Could Lisandro Martinez be Man United’s midfield trump card? | OneFootball

At this point, identifying the hole in Manchester United’s midfield is about as obvious as stating that grass is green or the Old Trafford roof leaks. It has gone beyond analysis into the realm of fact.

Similarly clear is that there will be no blockbuster reinforcements signed in January. An eye-rolling report suggests the Red Devils are looking at bringing in a “secret midfielder” this month to boost Michael Carrick’s options in the middle of the park, but it would surprise nobody if the winter window closes with no new options in that position.

Enter Martinez

Each of those options comes with a sizeable red flag. Elder statesman Casemiro may have put a diabolical run of form behind him but is still a liability. Manuel Ugarte has never convinced for more than five minutes at a time and Kobbie Mainoo’s season is yet to get off the ground after a difficult time under Ruben Amorim, although he played the full 90 minutes in the derby win and looked assured throughout.

As for Bruno Fernandes, it’s anyone’s guess whether he even counts anymore, with Carrick returning him to his original number 10 role, where he sparkled against Manchester City.

It’s an unhappy assortment for the new interim head coach to draw from, but there is another way, a potential dark horse lurking in his peripherals – he could turn to Lisandro Martinez.

Back in business

The diminutive Argentine has been something of a revelation since Erik ten Hag signed him from Ajax. Overcoming height-based criticism to forge a reputation as a firebrand centre-back, he then suffered a crippling case of second season syndrome before being sidelined for the long term through injury.

Now, he has featured in United’s last eleven matches and has impressed. Martinez took on several roles in Amorim’s tumultuous defensive structures, featured in both of Darren Fletcher’s ill-fated games in charge and was a monster against Erling Haaland in Carrick’s first game back in the dugout.

As part of his chaotic team selection, Amorim did give him some minutes as part of a midfield pivot, and there were moments when that looked like the best place for him. It was vindication for the frothing-mouthed social media fans who have been calling for that switch almost since his arrival at Old Trafford, and could have been a sliding doors moment for the player.

Fit for the role?

The 27-year-old consistently demonstrates some extraordinary passing ability, and the stats back up his suitability for the role in that regard.

His figures are skewed by his lack of gametime, but at time of writing only Ayden Heaven has a higher pass completion percentage per 90 than Martinez, who also trails only Noussair Mazraoui and Bruno Fernandes in progressive passes per 90 (stats taken from FBref).

Martinez consistently sees a lot of possession in the defensive third and uses it shrewdly, but perhaps most excitingly is that, per 90, he comfortably tops the charts for progressive carrying distance.

With his defensive credentials in no doubt, this all points to a player well-equipped to fill a dynamic central midfield role, driving forward and consistently finding his man with positive passes.

Perhaps not

But equally, those midfield minutes under Amorim could have been a false dawn. In an excellent illustration of how football is much more than numbers in a spreadsheet, two consecutive full-time managers shied away from giving him much time in midfield.

Amorim may have resorted to using him there in the death throes of his reign, possibly as much to send an SOS to the recruitment team as anything else. But Ten Hag’s resistance to deploying him in the middle of the park is more telling – the Dutchman knew him from Ajax, and quickly got to know the Premier League.

He may have dabbled with a midfield Martinez in the Eredivisie, but concluded that he didn’t have the running capacity to thrive there. That’s a decision doubtless compounded by English football’s relentless intensity, and perhaps informed too by a chequered injury record. The Butcher may be ferocious, but he has missed nearly 100 games for club and country since joining United.

Final word

However badly their respective tenures at the club ended, it’s reasonable to conclude that Ten Hag and Amorim are familiar with the demands of top-level football. And given that both struggled desperately in the engine room, both had Martinez on hand and both barely gave him a sniff in that position speaks volumes.

One manager can be wrong – the Amorim/Mainoo standoff will never not be egregious – but for two to agree on turning away from what on the surface seems a worthwhile experiment feels conclusive.

That said, Carrick comes into a club in chaos as a head coach with a definite end date which in a bizarre way gives him a kind of carte blanche. As such, he could certainly be forgiven a flutter on Martinez in midfield. If he’s brave enough, he could solve United’s midfield problem for free – but if he doesn’t take the plunge, maybe on this occasion we trust the experts.

Featured image Alex Livesey via Getty Images

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