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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
So after a summer transfer window in which Manchester United were linked to what quite possibly could have been every player on planet Earth, the Red Devils failed to end up signing someone in arguably the most crucial of positions. The number ten.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side were linked with late moves for the likes of Christian Eriksen, Paulo Dybala and Bruno Fernandes, amongst others, but failed to see a deal materialise before the window shut. The club still have a few options to play in that all-important role just behind the striker, but there are certainly caveats with a number of them.
Paul Pogba – arguably United’s best man for the job – could still yet leave due to the transfer deadlines in other European leagues closing later, Jesse Lingard remains a picture of inconsistency, and Juan Mata is well past his best.
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Reports in recent weeks have claimed that Solskjaer is keen to implement a high-intensity approach and a desire to press from the front. The number ten often plays a crucial role in how that system potentially takes effect; when the ball is there to be won, the midfielder can push on alongside the striker to pressure the centre-backs, whilst when possession is too difficult to regain immediately, they can drop back and help form a more compact shape.
Landing someone like Eriksen – who averaged an impressive 1.2 tackles per game in the Premier League last season – would have gone some way to helping United’s new approach.
Forgetting the defensive aspect, creativity is in rather short supply given United’s current make-up in midfield. Not one player managed ten assists in the Premier League last season, with Pogba managing nine and both Lingard and Mata recording a measly two. On the other hand, Eriksen registered an impressive 12. Having a playmaker who can dictate the tempo and have the ingenuity to unlock packed defences is something United simply struggled with last season.
In those tight, high-pressure games where a moment of magic is needed, Solskjaer may regret not dipping into the transfer market and buying a bona-fide star in that heavily influential number ten role.
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