Talking Points From Wigan

Manchester United returned to action with a positive 2-0 win over Wigan Athletic on Saturday. Mark Froggatt was there to write ManUtd.com's match report and, here, he highlights the key talking points to stem from Jose Mourinho’s first game as manager…

TEAM SELECTION AND TACTICS
Where do you start with this? The manager appeared to favour a fluid 4-2-3-1 formation which the players looked more than comfortable in against the Championship opposition. It’s been used before of course, commonly under Louis van Gaal, but Mourinho admitted afterwards that he was pleased by the little nuances that his players had already adopted from his 10 training sessions so far. Yes it’s far too early to read into his tactics for the campaign ahead, but this was an encouraging start.

JOSE LIKES TO BE CLOSE
Although touchline behaviour can be analysed to the nth degree, United fans will no doubt have enjoyed the sight of Mourinho watching the entire match from his technical area. The 53-year-old was dressed casually in a club tracksuit and did not sit down once, virtually kicking every ball. He was also happy to acknowledge the 7,000 vocal Reds supporters in the opposite stand when they requested an occasional wave or bellowed out chants of “Jose Mourinho’s red and white army”.

SUMMER SIGNINGS IMPRESSED
Eric Bailly produced a commanding performance at centre-back and comfortably extinguished the fire of Will Grigg, the much-serenaded Wigan and Northern Ireland striker. The Ivory Coast international and Africa Cup of Nations winner also displayed his impressive technique, particularly during a moment in the first half when he knocked the ball over a defender’s head, spun and controlled it before distributing possession to another team-mate. It was a small moment of class.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan also caught the eye during his first-half outing for the club, creating an early chance for Dutch winger Memphis and going close himself when latching onto James Wilson’s cross at the back post. The 27-year-old played as a number 10 and earned praise from his manager, who highlighted his “magnificent” brain and impressive ability to control the ball under pressure.

LUKE SHAW IS BACK
This was a sight to behold following Shaw’s long rehabilitation from the double leg fracture that he suffered while playing against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League last September. The 21-year-old has worked hard on his comeback and notably trained all summer while his team-mates were on holiday, so that he could hit the ground running in this pre-season campaign. His reward was a start at the DW Stadium and his performance was stuffed with positives. Welcome back, Luke!

A BIG DAY FOR KEANE
It was a mere tap-in past a stranded goalkeeper, but Will Keane’s second-half goal will have meant a lot to the striker following his frustrating spell on the treatment table. Fans will remember he had broken into the first team midway through last season, but an injury suffered during the FA Cup fifth-round win at Shrewsbury Town in February ruled him out for the remainder of the campaign and Marcus Rashford, his deputy at that time, was then afforded his own opportunity to impress.

BOYS TO MEN
What did the players do this summer? Judging by their appearances in Wigan on Saturday, it seems that Adnan Januzaj and Tim Fosu-Mensah spent theirs in the gym, working hard on building up their bodies. Both looked like they have matured physically and particularly the Belgian, who cut a much more powerful and athletic presence in midfield. Well done lads!

PHIL’S NEW HAIR STYLE
Okay, so this is not exactly a major talking point to stir debate long into the night, but it is a talking point nonetheless. In case you didn’t know, Phil Jones had dyed his hair blond in a throwback to his early seasons at United and we’re a fan. What do you think?

OUR AWAY FANS ARE AWESOME
Around 7,000 United fans completed the short journey to the DW Stadium for this pre-season friendly and that is worth celebrating, even if our travelling fans are continually impressive. Mourinho was the subject of most chants and he was more than happy to respond with a customary wave, before praising his new followers after the final whistle. He spoke of his amazement toward so many turning up for such a game, and promised to repay their faith. “I will try to give them everything and I’m sure they will continue to give amazing support to the team,” he told MUTV.

The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and should not be considered as representative of Manchester United Football Club.

Credit: Manutd.com