Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim said his side still have plenty of work to do and pointed to a lack of pace in midfield after their pre-season opener ended in a 0-0 draw with newly promoted Leeds United in Stockholm on 19 July.
United are coming off their worst-ever Premier League campaign, finishing 15th in 2024-25, and also missed out on Champions League qualification after a 1-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final.
New signing Matheus Cunha started for the Red Devils in the friendly, but the performance left much to be desired as Amorim’s side struggled to impose themselves against a physically robust Leeds outfit.
“We suffered a little bit when we tried to press high,” Amorim told MUTV. “They kick the ball long, win the second ball, and become dangerous in those moments.
“We have a lack of pace, especially in the middle of the park, and you can feel it – that makes it hard to bring the ball forward. But we created chances. It’s only a first test against a Premier League team, with two different lineups, so it was a good test.”
Amorim stressed that there is still a long way to go for the team to be ready for the new season.
“As a group, we have a lot to improve – the speed of the game, all the small details. But we are going to improve,” he added.
United will continue their pre-season campaign against West Ham United at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on 26 July.