Man Utd Player Ratings: Rusty Reds Beaten by Wrexham

Manchester United’s pre-season preparations got off to a bumpy start in Helsinki as Michael Carrick’s experimental side fell to a 1-0 defeat against a sharp Wrexham outfit.

​A solitary far-post tap-in from Sam Smith just before half-time separated the sides at the Olympic Stadium, punishing a collective defensive lapse from a highly-experienced United first-half XI. Carrick changed all 11 players at the break, handing the second half over to a vibrant academy contingent. While the youngsters injected some much-needed fluidity and control, they couldn’t bypass a resolute Wrexham rearguard.

​Here is how the Manchester United players rated in their opening summer runout.

​First-Half XI

​Tom Heaton – 5

An uncharacteristically nervous start from the veteran goalkeeper, who nearly gifted Wrexham an opener inside sixty seconds after a loose scramble in the box. He made a solid stop later in the half, but could do little to prevent Smith’s close-range finish.

​Leny Yoro – 6

Deployed in an unfamiliar right-back role, the French starlet showed flashes of real quality when combining with Mason Mount down the flank. However, he was occasionally caught out defensively and struggled to anchor the right side before moving to his natural central position later in the summer.

​Harry Maguire – 6

Handed the captain’s armband by Carrick, Maguire received the warmest reception of the afternoon from the Finnish crowd. He was proactive in stepping out of defense to build play, but he will be frustrated by how easily George Thomason’s low cross fizzed through the backline for Wrexham’s winner.

​Ayden Heaven – 5

A real mixed bag for the youngster. He showed immense character to produce a perfectly timed, last-ditch recovery tackle on James Cadamarteri inside the penalty area. However, that danger was entirely self-inflicted after a sloppy giveaway, and he lost concentration entirely for Wrexham’s decisive goal.

​Luke Shaw – 5

Looked keen to venture forward and establish an overlapping relationship with Patrick Dorgu, but struggled to cope with Wrexham’s diagonal switches. He pulled too far inside for the goal, leaving Smith completely unmarked at the back post.

​Andrey Santos – 7

The clear bright spark from the first half. Making his United debut following a £50m switch from Chelsea, the Brazilian acted as the midfield anchor. Aside from one early scare where he lost possession, he was combative, energetic, and constantly demanded the ball to try and progress United forward.

​Jack Fletcher – 5

Eager to please and worked hard out of possession, but the game largely passed him by in central midfield as United’s senior stars struggled to establish an attacking rhythm.

​Mason Mount – 5

Involved in some neat early combinations with Yoro and showed plenty of industry. His inswinging corner also forced Wrexham into striking their own crossbar, but his creative radar was slightly off when looking for the killer pass.

​Bryan Mbeumo – 5

Looked to track back and help Yoro double up on Wrexham’s left side, but he was isolated as an attacking threat and struggled to leave his imprint on the match before the mass interval changes.

​Patrick Dorgu – 5

Swapped roles frequently with Shaw down the left wing, but couldn’t unlock a compact Wrexham defensive line and found service difficult to come by.

​Joshua Zirkzee – 4

A frustrating afternoon for the Dutchman. He dropped deep into midfield pockets in typical fashion to try and connect the play, but his first touch regularly let him down and he cut an isolated figure up top.

​Second-Half XI

​Radek Vitek – 7

Much more proactive than Heaton in possession, positioning himself high up the pitch to act as an extra man in the build-up. He made a crucial, spread-eagled save with his legs to deny Wrexham a second goal in a one-on-one situation.

​Jaydan Kamason – 6

Displayed plenty of modern full-back intent, flying up the right flank to join the attack. He picked up a necessary but cynical booking for a late challenge as Wrexham tried to counter-attack.

​Dan Armer – 7

Slotted into the heart of the defense seamlessly. He looked incredibly composed on the ball and kept Wrexham’s rotated frontline entirely at arm’s length during a dominant second-half display from United.

​Jacob Devaney – 7

Formed a very solid, cohesive partnership with Armer. He coped well with the physicality of Wrexham’s introduction of Kieffer Moore and distributed cleanly from the back.

​Harry Amass – 7

Continued to build on his growing reputation with a fearless performance. He bombed forward at every opportunity and produced one spectacular sliding challenge to halt a Wrexham breakaway and launch a United counter-attack.

​Toby Collyer – 7

A disciplined performance in the engine room. He covered the grass intelligently to snuff out potential transitional threats while aggressively leading United’s high press from midfield.

​Tyler Fletcher – 8

Proudly wore the captain’s armband for the second period and led by example. He shielded his back four with real maturity and dictated the tempo of the game, helping United look far more assured in possession.

​Dan Gore – 8

United’s standout performer of the afternoon. Looking completely unburdened by his previous injury woes, Gore unlocked the Wrexham defense with a magnificent bursting run from deep to create United’s best opening of the match. His tight control and vision were excellent.

​Shea Lacey – 6

Tested Danny Ward with a snapshot shortly after coming on, but found it tough to consistently find space out wide against a low block.

​Ethan Williams – 6

Struggled to get the better of his fullback in the final third but couldn’t be faulted for his work rate, tracking back diligently to support Kamason.

​Ethan Wheatley – 6

Starved of any clean-cut opportunities inside the penalty box but put in a tireless shift, pressing the Wrexham centre-backs and making intelligent space-clearing runs for Gore and Fletcher.