I've given myself plenty of time to digest and analyse the performance on Saturday afternoon, and it really was simply sensational. Yes, no clean sheet means it wasn't perfection - but it couldn't really have been much closer to being absolutely faultless. Not a single player underperformed: I've seen many critiquing and singling out Dan James but, on reflection, he worked his socks off and was extremely effective against a synonymously energetic Leeds side. As will become a feature this season, I'm going to spend a bit of time outlining the standout performers and explain how they were the key to success.
There's only one man to start with - Bruno Fernandes. It was certainly a day for his critics to remember. He secured his first ever United hat-trick, with no penalties in sight. He might score the occasional penalty, but to say he relies on them is one of the most ludicrous misconceptions in football. It's now 48 Premier League goal contributions for him since he joined the club in February last year, four clear of his competition over that time period. Of those involvements, 29 have been goals - only bettered by Harry Kane's total of 30. For a midfielder, those goalscoring stats make phenomenal reading.
Coming off the back of his longest break since joining the club, no doubt the Portuguese international looked remarkably fresh. His creative edge was back in full force, creating three chances in addition to his three goals (which were clinically converted from four attempts on the day). His ability to produce an array of different passes - played into various areas - made him incredibly unpredictable for opposing players attempting to nullify his inventiveness. He was undeniably back to his risk-taking self, brimming with confidence to make things happen in attacking areas; he completed 10 passes in the final third alone. As anticipated, his pass completion rate was reduced to 75% as he typically took more risks - but it was positivity that saw incomplete passes in advanced positions, which can definitely be excused. Playing in Bruno's position, you have to take gambles to engineer openings.
Undoubtedly, he excelled being situated so high up the pitch behind the striker - which outlines a possible flaw if he was to be dropped into more of a number eight role if Solskjaer was to go forward with his plans to deploy a 433 system. He was able to link the play from the hole between the pivot through to the attack, operating on exactly the same wavelength as every one of his teammates thanks to his profound awareness. Consequently, in conjunction with his extreme intricacy, he was often at the heart of many free-flowing passages.
Whether it was the phase where we were behind or when we were four up, another key attribute was the fact that he never stopped running. Out of possession, he showed persistent desire to press relentlessly to try and regain the ball or force an error. Moreover, he proved exceptional at making himself an option in behind with darting forward runs from the hole he was playing within. It was movement and run-making that proved key for each of his three goals.
The first goal consisted of excellent control to cushion Pogba's lofted ball with an exquisite first touch, setting himself up to slot beneath Ilan Meslier. For his second, he showed unbelievable awareness to produce a sharp turn and leave the Leeds defence rooted with Meslier helpless on the ground - allowing space to hit the ball goalward with just enough power to prevent Luke Ayling from denying the effort. Once again, it came from an excellent understanding between him and Pogba; the run from Bruno was impeccably timed, and the pass for the assist perfectly weighted from the Frenchman. To seal the deal of the hat-trick, it was a ridiculously skilled first time half volley on the run. The run in behind was flawlessly timed, reading Lindelof's aerial ball with precision to enable such a classy finish.
Now I'm going to move onto Bruno's 'partner in crime' - Paul Pogba. It was a wicked showing from the Frenchman, positioned on the left but gifted freedom by the boss to roam the entirety of the midfield area. Without a doubt, Paul thrives and plays with enhanced fluidity when the shackles are off and he doesn't feel restricted. This liberty revitalised the creative element of his game, with five chances engineered as he gained a license to shift into more progressive areas. I'll delve into each one soon, but the versatility within the system allowed him to produce a whopping four assists; that is a total superior to what was managed in each of the last two Premier League seasons. In fact, Paul is only the seventh player to assist four times in a Premier League match ever (the first for United).
Unbridled quality is something with a strong link to the name 'Paul Pogba'. Wow, did he show quality on Saturday afternoon? The variation of passes he played was staggering, with every technique equally as effective. He played a wonderful array of through balls and dinks, whilst also proving how adept he is at switching play with his long balls. One thing that is astoundingly consistent is his ability to weight his passes so impeccably. Like Bruno, he is also perfectly aware of when to take risks and what pass to play in differing scenarios to gain the best results. He certainly seemed braver at the weekend, taking more risks in advanced areas - epitomising his renewed confidence which allowed him to operate with such poise.
His awareness when in possession looked wildly developed, with Paul occasionally caught napping on the ball in recent times. He was constantly assessing for runners, picking the perfect time to either drive or offlay the ball to wherever the space was. Consequently, he made things happen both in the channels and centrally. One thing you can never fault him for is his vast skillset, separating him from many other players and adding an extra dimension to his team's game.
Often, people have questioned his commitment and work ethic; not for one moment were any concerns raised about that against Leeds. Speculation surrounding his future has still swirled wildly like a tornado this summer, but Paul simply got his head down and did his job (and did it rather well). Sometimes, people suggest he is simply playing 'for Paul Pogba' - there were no signs of such thing at the weekend. Aided by his physical presence in duels, he showed he was happy to battle hard to regain or maintain possession by fending players off in various ways. He was more than content to track back too, showing endeavour to also put in a healthy shift defensively.
So, now onto looking at the assists - all four of them! The first epitomised how elite Paul is as a player: he produced a side-footed dink that very few players in the world could replicate, with the perfect height and weight at the perfect moment to guide it into Bruno's open path. The second once again provided a display of the control United's number six has within his passing repertoire, with the ball this time rolled some distance along the ground through to Greenwood - just ahead of the chasing defender so it could be easily received by Mason. The third once again accentuated the levels of class and awareness within his game: he effectively used his body to skillfully spin clear of pressure, prior to slotting Bruno through into another promising area. The final of the assists showed a different side to his game, with the reception of possession coming from a run down the left hand side; the subsequent cut-back with his weaker left-foot was pinpoint after spotting Fred arriving late.
I'm now going to shift the focus to a few players who caught the eye without such a prolific direct contribution to as many goals. Mason Greenwood is the first - the scorer of the unarguably game-changing second United strike following Leeds' equaliser. He absolutely terrorised the visiting defence for the most-part, completing five dribbles and making five passes into the box throughout the course of the match (the most managed in a league match during his career so far). Off the back of a summer of recharge following an injury which prevented involvement in summer international fixtures, he looked fresh and has clearly maintained the confidence that was brimming at the climax of last season. He has massive belief in his game at the moment, which is proving a huge benefit to the entire team.
As shown by the five completed dribbles, he seems happier than ever when it comes to the prospect of taking players on. Using close control the break free from a Leeds man, he almost provided an early assist for Pogba (though the Frenchman squandered the opportunity once he faced countryman Meslier). Mason actually appeared very controlling in the final third, content when it came to dropping deeper from his number nine role to receive the ball and either offload or drive forward. Having developed considerably physically, his hold-up play has drastically improved when deployed through the middle. Although he often found avail from dropping deep, he also found joy from making runs in behind both from wide and centrally to disrupt the Leeds defence.
One other noticeable feature has been his work rate throughout pre-season and last weekend. From the get-go against Leeds, he pressed relentlessly whilst maintaining utmost intensity for essentially the whole duration of the match. He was constantly running when United were both in and out of possession and, on a few occasions, he forced errors to rattle the opposition in the early exchanges. From his role as a striker, he made five (yes, five) ball recoveries - that is the epitome of his faultless desire.
The goal was just typical Greenwood, with a troubling run capped of with a lethal finish in front of the Stretford End. He knew exactly where and when Pogba was going to play the ball, and subsequently took two 'killer' touches at pace to leave Pascal Struijk in his wake. The ultimate finish was exquisite from a somewhat obscure angle, with the ball guided low off the far post to leave it just out of Meslier's grasp. He has crucially opened his goalscoring account early on this season!
Victor Lindelof was somebody else who put in an extremely valid shift - by no means is he losing his spot to Raphael Varane without a fight. The newly-named Swedish national team captain actually played a large part in some of the goals on Saturday (I know, from centre back). For the opener, he used his elite awareness to cut out a slightly stray Meslier goal kick to start the goalscoring passage. Similarly, he won a header which cut out a Leeds move which enabled a momentum shift to allow United to regain the lead after the equaliser; Shaw was found by the header and ultimately catalysed the move down the left flank between Pogba and Greenwood. I'll come onto his assist which helped to seal Bruno's hat-trick...
Speaking of headers, the Swede won every aerial duel which he contested on Saturday - a large improvement from previous seasons. He has revealed that he has now fully recovered from the back issue which has hindered him for quite a while now, clearly enhancing his ability to leap and win headers. The aforementioned awareness is also a key element of his game too, with Vic always in the right place to cut out danger due to his ability to read threats.
Awareness is also a vital aspect of his game in terms of on-the-ball scenarios. He is always aware of where his teammates are, allowing his passing to be the up to the pinpoint levels that we're now used to. Happy to play out from the back, he is excellent at aiding transitional phases with his expert passing range. The long ball he played (approximately 50 yards) up to Bruno to assist his third goal left the entire Leeds team baffled, with the centre back picking out the Portuguese international from deep with perfect weight and accuracy. That type of lofted ball through the lines is becoming rather synonymous with Lindelof; in fact, he played three passes into the box against Leeds from central defence.
The last player I want to focus on is Scott McTominay. Though the Scotsman didn't have the goal contributions of other standout performers, he did the 'dirty work' exceptionally well. He played a mere 20 minutes in pre-season (at centre back too), so to perform at such level during the 70 minutes he played on Saturday was an impressive feat. Many doubt he could play as a lone defensive midfielder, but his first half numbers at the weekend would suggest otherwise following experience at centre back for his country.
As he did last season, Scott thrived off the physical challenge offered by Leeds. He proved more than able when it came to nullifying danger, making a match-high of five ball recoveries inside the opening 45 minutes. He made three clearances, two tackles and a single interception - the joint most in the opening period. His awareness was standout, often even dropping back into his own box to utilise his aerial presence and win defensive headers. He approached every duel with maximum commitment, adamant that he'd come out on top in every challenge. Such defensive numbers certainly offer encouragement in case of the likely event that no defensive midfielder is signed. Given his physical presence, ability to cover lots of ground with his long legs and experience in defence, you'd be right to be optimistic that Scott could play as a single holding man in Solskjaer's desired 433 system.
In addition to the defensive output he provided, he also showed how capable he is of being a controlling figure in the midfield. No player touched the ball more times in the first half, with Scott often dictating the proceedings. Operating from deep, he proved he is capable of positively influencing transitions; he helped switch from nothing into attack by playing the ball into the hole for Greenwood in the buildup to United's final goal. Wherever he's situated, proved he has the ability to produce surging passes - growing increasingly positive.
Though it seems he could suit the number six role, Scott also thrives off being able to drive forward and get into advanced areas. He often pushed up in addition to defending a fair amount against Leeds, constantly offering himself with some excellently-timed forward runs into the box. With his tall stature, he is able to easily cover lots of ground (which I suppose does make his best position that box-to-box role which he often thrives in). Talking of his stature, he is surprisingly incredibly nimble in tight areas for someone of his height.
There are certainly promising signs from gameweek one, as we top the standings in the early stages. Hopefully this weekend's trip to St Mary's brings more encouragement!
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