Erik ten Hag has seven Manchester United players to watch closely vs Melbourne Victory

Erik ten Hag's reign as Manchester United boss got off to an unexpectedly galvanising start last week.

The lead-up to United's first friendly of pre-season was full of doom and gloom due to a lack of transfer activity and Cristiano Ronaldo's desire to leave. Yet, a 4-0 victory over Liverpool, regardless of its meaninglessness in the grand scheme of things, can certainly do a lot to dispel some of those gathering grey clouds.

Ten Hag has only been working with his full squad for a few weeks but he already seems to have had an impact, with a team that was incoherent and gormless on the pitch in May now looking to have a clear plan of action to follow. They pressed high, kept the ball well and countered with speed and precision. It's only one match but it's a promising start.

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Now, with the team in Australia for the second leg of the tour, it's important that the good work is built upon so momentum can continue to be built. Even if the results themselves count for nothing, the positivity created by a string of wins would certainly improve the mood around the club going into the season.

But it's also important that Ten Hag can experiment and get a good look at as many of his players as possible before the real action begins.

Melbourne Victory are United's next opponents and a win will certainly be expected when the sides meet. The A League side are the weakest opposition United will face in pre-season, with their other four fixtures coming against Premier League and La Liga sides, making this match the perfect one for the manager to really play around with his side.

Ten Hag went as full strength as he could against Liverpool, which perhaps