Andrey Santos made his Man Utd debut at the first time of asking, and despite losing, three things were learned, including a key test passed.
There were no reservations from Michael Carrick about starting Andrey Santos right away, as he played the first 45 minutes of the 0-1 loss against Wrexham.
Santos looked settled in midfield, not doing anything extraordinary, but showing enough to keep fans excited about what’s to come.
Here’s a tactical breakdown of the three things Carrick will have learned after watching Santos play the first 45 minutes of a hopefully long Man Utd career.
What did YOU make of Andrey Santos’ pre-season debut for Man Utd vs Wrexham?
Santos played 45 minutes in the first half…
1- Andrey Santos’ progressive passing is a game-changer
It’s one thing to theorise about what a player can do before he arrives, and it’s another thing entirely to not just be vindicated, but for the player to exceed expectations.
Much was written about Santos’ progressive passing acumen when his transfer from Chelsea was announced, as he regularly broke lines from deep.
Against Wrexham, despite being undercooked, Santos showed that his line-breaking quality is very real.
The Brazilian regularly played zipped passes through the lines, finding the likes of Jack Fletcher, Mason Mount, and Bryan Mbeumo with his deliveries.
He was rarely concerned about what could happen if he didn’t make it. It was all about making a difference if he did complete those passes.
Turning attack into defence with a single splitting pass is a game-changer for United’s midfield, and Santos brings that quality to the table.
2- Needs to convert defensive effort into acumen
Santos looked like a player extremely eager to impress on his debut, and it brought to the fore where he also needs improving.
He was caught on the ball a few times, but that is acceptable, since he always tries to make a difference in possession.
There was eagerness in his defensive game, however, which needs to turn into acumen. That will happen with time, as Santos has the raw tools to be a complete player eventually.
Against Wrexham, he fell for feints and fakes too easily, going to the ground rather than holding position and jockeying the attacker away from dangerous zones on the pitch.
He is also too eager to go tackling when intercepting is the smarter way to go. Carrick and his coaching staff will work with him to get that area of his game up to scratch.
The positive thing is that he wants to learn and improve. Rest will take care of itself.
3- Santos has the mentality required to succeed at Man Utd
This one is more about the intangible rather than anything tactical, but for a club like Man Utd, it’s extremely important.
Name your biggest positive and biggest negative from Man Utd’s game vs Wrexham…
The stats showed how well Man Utd played vs Wrexham…
The pressure is immense, and many players have shrunk under that weight, but Santos showed he has the mentality to be a success at Old Trafford.
The way he shrugged off his mistake for a Wrexham chance and continued to do the same thing was reminiscent of Bruno Fernandes.
Fernandes often loses the ball while trying to make a difference, but he doesn’t let the groans affect him.
Santos was the same, growing into the game despite an error, staying unfazed and trusting his strengths. That ability to block out the noise is key to succeeding at Man Utd, and Santos showed he has that in spades.
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