Manchester United's pre-season came to an end in disappointing fashion on Saturday as Manchester City beat them 7-6 on penalties to win the Community Shield. While the defeat is unlikely to haunt the United fans nor Erik ten Hag for too long, there were still things the Reds' backroom staff will have learned from the narrow defeat. The most poignant being how valuable Lisandro Martinez is to the team's defence.
With defenders dropping like flies in the build-up to the clash at Wembley Stadium, Ten Hag was able to call upon Martinez at left-back to allow Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans the luxury of playing in more familiar positions. Such versatility could prove crucial for the Reds this season particularly when the likes of Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw are still trying to overcome their injury problems. READ MORE: Why Fernandes is set to get a new United contract READ MORE: De Ligt and Mazraoui transfers will seriously impact five stars It is not surprising that United struggled to settle defensively last season without Martinez being in the starting line-up on a consistent basis.
With Matthijs de Ligt and Leny Yoro joining this summer, it would be easy to cast the Argentine to one side as just another player but this weekend he proved how integral he remains for the Reds. If United are going to be successful this season it shall also be dependent on the fitness of Bruno Fernandes . Playing in the unfamiliar false nine position, the Portuguese was once again one of the standou.