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Publication date: Thursday, October 1, 2020 11:12 AM
“We have a lot of defenders here,” said Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as he dismissed questions about Manchester United’s purchase of a new central midfielder after they conceded their fourth and fifth goals of the nascent Premier League season against Brighton. He clarified his point – “for me, we have enough good centers here right now” – but that only made things worse. “Good” shouldn’t really be the benchmark for Manchester United; it is Brighton and Palace who should boast of “good” centers, not United.
For weeks United have been informing the media that they are not firmly interested in central defenders, much to the confusion of fans who have been subjected to Victor Lindelof’s clumsy styles, but on Wednesday night there was a reminder that United have a center. -Go back better than ‘good’ if only given the opportunity. Eric Bailly is so far ahead of Lindelof, and indeed Harry Maguire, that it seems ridiculous that he was restricted to the Carabao Cup and a late cameo in the Premier League. That surely has to change.
“I think Eric played well again, he knows how much we value him,” said Solskjaer, who emphasized the need for the Ivory Coast international to stay in shape, which seems to be the only element that is a) out of his control and b) irrelevant now that he’s fit. Regardless of whether he played ten, 20 or 50 games last season, United now have to build a partnership between Bailly and Maguire if, as seems certain, the club has decided that it cannot justify a more extravagant spending so soon after the purchase. of the defensive record. of its captain.
The message has been consistent: Right winger, left winger, forward if possible – and the need for the latter was absolutely exposed Wednesday night, with Odion Ighalo looking a million miles from good enough. The decision of spend £ 10.5 million Extending your loan period until January now looks like a loss of 10.5 million pounds. His shortcomings mean an off-beat Anthony Martial – he’s had two shots in two games – has missed just a handful of minutes in the Premier League so far. Of United’s ten goals in all competitions, none have been scored by an absolute striker.
Ighalo is really our forward because he sleeps in United pajamas by the way, give me 3 months in the gym and a no kebab diet and I can do his damn job if you want a United fan in advance.
– ‘(@vintageredss) September 30, 2020
United has options to replace Martial, but both options would weaken the team elsewhere. Right now United’s second best striker is their best right back and their third best striker is their best left back; While Wednesday night gave fans hope that there is an answer to some of United’s defensive woes, it did nothing to convince them that the problems could be so easily solved on the other end of the field. As Andy Cole says about Martial: “One week can be absolutely fantastic and then another week it’s like ‘what happened to him?’ It’s like their twin brother is playing. “United needs an option for twin brother weeks.
That is why United is linked with Luka Jovic and not with Dayot Upamecano, and with Edinson Cavani and not with Kalidou Koulibaly. There is clearly a reluctance to strengthen an area that has had significant investment in the last four years while there is such an obvious gap further up the field. He was forgotten amid the vertigo of his season-ending form, but United have yet to replace Romelu Lukaku with nothing more than short-term arrangements.
United have many defenders, but they don’t really have many forwards worthy of the name.
Sarah winterburn
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