Billed as 'star-studded' with several international players set to be involved, United fielded several teenagers and lads Erik ten Hag wants offloaded.
Back in June, when Man United officially confirmed the news of a long-awaited return to Dublin, the club touched on past Irish legends such as Roy Keane, George Best and Denis Irwin, and their connections with this country.
"We know how passionate our Irish supporters are and it’s a pleasure to be able to bring this game to Dublin," stated United’s football director, John Murtough
"After returning from tour in the US, Erik and the team will be eager to put the finishing touches on their preparations for the new season. A game against high-quality La Liga opposition, such as Athletic Bilbao, will be a great opportunity to gain fitness and playing time before the start of the 2023/24 campaign, as well as providing entertainment for our Irish fans."
Bilbao went with a strong line-up, with Spanish goalkeeper Unai Simón starting, along with Nico Williams, Inaki Williams and captain Iker Muniain, with United cult hero Ander Herrera on the bench. The best United could muster was Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire, Jadon Sancho and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
Harry Maguire and Donny van de Beek both started, but United are keen to move both men on before the transfer window closes. This was very much a second string XI, with the main event coming at Old Trafford the day before.
[caption id="attachment_291289" align="aligncenter" width="1280"]Harry Maguire of Man United during the pre-season friendly match against Athletic Bilbao at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. (Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile)[/caption]
Man United announced Lens game after Dublin match sold out
That Saturday friendly against Lens, taking place 24 hours before, had not been scheduled in or announced when tickets went on sale for the Aviva Stadium game. Tickets for the Dublin game were snapped up within hours of going on sale. Two weeks later, United revealed they would play Lens in their only pre-season game at Old Trafford.
Fans that attended that game, in Manchester, got to see André Onana and Mason Mount make their Old Trafford bows in a full-strength line-up that included Marcus Rashford, Casemiro, Antony, Rahaël Varane and captain Bruno Fernandes. They also got to welcome Rasmus Hojlund as he was paraded to the crowd after his £64m move to United.
United fans in Ireland - after waiting six years for the club to return to these shores - got to see the likes of Omari Forson, Daniel Gore, Alvaro Fernandez, Noam Emeran and Joe Hugill. These youngsters may yet break through in years to come but it was an underwhelming squad sent over to fly the United flag, especially when adult match tickets were going for twice the price of those on sale for the Lens game.
United were banking on an Irish sell-out and may have anticipated a stronger side being involved, but that all changed once the Lens game was confirmed. It made more sense for Erik ten Hag to field his prospective Premier League opener XI at home rather than sending them flying over to Dublin.
Did we get any explanation or pre-match words from the club, or manager, as to why they had stacked the deck on Saturday and went light on Sunday? No. There was no real press access, save for MUTV, the in-house unit for United. We did get some tokenism from the United boss:
Man United up sticks and head for home
Many of the Man United supporters will have seen the writing on the wall when the starting XI was announced for the Lens game, on Saturday.
Adults may have been slightly disappointed but this would have hit harder for the young United fans that headed along to Lansdowne Road. I know how they would be feeling as I did so myself, back in 1992, when United played an Ireland XI in a pre-season friendly. Back then, the club sent a strong squad that included Ryan Giggs, Mark Hughes, Denis Irwin and Dion Dublin, who played his first United game that day.
Rashford, Casemiro, Fernandes and Alejandro Garnacho are the most popular players at United right now, especially for the younger supporters. The signs in the crowd, held aloft by boys and girls, were further evidence of that. For not even one of that quartet to be in Dublin, let alone the new signings, would have stung.
In fairness to many of the players, they did their bit by hanging around as long as allowed, after the game, to take photos and sign autographs.
Ahead of the game, all the Man United players had been wonderful with their young mascot, Finn O'Shea from Clonmel, as they signed his jersey and escorted him onto the pitch.
Spirits had been lifted by Facundo Pellistri's late equaliser that left it at 1-1. Jadon Sancho and Jonny Evans [back at the club on a short-term deal] were the most sought after and both got through a mountain of good PR.
[caption id="attachment_291288" align="aligncenter" width="1280"]Jadon Sancho of Man United takes a photo with supporters after the pre-season friendly match at Aviva Stadium. (Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile)[/caption]
Wheels up as Man United leave town
As for United themselves, there was no press conference after the game so no chance for the Irish media to pose any questions, or even challenge the paucity of senior stars brought to Dublin.
There was supposed to be a mixed zone, where United players would speak to the press, but they skipped that too, as they had after the Leeds game in Oslo, last month.
That was it. Banged up the posters, opened the tills, took your money and they were off back home.
Nice doing business with you. See you again in six or seven years.
You wonder why fans keep turning up at all.
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Harry Maguire of Man United during the pre-season friendly match against Athletic Bilbao at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. (Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile)[/caption]
Jadon Sancho of Man United takes a photo with supporters after the pre-season friendly match at Aviva Stadium. (Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile)[/caption]
