Where Man Utd's 10 defenders stand under Ruben Amorim after exit and two heartbreaking injuries
Where Man Utd's 10 defenders stand under Ruben Amorim after exit and two heartbreaking injuries
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Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim is still a million miles away from achieving what he set out to at Old Trafford. He's enjoyed no new manager bounce with results, if anything, getting worse during his tenure. It has been blow after blow on the red half of Manchester, with the odd glimmer of light coming and going. The latest blow saw Lisandro Martinez ruled out for the season on Sunday. The centre-half looks like his injury will see him absent into next term, which leaves the team's resources test. Amorim has also just found out that Luke Shaw has suffered, yet another, setback with the left-back struggling to remain fit.
Tyrell Malacia, after months on the sideline with injury, has just been allowed to leave on loan, heading back to his homeland to play for PSV. Patrick Dorgu has arrived and may be able to show that Amorim's 3-4-3 formation could be advantageous. The former Leece man is a natural wing-back, something United don't have, and as a result the new system implemented has forced the club's full-backs to adapt to new remits, which hasn't gone well.
In light of several January moves we take a look at how the defensive landscape looks at Old Trafford. Victor Lindelof - The fact he's not started a Premier League game perhaps says it all. The Swede was a Jose Mourinho signing but has survived a number of different tenures. Lindelof is expected to seek pastures new come the summer when his contract expires and is very much a squad player at present with his own fitness an issue.
Noussair Mazraoui - Bought in by Erik ten Hag but already playing under a new manager. It was a surprise when Mazraoui was used as a No 10 in a Europa League game earlier this term, with Ten Hag insisting he was capable of playing the role. He was signed as a full-back however but has struggled to have the same impact when being used as a wing-back. A number of Ten Hag's signings have not worked out and Mazraoui will be determined not to be another and, currently, looks to have the faith of his manager.
Lisandro Martinez - Seen by many as the best centre-half at the club but he's been unable to hit the levels he did in his debut season, where he proved a lot of his doubters wrong. Martinez's injury means the team and the manager will have to plan for the short-term without him and months on the sideline certainly opens the doors for others to make their case, but there will be calls for him to return to the starting picture as soon as he's fit with his aggressive nature a huge plus.
Patrick Dorgu - An unknown commodity in the Premier League but the Manchester outfit spent enough of the January window trying to get his signing over the line. He's likely going to be the first barometer for the Amorim system given he's naturally capable of playing the wing-back role, which is immensely different to the remit of a full-back. Harry Maguire - One day those in Manchester may well look back on the Englishman, a player whose price tag has constantly seen him mocked, and wonder whether they grossly under appreciated him. Amorim has already fallen back on Maguire when he's needs a reliable presence and, given he plays with three centre-halves, the ex-Leicester man will continue to get minutes and he's consistently shown he can deliver.
Leny Yoro - It is still early days, and the teenager is certainly still raw, but there's a player there and United may well benefit long-term. An outstanding tackle late in the draw at Liverpool last month highlighted his quality and his temperament. An injury in pre-season certainly stalled his development in Manchester, as did a change of manager, but the club look to have a player for the next decade.
Matthijs de Ligt - The jury is still out despite the Dutchman boasting a stellar CV. It doesn't look like he'll ever reach the levels he threatened to do when he came through at Ajax and Bayern Munich's willingness to let him go was a concern for many. He's been solid without being exceptional but his consistency of selection proves he's very much part of Amorim's plans, at least for now. Diogo Dalot - He has started more games than any defender at the club but is one of the players who's struggled to be as impressive as a wing-back following some strong showings as a full-back. Amorim's selection has proved that Dalot is very much a player for him currently and, with transfer priorities set to be in other areas, he could continue being a regular.
Luke Shaw - Patience must surely be wearing thin. There's no doubting the quality, but that only goes so far when you're available so little. It is easy to forget that Shaw is only 29 having burst onto the scene so young. One thing that could save him is how comfortable he is playing in a 3-4-3, doing so impressively for England in the past. Jonny Evans - The Northern Irishman, who was re-signed by the Manchester outfit, has always done a job for United in the past and, perhaps worryingly, has sometimes look more assured than some of their lavish overseas signings. However the club, who want to get back to the heights of yesteryear, cannot be seen to rely on a 37-year-old defender who is poised to leave in the summer when his contract expires.
