Manchester United's defense has undergone a major overhaul since receiving two big punches from Brighton and Brentford at the beginning of the season. Captain Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw have been pushed to the bench while Lisandro Martinez and Diogo Dalot have been retained and competed for now, becoming irreplaceable factors. Along with Rafael Varane and Tyrell Malacia, Man United's defense has now cleared the English stars.
In the past 2 months, Erik ten Hag has had an unwritten rule, if any team maintains good form, all personnel will not be replaced. That is also the reason why since Martinez paired with Varane and the team that won continuously, Maguire no longer has a place to play. Similar to Malacia's case, the young rookie from Feyenoord sent Shaw to the bench.
With the premise of a victory over Arsenal before entering the Manchester Derby, Maguire and Shaw are almost certainly still on the bench. At the same time, while focusing on the Argentina team for a friendly match before the World Cup, Martinez received many questions about how to overcome the pressure and become the main double in M.U's defense.
"To be honest, I still feel like my dream has come true when I play for Manchester United in the Premier League, a tournament that I still think has the best quality in the world. Currently, everything is very happy.
I did not pay much attention to the criticism at the beginning of the season, just focusing on how to improve my own performance. I always work hard every day and just like that, positive results will come" - Martinez shared.
Like Erik ten Hag's team, getting into the rhythm is the most talked about thing for Martinez at the moment. worries about height and overly passionate playing style are gradually fading away, replaced by comments about the Argentine star's quirkiness, command and ability to play with art.
If Martinez continues to be as excited and good as he is now, the day Maguire returns to the center-back position with Varane is still far away. Unusual minutes on the pitch in the Europa League are not enough for the "Red Devils" captain to have the opportunity to score again in the eyes of his coach.
The problems with Gareth Southgate about not using Maguire and Shaw no longer concern Ten Hag. Normally, the coaches of big teams will have invisible pressure on their colleagues in the national team, but Ten Hag is a rookie, he has the right to "adjust slowly" or not necessarily follow this old habit. The interests of Manchester United must be put first.
