Manchester United’s pre-season ended with a 0-3 defeat to Liverpool and the focus now turns to competitive action.
They will kick off their season with the Community Shield final against Manchester City as more first-team stars return to action after enjoying their extended holiday.
Therefore, the lineup against City is unlikely to be Erik ten Hag’s first-choice XI as he probably won’t risk those returning stars straightaway.
Pre-season heroes are likely to have a major role to play in this game as they will be challenged to transfer their form to the bigger stage.
However, Ten Hag is reportedly mulling over making a surprising call on one of the heroes which sends some mixed signals.
Erik ten Hag’s shock call
Ever since pre-season began, fans were on the lookout for the next Kobbie Mainoo in terms of who breaks out and becomes a first-team fixture.
Numerous youngsters were given chances and fans learned from pre-season that the kids are alright and then some!
The jewels of the pre-season however, were two, as Harry Amass and Toby Collyer looked like Ten Hag’s trusted lieutenants among youth team players, playing starring roles in every game.
Collyer, in particular, had seemed to become Ten Hag’s anointed one for the breakthrough since the FA Cup final last year when the manager spoke to him on the pitch after the win.
The youngster took that confidence into the pre-season and impressed many with his readiness, at least in the defensive sense, already fixing Man United’s biggest problem from last season.
However, it might not have been enough, as The Athletic reports that Ten Hag is mulling over whether to make Collyer a first-team fixture and give him senior football this season or send him out on loan.
That is a surprising call because not only did Ten Hag seem primed to make Collyer a first-team fixture, but his own performances didn’t do anything to harm that assumption.
Furthermore, he fills a position and playing profile United are extremely light in so he can definitely be used a lot more at United where he gets acclimatised to his surroundings and teammates instead of starting from scratch.
Unpacking the thought behind it
The report states that a decision has been made to keep Harry Amass at the squad this season and for him to be in and around the first-team picture.
This decision puts into perspective why the surprising call on Collyer is being made to a certain extent. Collyer is three years Amass’ senior and at 20, would benefit far more from being a starter every week than playing the odd game and training with the first team.
Collyer is just one year younger than Hannibal, who looks to be on his way out of United and that is after multiple loan spells of getting senior football.
Collyer, in contrast, played his first minutes of senior football at any club this pre-season at United so the gap in experience to overcome is already quite large.
Of course, some players don’t need a loan move at all and are ready to contribute to the first team from day one, like Mainoo, but he is a generational talent.
The same can’t be said for Collyer, who, despite the noise around him, looks somewhat undercooked in possession and progressive passing, in particular.
If he does go out on loan, then it’s extremely important that all due diligence is done to find the perfect landing spot for him because a single bad loan can completely derail a career, far more than staying at United and getting infrequent senior minutes can.
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