Newcastle United and Manchester United each contested two friendlies over the weekend as they rounded off their pre-season campaigns.
The key Fantasy Premier League (FPL) talking points are discussed in the Scout Notes article below.
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NEWCASTLE UNITED 2-0 FIORENTINA
NEWCASTLE UNITED 4-0 VILLARREAL
- Goals: Almiron, Isak | Murphy, Barnes x2, Joelinton
- Assists: Isak, Trippier | Joelinton, Wilson x2
Watch match highlights v Fiorentina here | Watch match highlights v Villarreal here
NEWCASTLE XI TOUGH TO PREDICT
Having mostly kept a settled side in 2022/23, Eddie Howe could be a nightmare to second-guess this season.
It’s not just the added depth in each position but also the UEFA Champions League involvement, which starts after Gameweek 5.
While a lot of head coaches signposted their Gameweek 1 line-ups in their final weekend friendlies, Howe kept us guessing.
The Newcastle boss split his squad across two Sela Cup ties against Fiorentina and Villarreal but there was a mix of first-teamers and reserves in both games, with few clues provided.
The three attacking positions will be an ongoing head-scratcher.
On the right, Miguel Almiron (£6.5m) continued his fine pre-season form with a goal against I Viola, only for positional rival Jacob Murphy (£5.0m) – who was actually filling in at right-back – to unleash a rasping strike the following day.
Over on the opposite flank, a rejuvenated Anthony Gordon (£5.5m) popped up in some excellent goalscoring positions in the win over Fiorentina only to see Harvey Barnes (£6.5m) score a brace, 24 hours later.
And through the middle, Alexander Isak (£7.5m) and Callum Wilson (£8.0m) – who haven’t been on the same pitch in pre-season – were both playing creators, setting up a combined three goals between them. Isak also nodded in a Kieran Trippier (£6.5m) corner in the first match.
“When you sign someone, you hope their attributes fit to you want, you are not asking them to do anything they are not comfortable with. Harvey (Barnes) looked good in the team. He looked comfortable in his role, he performed really well. I was delighted with the two goals and the two finishes. Physically, he looked good as well.
“I said yesterday, nothing’s decided [for Gameweek 1] – and that was genuine. I need to analyse today, with the knowledge I have of training etc, and try and pick the right team.” – Eddie Howe
ANDERSON BLOW?
The prospect of budget FPL midfielder Elliot Anderson (£4.5m) starting in Gameweek 1 may have taken a blow, with Sean Longstaff (£5.0m) returning from injury this weekend.
Longstaff lasted around 75 minutes of the win over Fiorentina, having been sidelined for just under three weeks.
He now joins a pool of central midfield options that include Anderson, Joelinton (£6.0m), Bruno Guimaraes (£6.0m) and Sandro Tonali (£5.5m). Joe Willock (£5.5m) will be added to that group when he returns from injury.
Tonali, Longstaff and Anderson are chiefly competing for a role on the right of the midfield three.
Newcastle were without Fabian Schar (£5.0m) for both matches, meanwhile.
Speaking on Saturday evening, however, Howe suggested that the Swiss stopper’s absence wasn’t serious.
“Fabian is close to training and returning to the group but not in time for [the Villarreal] game.” – Eddie Howe, speaking on Saturday
Newcastle United XI v Fiorentina: Dubravka, Trippier, A. Murphy, Botman, Targett, Tonali, L. Miley (Parkinson 80), Anderson, Almiron (Turner-Cooke 88), Isak (Ndiweni 88), Gordon.
Newcastle United XI v Villarreal: Pope, J. Murphy, Lascelles (Savage 88), Dummett, Burn, Joelinton, Guimaraes, S. Longstaff (Turner-Cooke 76), Ritchie, Wilson (Diallo 88), Barnes (Parkinson 83).
MANCHESTER UNITED 3-1 RC LENS
MANCHESTER UNITED 1-1 ATHLETIC BILBAO
- Goals: Rashford, Antony, Casemiro | Pellistri
- Assists: Antony, Garnacho, Rashford | Maguire
Watch match highlights v Lens here | Watch match highlights v Athletic Bilbao here
ONLY ONE OR TWO SELECTION HEADACHES
Erik ten Hag, unlike Howe, separated his squad into a (mostly) first XI and the second string at the weekend.
Ten Hag admitted after full-time that there were only “one or two positions” up for grabs in Gameweek 1.
It’s not hard to see what those selection conundrums are: Diogo Dalot (£5.0m) v Aaron Wan-Bissaka (£4.5m) at right-back, and Jadon Sancho (£7.0m) v Alejandro Garnacho (£5.0m) in attack.
It was Dalot and Garnacho who got the nod in the stronger-looking team against Lens, with the latter’s selection meaning that Marcus Rashford (£9.0m) led the line.
Garnacho impressed on the left wing, spurning a couple of opportunities of his own, teeing up Mason Mount (£7.0m) for a missed sitter, and then finally claiming an assist for Antony‘s (£7.0m) strike. Rashford, in turn, scored a deflected opener before his header bounced in off Casemiro (£5.5m).
HOJLUND’S PRICE REVEAL AND FITNESS LATEST
New signing Rasmus Hojlund (£7.0m) was paraded to the crowd this weekend following his £72m capture from Atalanta.
We’ll have a Scout Report on the Danish striker in the next day or two – but it looks like we won’t be selecting him in our squads any time soon:
“It may be a few weeks before he is seen in action, due to a small issue he sustained during pre-season training with his former club.” – Manchester United statement on Rasmus Hojlund
Garnacho will likely be the long-term fall guy when Hojlund is fit and ready to start, with Rashford moving back to the left flank.
Another summer signing, Andre Onana (£5.0m), made his home debut, following in the backpedalling footsteps of Peter Schmeichel and Roy Carroll in being chipped from distance. Otherwise, the goalkeeper was unremarkably solid.
MOUNT V FERNANDES
The summer started with plenty of talk of Mount v Bruno Fernandes (£8.5m) and our final word on Manchester United’s pre-season is on these two.
Fernandes remains the more advanced on paper, starting in the ‘hole’ as Mount partners Casemiro further back.
But, as we saw yet again against Lens, there was also plenty of Fernandes dropping deep to accommodate forward runs from Mount. Twice did the former Chelsea man venture into the visitors’ box for goal attempts, the first a close-range miskick and the second a blocked effort from 10 yards.
In most of the open-play attacks featured on the highlights reel, it’s Mount busting a gut to get forward.
Above: Manchester United’s average positions v Lens, including Fernandes (8) and Mount (7), via Sofascore
Above: The heatmaps of Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount v Lens, via Sofascore
Manchester United XI v Lens: Onana; Dalot, Varane, Martinez, Shaw; Casemiro, Mount; Antony (Forson 81), Fernandes, Garnacho (Sancho 68); Rashford.
Manchester United XI v Athletic Bilbao: Heaton; Wan-Bissaka, Maguire, Lindelof, Fernandez (Evans 64); Gore (Emeran 80), Eriksen; Pellistri, Van de Beek (Hannibal 46), Forson; Sancho (Hugill 64).
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