Manchester United just started the 2024-2025 Premier League campaign with a minimal victory against Fulham. The performance of Erik ten Hag and his team was not too impressive but also brought some optimistic signs.
However, the victory in the opening match still exposed Man United's remaining problems from last season. One of them is the left back position, which is considered a "deadly point" in the defense.
In the match against Fulham, rookie Noussair Mazraoui had a solid debut at the left-back position, before being withdrawn in the second half to replace Diogo Dalot. Ten Hag then brought Dalot back to his natural position on the right wing, pushing Lisandro Martinez to the left edge. This is also the position the Argentinian player played in the English Super Cup final against Manchester City, in the context of Man United's lack of personnel.
The lack of a true left back is considered a "death point" in Man United's defense. Tyrell Malacia missed all of last season, while Luke Shaw has been absent due to injury. Ten Hag was forced to use Diogo Dalot and Aaron Wan-Bissaka to play against their strengths. In addition, Victor Lindelof, Antony and Sofyan Amrabat are also tested alternatives in this position.
Continuous rotation of the squad due to the impact of injuries caused MU to receive a record number of goals lost last season. One of the real reasons why the "Red Devils" defense is fragile comes from the wrong decisions of the team's leadership in the transfer. When Luke Shaw suffered a calf injury, Tyrell Malacia had knee surgery, the Old Trafford team decided to borrow Sergio Reguilon from Tottenham Hotspur.
This was a successful deal for Man United when the Spanish player played prominently and was considered an excellent replacement for Luke Shaw. However, as soon as Shaw and Malacia returned from injury, the Old Trafford team terminated Reguilon's contract in January 2023.
This somewhat hasty decision immediately backfired, when both Malacia and Shaw missed the rest of the season due to recurring injuries. Man United's defense at that time became even more fragile. Not only that, this also affects the ability to attack on the left wing.
According to Opta Analyst, the absence of a left-footed defender leaves Marcus Rashford without a partner in combination or overlapping phases. In addition, Rashford also had his playing space significantly narrowed whenever Dalot tended to stick to the middle to develop the ball or finish on his own. However, Luke Shaw will be more suitable for overlapping situations or crossing the ball with his dominant foot into the opponent's penalty area.
According to The Athletic, after lessons from the loan deal of Sergio Reguilon, Man United's board of directors may bring in another pure left-side defender before the 2024 Summer transfer window closes.
In addition, Ten Hag is also giving the opportunity and testing 17-year-old young star Harry Amass on a tour in the US. However, Amass likely needs more time to cultivate and practice with the U21 team before being expected to become an official replacement.
