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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…
It has undeniably been one of the major highlights of Manchester United’s pre-season so far; the emergence of so many talented young players appearing to stake their claim for an opportunity for the upcoming campaign. Until Thursday, the name on everybody’s lips had been Mason Greenwood. But after scoring the winner against Tottenham in the International Champions Cup, it could well be his teammate Angel Gomes who makes the step-up first.
The 18-year-old’s goal against Spurs was a real thing of beauty; after collecting the ball on the left-hand side, the 5 foot 3 midfielder drove into the box before playing a one-two with Juan Mata. Gomes’ first-touch from the pass was excellent and his elastic-like dribbling took him through on goal before calmly slotting the ball into the far corner of the net. It was pace, technique and composure at its best.
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Indeed, speaking after the game, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said: “It was a great goal by Angel (Gomes) – a great response. The little boy is bright and sharp. A great finish, so I’m delighted for him because he’s been, since day one, really sharp in pre-season so we have high hopes for him. All in all, the tour has been very good.”
Whilst Greenwood has understandably taken all the plaudits so far, it could well be that Gomes makes more of an immediate impact on Solskjaer’s first-team. His low centre of gravity means he can be a tricky player to stop, and in the new world of VAR, any kind of contact on trying to prevent him from driving into the box could result in a penalty.
United have an abundance of talented players who can play out wide, but Gomes’ pace and dribbling from just behind the striker can cause teams a whole load of new problems. His versatility and ability to play from the left-hand side also will naturally help the Red Devils’ attackers to interchange and give opposition teams something to think about.
It’s the kind of movement and creativity that Solskjaer has looked to impose on his side, and Gomes’ knack of changing gears and upping the tempo with his incredible dribbling and close control can help United unlock packed defences.
So whilst it may be Greenwood who looks on course to enjoy the stellar career at Old Trafford, Gomes’ impressive strike against Spurs has just subtly reminded everyone that United have another great academy product on their hands, who is ready to make his mark sooner rather than later.
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