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Having defeated Australian side Perth Glory 2-0 over the weekend, Manchester United traded tackles with Championship club Leeds United in Perth.
The fixture rounded up the Australian leg of Manchester United's pre-season tour, as Ole Gunner Solskjaer continues to fine-tune his squad in preparation for next season.
In what was almost a routine match against a significantly under-strength Leeds United side, Manchester United posted a 4-0 victory with goals from Mason Greenwood, Marcus Rashford, Phil Jones and Anthony Martial completing the rout.
In this piece, we shall be highlighting three talking points from the fixture.
#3 Solskjaer prioritizing technique over physique in attack
Just a day before the clash with Leeds United, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer gave a key indicator of how his team would lineup this season, stating:
'The way we hope we are going to play, it doesn't have to be a six-foot-four-inch striker.'
This was seen as a direct aspersion on Romelu Lukaku and the fact that he was not in the lineup for the fixture laid further credence to this claim although a knock was given as the official reason for his absence, there are indications that it could be the start of his exit from Old Trafford.
On the evidence of Manchester United's play, the Belgian would not be missed, as Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford thrived, with each scoring a goal.
Both men are far from being big bulky center-forwards who can act as target men, rather possessing a dynamism in the box and excellent technique which means they are more adept with the ball at their feet.
For most matches last season, Solskjaer operated with Rashford as his center-forward and this is a role the English international thrived in early on although he faded off towards the end of the season.
It is widely believed that Inter Milan would be the next destination for Romelu Lukaku, but regardless, he would likely not have featured in Solskjaer's plan even if he stays on
#2 Young players stake a claim for more prominent roles
Over the years, Manchester United have made a name for themselves as a breeding ground for the promotion of young academy players, with the famed Class of '92 and the Busby Babes standing out.
This is a tradition Solskjaer is keen to promote, as there is no shortage of talented youngsters in the current academy.
The cutthroat nature of the current game means that there is very little margin for error and as such, coaches are very rarely willing to trust young players in the heat of the action, leaving them with little opportunities to showcase their abilities.
Pre-season represents one of those rare opportunities and so far, the academy players on tour have grabbed theirs with both feet.
In the game against Leeds United, Mason Greenwood was impressive and capped a fine performance with a goal, while Angel Gomes and Tahith Chong impressed in their second-half cameos with some wonderful interplay, with the latter winning a penalty.
Manchester United have famously had an academy player in their starting lineup since October 1937. This a run that has stretched across 80 years and 4,000 matches and on the evidence of the display of the current crop, it is a run that would last for a while.
#1 Early marker laid for how United would play next season
Under Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United earned a reputation of being an attacking team and their fans were treated to over two decades of free-flowing aesthetic football.
This was a style of play that was quickly abandoned upon the Scot's retirement, as three pragmatic coaches in David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, and Jose Mourinho were appointed in quick succession.
The result was that United became a dour and predictable side, devoid of any entertainment, leading fans to yearn for the times of old.
Upon his appointment, one of the first things Solskjaer promised was to revert to the traditional way of playing at Manchester United and for the first two months of his tenure, we saw just how good Manchester United could be, with the side playing with a swashbuckling attitude and giving a vibe of positivity.
This, however, did not last, as United once more descended into mediocrity towards the end of the season, but judging by their pre-season displays so far, we might be in for a treat next season.
In a first half which they totally dominated, United should have had more than the two goals registered but for the goalkeeping heroics of Kiko Casilla and even though the tempo dropped somewhat in the second half, the Red Devils were still largely dominant.
The interplay, change of pace and energy on display was top notch, while Andreas Pereira was also brilliant with his set-piece delivery.
It might be a bit presumptuous to start singing praises based on a few pre-season fixtures against significantly weaker opponents, but United have given fans enough to hope for a better campaign next season.
