Mizgan Masani
Manchester United lose a friendly match against Burnley that was hosted at the Carrington training ground
As if the start of the season wasn’t dodgy enough, Manchester United lost a behind-closed-doors friendly to Burnley on Wednesday at the Carrington training ground.
It was the second game of this nature hosted by the club after Everton came to the training ground and lost 2-0.
However, after two underwhelming performances in the actual season so far, this thumping defeat at the hands of Burnley, be it in a friendly, won’t help quell the confidence.
Fringe players such as Anthony Martial, Donny van de Beek, Scott McTominay, and Facundo Pellistri were among the ones who started the game.
Erik ten Hag and his coaching staff have to look ahead now and think about how to change the fortunes of this team.
They did not play well against Wolves but scraped through a 1-0 win, while the 2-0 defeat to Tottenham had moments in which they were starting to play well at times.
Although no game in the Premier League is easy, the one against Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford on Saturday should give them a chance to return to winning ways and elevate their performance levels as well.
Ten Hag would miss one of his new signings, Mason Mount, for that game and the next few weeks. The midfield was of Mount, Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro have been too easy to play against in the initial two games.
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With the former now out, it would be interesting to see how the manager lines his team up. Will he go for a defensive cover with McTominay alongside Casemiro? Or will we go back to seeing the partnership of Christian Eriksen with the Brazilian, allowing Fernandes to roam in the number 10 position?
There is a lot to answer for the team in the coming games.
