Tottenham in the Champions League and United not in Europe at all, he took a risk. It's one that has paid off. Mbeumo has yet to play any kind of European fixture in his club career, but next month he will make his Champions League debut, and don't be surprised if he does so playing as a No.9.