Protests are planned for Sunday’s match against Arsenal but Ineos owner has achieved more in 18 months than Americans have in 20 years.
he four new signings of Manchester United’s £200m summer so far were sent out to receive the blessing of Old Trafford before kick-off, although presumably someone has explained to Benjamin Sesko and the rest that the real reckoning will come next week.
It is on Sunday against Arsenal that further protests are planned against the United ownership, although on this occasion with a greater focus on Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Ineos’ minority-share, majority-influence shareholder. The first home game of the season is usually when optimism peaks – and the extensive statement from The 1958 group certainly spelt out that not everyone feels that way. The “Jim Can’t Fix This” banners could yet be dropped on grounds of taste but the sentiment of the original missive has remained.
Nevertheless, since that edict was launched, United have signed Sesko and taken the year’s spending on fees to £243m. At €85m [£73.7m] he has been another significant investment and during Saturday’s presentations before the 1-1 draw with Fiorentina, he came out last from the Old Trafford tunnel – as if this were the main gift under the Christmas tree.
For now, at least, the rest will be over to Amorim and the players. Perhaps the season-ticket holders who have been moved from their seats in the South Stand and other disgruntled parties will unleash their fury on Ratcliffe regardless. Although whatever the mediocrity of a 1-1 draw with Fiorentina, that was not the prevailing mood among a crowd of 65,103 for the last pre-season game, many of them attracted by the discount tickets and not Old Trafford regulars.
Sesko will surely have to be ready for the Arsenal game and United will need him to hit the ground running. Indeed, the same can be said for Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, the other two senior signings of the new quartet. Ratcliffe and Ineos have delivered the budget for a new attack. They opened the new £50m Carrington training ground on Friday, delivered on budget and on time. They have not solved every problem but, after a shaky 18 months, they have at least made a start.
The Glazers had 20 years to rebuild Carrington, as it was overtaken in the 2000s by developments at Chelsea, and later Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City. Ineos can say, at the very least, it has delivered swiftly on that promise.
Ratcliffe’s attendance or otherwise at the game always tends to be a late decision from the British billionaire, thus there is no guarantee he will be in his seat on Sunday. He may feel that his response thus far this summer to those who might question the commitment has already been made. There will be those fans who will be steadfast in their belief that Ratcliffe had to remove the Glazers entirely to gain their full support. But there will be many in the crowd who will see that some serious investment has been made.
Come Sunday against Arsenal, Amorim’s players will need to demonstrate that they have come together effectively over a full week of training. Sesko, once Mikel Arteta’s preferred choice to be his No 9, will surely start. Amorim began this game with Mason Mount as a false nine between Mbeumo and Cunha. Once again he overlooked Rasmus Hojlund, the attacking signing of two years ago, and later did not even seem to consider him an option in his analysis of the game.
“We struggle without a reference as a striker,” Amorim said. “We have a new player [Sesko] so we will see.”
There was, once again, a strong corporate feel to the afternoon. The front-of-shirt sponsor Snapdragon had provided a trophy for the day so, as well as the corporate guests taking penalties at half-time, they also demanded the players do so after the game finished 1-1. United had conceded a soft goal early on, scored by the Swiss midfielder Simon Sohm. The equaliser was an own goal from the German Robin Gosens.
For much of the afternoon, Mbeumo looked United’s best player. His left-footed crosses from the right are delivered with dip and pace. That said, it would be hard to argue that there was much cohesiveness about United. They continue to look vulnerable in defence and one assumes that, if Casemiro starts against Arsenal, he will struggle against their midfield. United did at least convert all their penalties, with substitute Kobbie Mainoo scoring the fifth after Fabiano Parisi had his saved.
Amorim has a clear week of training left and says that he has still not decided on his team for the Arsenal game. Although it is hard to imagine one that does not feature Sesko, Mbeumo and Cunha – with the hope that they can carry whatever goodwill there is for as long as possible.