Damien Delaney: New dawns but I fear for United — they're still woefully short in places
Seeing the light...or headed for darkness?: Manager Erik ten Hag of Manchester United speaks during a press conference at Carrington Training Ground on Friday. Pic: Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
New beginnings, new eras and new chapters. The hope, the optimism, the belief. That maybe this is the eve of something different, when we rid ourselves of the dark cloud that’s been hanging over past endeavours. Very quickly the lights go up, the curtain goes back and you see before your eyes whether the promise of pre-season was real or another false dawn.
So how reliable is pre-season? I had a variety of experiences and as many mixed starts to actual campaigns. My experience amounted to one golden rule before things get real: Don’t get injured.
