Cole's Tour Diary: A glimpse of the future
We are on day five of the tour in the US and I like the way this team is showing up.
At the hotel there is a positive vibe around the players and travelling tour party. I can tell this group is benefiting from a singular base in Los Angeles and the fantastic training facilities at UCLA.
For me, creating a positive atmosphere on these trips is as important as the physical preparation in training and on the pitch, and the team has got it just right so far.
On the field, in Europe and now in the US, we have seen some exciting young talent that will be looking to make their breakthrough this season – following in the footsteps of the many young stars that have made their claim for a first-team place on pre-season tours in the past.
90 in 20: Arsenal v United
Watch extended highlights from Arsenal v United at the SoFi Stadium...
Although the squad will be disappointed to lose to Arsenal, there were plenty of positives for me. The team looked fit and sharp and moved the ball effectively in large periods of the game, especially in the first half when I agreed with Erik ten Hag that we were the better team.
I know the penalty shootout was an exhibition but I was really impressed with the calmness of the players, in particular Andre Onana.
It is hard to talk about the game without mentioning the setting – the spectacular SoFi stadium in downtown Inglewood.
As we approached the SoFi yesterday it looked more like a spaceship than a sports stadium. It is something you must see to believe. To give a sense of its scale, I was told the roof sign weighs the same as three killer whales and it took 33 giant trucks to load-in the infinity screen suspended above the pitch.
That is all very impressive but what left the biggest impression on me is how the stadium has been central to the rise of Inglewood. I have been coming to LA for years and that area of the city was never previously somewhere you would choose to go as a visitor.
To see how it has become such a thriving neighbourhood, with the SoFi at the heart of it, is an inspirational example of inner-city regeneration.
I don’t draw this comparison lightly, but you can see a parallel with the opportunity back home in Manchester. A new or redeveloped stadium at Old Trafford could be the focal point for revitalisation of the surrounding area.
Manchester United fans and everyone in the north of England deserves a truly world-class stadium, and SoFi set the standard to aim for.
This is the kind of arena the best players in the world want to be playing in and fans want to be experiencing.
On to San Diego…