Shaping United in Ole's image

High pressing and giving youth a chance top of the agenda as team fly in for ICC SG today

Mason Greenwood celebrating after netting the opener against Leeds. The 17-year-old striker will have a role to play off the bench next term. PHOTO: DPA
Mason Greenwood celebrating after netting the opener against Leeds. The 17-year-old striker will have a role to play off the bench next term. PHOTO: DPA

PERTH • It may be just two matches into the pre-season for Manchester United, but fans are beginning to see a clearer picture of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's vision to promote young players from within.

Following last Saturday's 2-0 win over Perth Glory, in which Marcus Rashford and James Garner were on the scoresheet, United clinched their second victory at the Optus Stadium yesterday with a 4-0 hammering of second-tier Leeds.

The Red Devils will next face Inter Milan in the International Champions Cup Singapore tournament at the National Stadium on Saturday.

Teenage striker Mason Greenwood opened the scoring, and Rashford made it two before half-time.

Phil Jones then powered a header from a corner by Andreas Pereira - another academy graduate - after the break. Anthony Martial completed the rout with a penalty, won by Tahith Chong, who also came through the youth ranks.

All six goals on their tour so far have either been scored or assisted by an academy graduate, leaving manager Solskjaer thrilled.

"The squad is strong, today just shows we have strength in depth, young players coming through and pace up front," he said. "We scored four, you're always happy with that. We created more chances than the last game, it was a good workout."

Rashford, who broke into the first team in 2015, praised 17-year-old Greenwood for scoring his first senior goal for the Premier League club.

"I said to him, once you get the first goal, the rest will come. He'll score goals; that's what he does," said the 21-year-old striker.

"It's been a while since we've been a real pressing team, we're starting to lay down the fundamentals." Solskjaer also felt that two factors will be key to United's chances of Champions League qualification next season.

The first is good recruitment - new signings Daniel James and Aaron Wan-Bissaka have looked promising in both friendlies - and the second is a vast improvement in the fitness levels of his players.

To that end, he has laid on 14 training sessions during the space of nine days in Perth. More hard work will follow in Singapore, before the team fly to Shanghai next week, where United will play Tottenham.

Off the pitch, Solskjaer has disciplined forward Jesse Lingard over a controversial social media video and warned his players they must take responsibility for their actions.

He posted a video on Snapchat three weeks ago from the Miami hotel suite he shared with Rashford, former United youth player Ro-Shaun Williams, and their friend Jamal Branker, who was filmed gyrating on a pillow as Lingard provided commentary.

Of the video, Solskjaer said: "That has been dealt with internally. You have got to be a strong character to play here. I am old-school, quite big on discipline and self-discipline. I can't spoon-feed these players."

THE TIMES, LONDON, REUTERS

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on July 18, 2019, with the headline Shaping United in Ole's image. Subscribe