Pillar returns but will Ten Hag help Man United breakthrough?
The most important names at Old Trafford such as Casemiro, Luke Shaw or Lisandro Martinez have officially returned to play, so will this be the premise to help Manchester United overcome the crisis?
For most of the past first leg, coach Erik ten Hag was almost unable to freely choose the best cards for each match as important pillars "collapsed" one by one due to other physical problems. together. This is also one of the biggest reasons why Man United is bogged down in the Premier League, an arena where they are currently only ranked 8th with 11 points worse than next season's Champions League group.
See More: https://2sport.tv/team/manchester-united-14
The 4-2 victory over Newport County last weekend was a rare time when Ten Hag no longer had the "headache" of patching up the squad when Casemiro, Martinez and Shaw reappeared.
Shaw has been absent since before Christmas with a persistent hamstring injury. Casemiro had problems in the 0-3 defeat to Newcastle in early November and only returned to training this month. As for Martinez, an irreplaceable piece for Ten Hag in the defense as the Argentine star is the station that transfers the ball from the home field to the forward line because of his composure and impressive ability to hold the ball. The Dutch family has been "missing" for the past 3 months.
“I often have to change the lineup ,” Ten Hag said in December. “Of course you can't keep the same lineup from week to week. Football requires players to always be in the best shape and injuries are normal. But I affirm that if Man United's important players can play regularly, we will get better results."
Man United experienced many bad results in the first leg, but Ten Hag clearly deserves sympathy because the former Ajax Amsterdam coach does not have many options in the squad , especially in the defensive area.
But the official return of the main players to the field will also put pressure on Ten Hag. The match against Wolverhampton Wanderers in round 22 of the Premier League next Friday morning will certainly be a valid test to verify the 53-year-old coach's assertion that Man United will advance when they have quality pieces.
"For the first time since I led Man United, I was free to choose the names I liked best ," Ten Hag said after the victory over Newport County.
In fact, during the away trip at Rodney Parade that Sunday night, the return of Casemiro, Martinez and Shaw really helped the Red Devils transform with an extremely positive style of play . Ten Hag's team completely overwhelmed the home team, the defense played smoothly thanks to Martinez's legs, while the midfield with the strength of Casemiro helped the representative from the Premier League dominate the game and scored 2 goals. Early victory was scored by Bruno Fernandes as well as Kobbie Mainoo.
According to statistics from Whoscored, Shaw successfully made 5 tackles and had an 82% accurate pass rate. The English defender's shot in the second half helped Antony score his first goal this season.
Meanwhile, no Man United player has more passes than midfielder Martinez (74) with an accuracy rate of 88%. In the midfield, Mainoo's youth combined with Casemiro's experience helps the Red Devils' back four receive maximum protection.
"Let's wait and see ," Ten Hag replied meaningfully after being asked about Man United's achievements when its pillars recovered from injuries. “But in my opinion it is extremely important. This match exuded many things, but we understand that the Premier League is a higher level so there will be more difficult opponents for us."
In the coming time, Ten Hag will continue to receive good news when expensive rookie Mason Mount is nearing full fitness as well as No. 1 goalkeeper Andre Onana is preparing to return to the squad after completing his mission with the national team in Vietnam. AFCON 2024.
For the first time after nearly 2 years in the hot seat at Old Trafford, Ten Hag can sleep well without having to worry about his students' injuries. Now, with the most suitable weapons at hand, the task for Ten Hag is nothing more than helping Man United win a position in the top 4 with a convincing style of play. Only then will the Dutch strategist prove to the Ineos group that he is completely worthy of being the one to steer Man United's fortune back to its former level.
MY SOCIAL:
https://twitter.com/ManUfixturestv/status/1752270279718617178
https://www.flickr.com/photos/196985201@N03/53497776344/
https://manutdfixturestv.blogspot.com/2024/01/man-united-vs-west-ham-united-live.html
https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/897694138226121834