Here are your Manchester United morning headlines for June 13.
Matic key for United attacking balance
Many United fans will be relishing the prospect of Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford, Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes all lining up for the Reds.
However, as outlined by the MEN the key player in Ole Gunnar’s Solskjaer system could be Nemanja Matic.
Drawing upon how the Reds have lined up in a handful of friendly matches this week, it appears the Serbian will be handed a crucial role in the season run-in.
The former Chelsea player was magnificent in the weeks before the campaign was called to a halt, including in the two-goal victories over his former club at Stamford Bridge and Manchester City.
Fred, Scott McTominay and Andreas Pereira are other candidates for a more withdrawn midfield role, but Matic remains a key player.
Fernandes set-piece king
The impact of January signing Bruno Fernandes on United was profound in the six weeks before football was called to a halt.
The Portugal international was instrumental in the closing weeks of the campaign between February and early March, establishing himself as a key player.
He was on free-kick duty and was the designated penalty-taker during this time too, a decision partly influenced by injuries to Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford.
And although Pogba and Rashford are back fit again, it appears that Fernandes is still the man for both free-kicks and penalties, as demonstrated in this week’s friendly games.
As highlighted by the MEN, he was on duty against West Brom and indications from recent games suggest that will be the case for the remainder of the season.
Januzaj critical of Van Gaal
Former Manchester United youth star Adnan Januzaj has criticised ex-Old Trafford boss Louis Van Gaal.
The Belgian international saw his United career stagnate under the Dutchman, who was at the helm between 2014 and 2016.
Januzaj believes that neither he nor former teammate Memphis Depay was given a fair crack of the whip by Van Gaal.
“Well, Louis van Gaal. I really shouldn't defend myself against him, it is enough to check the statistics," Januzaj told Het Nieuwsblad, via the MEN.
"Whenever I made the difference with an assist or a goal, I was back on the bench afterwards. The same was true for Memphis. If he (Van Gaal) says he has given us enough opportunities, he is not telling the truth, it is that simple. Fortunately, there are plenty of people at Manchester United who know how to appreciate me."
