Manchester United’s pre-season friendly against Wrexham in San Diego showcased a talented yet young and inexperienced academy team, as coach Erik ten Hag observed their initial erratic performance.
Despite the 3-1 defeat, Ten Hag emphasized that this learning experience would prove invaluable for the players in their football journey.
Wrexham, fresh from securing promotion to League Two after a 15-year hiatus, agreed to take on Manchester United’s youthful academy team in a bid to make the game more competitive.
The starting lineup featured only three first-team players – Alvaro Fernandez, Dan Gore, and Hannibal – with the rest being talented prospects from United’s academy.
While United displayed flashes of brilliance early on, Wrexham managed to take the lead just before the 30-minute mark and quickly extended their advantage from a well-executed long throw-in.
The physicality of the opposition proved challenging for the young United players. However, right-back Marc Jurado’s goal just before halftime narrowed the gap and provided hope for a stronger second half.
Unfortunately, the match took a downturn for United when Dan Gore was controversially shown a red card after the break. This gave Wrexham the upper hand, leading to their eventual 3-1 victory.
Speaking to MUTV after the match, Erik ten Hag expressed his disappointment with the result but recognized the value of the learning experience for the young players.
He emphasized that adapting to the physical demands of top-level football, particularly in the Premier League, was essential for their development.
Despite the defeat, he remained optimistic about the growth and progress these players would experience as they faced and learned from challenging situations.