5 lessons from Man Utd tour: Transfer woes, Bruno Fernandes blast and Ruben Amorim response

Manchester United managed to win the Premier League Summer Series during their pre-season tour in the US, but there is still much work to do if they want to eradicate the pain of finishing 15th last season

Manchester United are hoping for a clean slate this season after their disastrous 2024-25 campaign and it’s been a case of so far, so good as far as this pre-season is concerned.

Ruben Amorim has taken his players for a tour of the United States and they are yet to lose a game in pre-season, though the coach will primarily be focusing on the squad’s fitness levels and how they are adapting to his tactics.

United have wrapped up the signings of Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha for big money fees and both players started against Everton on Sunday, though after a 2-2 draw it showed Amorim still has work to do on the best way to accommodate his new stars.

The performance was probably United’s worst of pre-season so far but Amorim’s side certainly have shown signs of improvement since last season and they still have another friendly to come against Fiorentina before their huge Premier League opener against Arsenal on August 17.

With that in mind, Mirror Football has taken a look back at United’s pre-season tour in the USA and reflected back on the biggest things we learned.

READ MORE: Roy Keane has laid into all but one of Ruben Amorim’s new Man Utd leadership groupREAD MORE: Benjamin Sesko transfer twist as Man Utd and Newcastle learn separate deal isn’t happening

Fernandes not satisfied

What United need from their captain is to be blunt and tell it like it is and that’s exactly what they’ve got from Bruno Fernandes.

The Portugal star was at risk of leaving after an approach from Saudi club Al-Hilal and fans will be grateful he decided to stay put – because he is exactly the kind of figure this team needs to get back to the level they desire.

Even after a friendly game, Fernandes showed he wasn’t happy with the performance and accused his team-mates of being “lazy” during the game – even though United ended up winning the Premier League Summer Series.

United twice relinquished the lead after Fernandes himself scored from the penalty spot before Mason Mount put the team back ahead in the second half – with Iliman Ndiaye and an Ayden Heaven goal pegging them back.

“It’s improving, but it’s not where we want it to be,” Fernandes said. “It’s a game of football, there’s always passion there. Whatever happens, happens. There was nothing spicy there, it’s normal, it is part of the game.

“It’s been positive [the US tour] and it’s good to create a bond with the players. We looked a bit lazy today and we need to change that.”

Fernandes’ bold and brutal comments will stand United in good stead for the season to come as it shows he won’t stand for any more sloppiness for the team – something they cannot afford if they want to push on as a club.

New signings still needed

United only have two new signings so far and most supporters will tell you they needed arrivals from across the board given their woeful season. Despite being unbeaten in pre-season, it’s been obvious this summer that United are crying out for more depth.

Starting from the back of the team, it’s clear United are lacking a new goalkeeper given Andre Onana’s injury and question marks over his back-up Altay Bayindir, who is thought to want more regular game time.

Onana has also come under fire for some high profile errors and United could really do with more competition in between the sticks, while the team could also do with more depth in defence and midfield – not to mention up front after the clear struggles in attack last season.

Fernandes spoke about the need for more signings in his rant after the Everton game and said the team were crying out for more competition to help the players up their game.

“I don’t want to have a dig at anyone, but I think the club is doing the best they can in terms of all the financial situations they talk about,” he said. “I don’t know about it, I’m not involved in that. But obviously it was crystal clear we needed more competition for the players that were here.

“We needed more quality to get everyone to step up a bit more and to have more to do to get into the starting line-up. I think that’s what the club and the manager are trying to do and hopefully we can get one or two players more to help with that.”

Sorely lacking a reliable striker

Benjamin Sesko is just one of the players United are interested in and they have already opened talks with Red Bull Leipzig over his signature – but face stiff competition from Newcastle, who can offer him Champions League football.

United lined up with Mbeumo and Cunha in attack against Everton as Amorim took a tactical gamble by playing a 3-4-1-2 formation, but neither player is an out-and-out centre-forward and prefer being out wide.

The team will be deadly if they can get Mbeumo and Cunha either side of a clinical finisher like Sesko, who fired in 21 goals in all competitions last season and 18 in the season before. He is currently rated at £70m.

United still have Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee at their disposal, but the later is currently injured and the former still has a long way to go in showing he is dependable.

Hojlund did score in the 4-1 friendly win over Bournemouth and the fact he has been included in United’s travelling group in the United States – and not left behind with “the bomb squad” of unwanted players – shows Amorim still has faith in him.

Recent reports have claimed that Amorim believes the arrival of a top class striker like Sesko will bring out the best in Hojlund and force him to take his game to the next level.

Having the two players in the team – alongside Mbeumo and Cunha and existing talent like Amad – can give United a new layer of firepower this season and that might be the difference to push the team up the table.

No hope for Garnacho at Old Trafford

Amorim has shown that once he falls out with a player, it is difficult to find a way back and it appears the ship has sailed with Alejandro Garnacho.

Garnacho wasn’t happy with his manager after he dropped him for the Europa League final and immediately suggested he wanted out of United – with the player subsequently left out of the club’s pre-season tour.

He has been strongly linked with a move to Aston Villa or Chelsea in this window and with a move yet to come to fruition, Amorim suggested that any United player who was currently frozen out had a chance of being reintegrated if they didn’t find a new club.

But his recent comments on Garnacho suggests there is no going back in their relationship after he claimed their relationship simply didn’t work – and he could not put his finger on why.

“I think Garnacho, you can understand and you can see, he’s talented, he’s a really talented boy,” Amorim said. “And sometimes things don’t work out. You cannot explain specifically what it is.

“But I have the feeling, I think it’s clear that Garnacho wants a different thing with a different leadership. And I can understand that. So I think it’s not a problem.

“Sometimes you adapt to one guy, you have the connection. Other times, you want a new challenge. So, we try to make everything okay to all the parts. To the club, to the coach and to the players. So, it’s a natural thing in football.”

Amorim means business

Just like Fernandes, you want your manager to be a no-nonsense coach that pulls no punches and takes no prisoners.

Amorim has raised eyebrows at Old Trafford with his candid statements on the team and brutal assessments about where they are at this moment in time. That’s all fine, but those words have to be followed up with action on the pitch.

He’s already admitted this is the ‘worst Manchester United team in history” and recently said he knew his team would struggle in games last season, but luckily he is making moves to overhaul the squad to combat their woes.

Amorim has isolated the players who he feels don’t gel in his squad and aren’t part of his plans – Rashford, Garnacho, Jadon Sancho, Antony and Tyrell Malacia – while Christian Eriksen, Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans have left on free transfers.

He’s brought in two new signings and is plotting more – and revealed he was happy with the improvement he’s seen from the team this summer so far.

But his lengthy recent interview also set out his ambition and long-term plans for United after claiming he wanted to stay at Old Trafford for 20 years and follow in Sir Alex Ferguson’s footsteps. It remains to be seen whether he can bring success to the club in the long term, but his attitude and bold steps he’s taken certainly gives the team of chance of reaching that.

“I want to stay, I want to stay 20 [years],” Amorim said. “That is my goal and I truly believe in that. Something will happen. It always does. In some moments I will be lucky.

“I had a lot of luck during my career as a manager and my idea is to stay for many years. But again we know that the results will dictate that. I know that last season I used all the credits but I’m ready to start fresh.”

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