Having launched the pre-season minutes tracker earlier today, it’s time to get our Scout Notes back on the road.
While the tracker takes care of the minutes played, these articles look at the key talking points from every friendly.
At this stage of the summer, of course, these kickabouts are little more than exercises in fitness building. Many key players have also yet to return from the Copa America and the European Championship.
But gradually, the closer we get to Gameweek 1, clearer pictures will emerge. There’s the important matter of preferred tactics and personnel, especially when it comes to new managers. The fitness status of players returning from injury will also be monitored. Then there’s ‘form’, for whatever that’s worth before the main action kicks off.
Here we go, then, with the brief takeaways from the early friendlies we’ve had so far.
WALSALL 0-3 ASTON VILLA
- Goals: Rogers x2, Barry
- Assists: Barkley, Iling-Junior
Talk about timing. On the day FPL launches, Morgan Rogers (£5.0m) – touted as a potential bargain upon the game’s release – bags a brace.
It’s easy to see the appeal. A cheap attacking midfielder playing for an upwardly mobile club. After a slow start to life at Villa, he had shown glimmers of promise towards last season’s end. Three goals arrived in his last five league starts.
The size 72 font asterisk next to Wednesday’s goals is that they came against Walsall, a distinctly midtable League Two side.
There is also still some concern about his game-time. It may end up being a tussle between Jacob Ramsey (£5.5m) and Rogers for the left-wing berth, with new signing Samuel Iling Junior (£5.5m) also an option there.
But here Rogers was in the second striker role behind Cameron Archer (£5.0m). We could see him more as a ’10’ this season, with Moussa Diaby (£6.5m) reportedly on his way out. Leon Bailey (£6.5m) also had his chance in that position after the interval at the Bescot Stadium.
Ross Barkley (£5.5m), in a central midfield two after his summer move, was the source of Rogers’ goals. First, a quickly taken Barkley free-kick sprung Rogers behind the Walsall defence to coolly finish. The former Middlesbrough man then pounced after a bit of pinball from a Barkley corner. In between, he forced a good save from home goalkeeper Tommy Simkin.
Away from the Fantasy flavour of the week, there were chances for Alex Moreno (£4.5m) and Lucas Digne (£4.5m) to impress before Ian Maatsen‘s (£5.0m) arrival from the Euros. Both left-backs got a half each.
Another summer signing, Enzo Barrenechea (£5.0m), made his debut in central midfield. His fellow arrival from Juventus, Iling Junior, assisted Louie Barry‘s late third.
There was still no Ramsey, Emi Buendia (£5.5m) or Tyrone Mings (£4.5m), who were hampered by injury last season.
Aston Villa XI (first half): Olsen, Cash, Feeney, Torres, Moreno, Kesler Hayden, Bogarde, Barkley, Jimoh-Aloba, Rogers, Archer.
Aston Villa XI (second half): Gauci, Nedeljković, Carlos, Swinkels, Digne, Young, Dendoncker, Barrenechea, Iling Jr, Bailey, Barry.
WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS 1-0 COMO
- Goals: Doherty
- Assists: Ait-Nouri
This friendly will be remembered for the wrong reasons, with Hwang Hee-chan (£6.5m) being subjected to an alleged racist remark from a Como player. Daniel Podence (£5.5m) was also dismissed in the fracas that followed.
This was a behind-closed-doors match but there was some good insight from the Express and Star boys, who were present.
Wolves set up in a hybrid system in the first half, with impressive teenager Pedro Lima (£4.0m) – the right-back in a back four – pushing high up the field as his three defensive colleagues stayed at home. We saw Gary O’Neil roll out a more conventional 3-4-3 last season.
Both Lima and fellow budget defender Yerson Mosquera (£4.0m) caught the eye of the watching media. As we discussed in our £4.0m defenders piece, Mosquera has real potential to be a cheapo starter after Max Kilman (£4.5m) exited.
Jorgen Strand Larsen (£5.5m) and Rodrigo Gomes (£5.5m) made their debuts at centre-forward and on the left wing respectively. Strand Larsen found the back of the net but had his strike ruled out for offside.
Wolves appointed their first set-piece coach this summer – and he’ll no doubt be taking credit for the game’s only goal. Matt Doherty (£4.5m) grabbed it, nodding in a Rayan Ait-Nouri (£4.5m) free-kick.
Wolves XI (first half): Bentley, Lima, Lonwijk, Mosquera, H Bueno, Lemina, Rawlings, R Gomes, Sarabia, Cunha, Strand Larsen.
Wolves XI (second half): King, Doherty, S Bueno, Toti, Ait-Nouri, Doyle, Cundle, Podence, Chiquinho, Bellegarde, Hwang.
ROSENBORG 1-0 MANCHESTER UNITED
- Goals: None
- Assists: None
Not a great deal we can take from this one, with only six of the 21 United players on show priced up by FPL.
All of them featured in the first half: Aaron Wan-Bissaka (£4.5m), Jonny Evans (£4.5m), Casemiro (£5.0m), Hannibal Mejbri (£4.5m), Mason Mount (£6.5m) and Marcus Rashford (£7.0m). A penny for Rashford’s thoughts, who was playing in Trondheim 24 hours after England appeared in a European Championship final without him.
Mount being fit enough to feature was arguably the main headline. He was in a deeper role alongside Casemiro, with the Red Devils chiefly operating in a 4-2-3-1.
While this match will have no relevance come Gameweek 1, you couldn’t help but laugh at the recurring themes from last season: Rashford quiet, United conceding 20+ shots and Erik ten Hag bemoaning aspects of his side’s performance. Visiting goalkeeper Radek Vitek was the star of the show, indeed, keeping United in it until the late Rosenborg winner.
United had only two efforts on target of their own.
Ten Hag may be able to call upon Harry Maguire (£5.0m) against Rangers on Saturday: the centre-half is now back in training.
The gradual return of players from the Euros also begins, with Scott McTominay (£5.0m) back on site.
Manchester United XI (first half): Vitek; Wan-Bissaka, Fish, Evans, Murray; Casemiro, Hannibal; Williams, Mount, Rashford; Wheatley.
Manchester United XI (second half): Vitek; Ogunneye, Bennett, Aljofree, Amass; Collyer, Oyedele; Ennis, J. Fletcher, Scanlon; Hugill.
HEART OF MIDLOTHIAN 1-5 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
- Goals: Johnson, Lankshear, Moore, Spence, own-goal
- Assists: Maddison, Spence, Bergvall, Werner, Scarlett
Richarlison (£7.0m) still looks some way from returning to the pitch following his injury woe at the end of 2023/24.
Speaking after the midweek win over Hearts, Ange Postecoglou suggested the Brazilian was still struggling for fitness ahead of the tour of Asia at the end of this month.
“Pape [Sarr] and Ben [Davies] should be okay for the tour in terms of participating. Richy’s probably a little bit behind them, and Fraser [Forster] is probably a little behind them as well.” – Ange Postecoglou
Destiny Udogie (£5.0m) also remains unavailable as he continues rehabilitation.
Postecoglou still managed to field a fairly strong line-up in Edinburgh on Wednesday, especially in attack.
James Maddison (£7.5m) and Dejan Kulusevski (£6.5m) were both deployed as ‘eights’ at Tynecastle; Postecoglou going even more attacking than last season, even if it was just needs must. The two combined beautifully for Spurs’ opener, with Maddison crossing for Brennan Johnson (£6.5m) to stab home.
That dart into the six-yard box from the right is becoming a bit of a Johnson trademark. The Wales international also reportedly hit a hat-trick in a training ground game against Cambridge last weekend.
Son Heung-min (£10.0m) led the line, only being denied a goal of his own by a super Craig Gordon save. Son also teed up a reassuringly advanced Pedro Porro (£5.5m) for another great chance.
Familiar traits from last season: plenty of opportunities created, plenty conceded. At least there was mitigation for the starting back four here, as it featured three midfielders. New signing Archie Gray (£5.0m) was one of them, filling in at centre-half.
It was the kids and the second string who did most of the damage after half-time. Forgotten man Djed Spence (£4.5m) chipped in with two attacking returns, while the highly rated attacking midfielder Lucas Bergvall (£4.5m) really caught the eye.
Spurs XI: Austin (Whiteman 46 (Gunter 84)), Pedro Porro (Spence 46), Gray (Phillips 46), Skipp (Royal 46), Donley (Robson 46), Bissouma (Bergvall 46), Maddison (Hall 46), Kulusevski (Werner 46), Johnson (Moore 46), Solomon (Devine 46), Son (Lankshear 46 (Veliz 67 (Scarlett 82)))
CHESTERFIELD 0-3 NOTTINGHAM FOREST
- Goals: Wood, Bowler, Sangare
- Assists: Hudson-Odoi x2
Chris Wood (£6.0m) picked up where he left off last season, continuing his good form under Nuno Espirito Santo.
A scorer of 11 goals in 16 league matches in the Nuno era, he opened the scoring at Chesterfield on Saturday.
Collecting a nicely weighted through-ball from Callum Hudson–Odoi (£5.5m), Wood rounded the hitherto inspired Ryan Boot to finish.
He’ll get a further chance to reassert his status as first-choice striker, with Taiwo Awoniyi (£6.0m) set to miss the upcoming tour of Spain.
Hudson-Odoi would later assist Ibrahim Sangare (£4.5m) with a cross after Josh Bowler (£4.5m) pounced on a loose ball to score Forest’s second.
Nuno used two formations here: a wing-back system before the break, his more usual 4-2-3-1 after it.
Anthony Elanga (£5.5m) took some dangerous set plays and was part of a front two in the first half, although he and strike partner Emmanuel Dennis (£5.0m) did waste several clear chances. Elliot Anderson (£5.0m) caught the eye on his debut, too.
Giant goalkeeper Carlos Miguel (£4.5m) had a quiet Forest bow, meanwhile. It remains to be seen who gets the nod between him and Matz Sels (£4.5m), who has been away with Belgium.
Nottingham Forest XI (first half): Miguel; Williams, Worrall, Boly, Abbott, Toffolo; Yates, Domínguez, Anderson; Elanga, Dennis
Nottingham Forest XI (second half): Miguel (Bott 85); Moreira, Omobamidele, Murillo, Aina; Sangaré, Danilo; Bowler (O’Brien 76), Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Wood
WEST HAM UNITED 2-2 FERENCVAROS
- Goals: Ings, Aguerd
- Assists: Potts, Irving
Julen Lopetegui took charge of West Ham for the first time in a training ground kickabout in Austria.
We didn’t see a massive amount of pacy new winger Luis Guilherme (£5.0m), with the Hammers creating little in his 45 minutes on the pitch. Lopetegui doesn’t come with an attacking reputation, so even when his squad are more acquainted with his methods, we’re not going to see gung-ho football. Indeed, it’s likelier to be an evolution of the slow and steady possession we witnessed against Ferencvaros.
Lopetegui sent his troops out in his favoured 4-3-3, with Guilherme and Mohammed Kudus (£6.5m) flanking Maxwel Cornet (£5.0m). Another summer signing, Max Kilman (£4.5m), made his debut at centre-half. Distribution is one of his strengths, so it’s no surprise Lopetegui wanted to be reunited with the former Wolves stopper.
Seven first-teamers were absent due to their summer international commitments, meanwhile.
The Hammers were 2-0 down at the break but Danny Ings (£5.0m) emerged from the bench to reduce the arrears with a curling free-kick.
Nayef Aguerd (£4.5m) then popped up late on to prod in an equaliser.
West Ham United XI: Fabiański (Foderingham 45), Kodua (Marshall 60), Mavropanos (Zouma 45), Kilman (Aguerd 45), Cresswell (Emerson 45), Orford (Earthy 45), Potts (Moore 68), Ward-Prowse (Irving 45), Guilherme (Kelly 45), Kudus (Casey 45), Cornet (Ings 45)
