Analysing Victor Lindelof’s start to life in Manchester United colours

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Signed early on in the summer having been close to a move in January, it is easy to understand why expectations are high for Manchester United’s £30 million signing, Victor Lindelof. However, with three appearances under his belt in the club’s pre-season tour of the US, he has done very little to live up to them.

Two individual errors in his first game in a United shirt, which came against LA Galaxy, both led to goals for the Major League Soccer side and set fans nerves on edge. He followed that up with a clumsy and embarrassing tackle on Real Madrid’s Theo Hernandez to concede a penalty before going on to miss his own spot kick in the shoot-out at the end of the game.

His third appearance, against Barcelona, was an improvement. That said, it was an anonymous display from the Swede rather than a strong or convincing performance.

That form has been little short of woeful, with his lack of composure being shown up time and time again, as he has dived into rash challenges and made basic errors. These are the kind of mistakes that Jose Mourinho would not tolerate from any other player in his squad.

With the pace and strength of the Premier League only going to heighten the need to be decisive and calm, it is a major concern for United that Lindelof appears to be so unsettled by the presence of MLS strikers in pre-season.

To be fair to the 23-year-old, he has shown moments of potential. He is clearly a good reader of the game. His vision and anticipation have been impressive and will only improve as he gains more experience alongside his new team-mates.

It is still early days for Lindelof, he is yet to play in the Premier League after all. However, his form to date will be worrying United fans and Jose Mourinho alike. With Eric Bailly suspended for the first two European fixtures of the season and doubts over Chris Smalling’s future, United need Lindelof to be at the top of his game. On the evidence seen so far, he is far from it.