Erik ten Hag can reveal his Manchester United approach with midfield decision

After six dress rehearsals, Erik ten Hag is now just days away from putting on his first show as Manchester United manager.

The Dutchman concluded his first pre-season in charge at Old Trafford with a Spanish double header over the weekend, seeing one half of his squad lose 1-0 to Atletico Madrid on Saturday in Oslo and the other half play out a 1-1 draw with Rayo Vallecano in M16 on Sunday. After the highs of beating Liverpool, Melbourne Victory and Crystal Palace in their opening three friendlies, it cannot be denied that it was a bit of an underwhelming ending to the club's pre-season preparations.

However, results in pre-season count for nothing; it is from Sunday's Premier League opener against Brighton & Hove Albion onwards where the final scoreline will begin to shape Ten Hag's United career. The season opener against the Seagulls will officially mark the beginning of a new dawn at Old Trafford and Ten Hag will be determined to get off to a winning start, following in the footsteps of some of the most recent bosses to have occupied the managerial hot-seat in M16, including Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Jose Mourinho and David Moyes.

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While the result will dictate the full-time mood on Sunday, a lot of the post-match discussion, regardless of the outcome, is going to centre around United's approach and style of play, that there is no doubt about. Despite ending pre-season with a bit of a limp, there is a great sense of energy and belief flowing through the surrounding streets of Old Trafford again.

The Reds, despite being up against a much-changed Liverpool team, a Melbourne Victory side they were expected to beat and