“I’m convinced this can’t work.”
Jamie Carragher has named two Manchester United players that Erik ten Hag, he believes, has already discovered he cannot trust. He is far from convinced abour Lisandro Martinez, either.
The former Liverpool defender was analysing United’s woeful start to the Premier League season, and focused on some tactical and individual moments that shows how ten Hag is trying to change his team’s style of play.
Using clips from United’s 2-1 defeat to Brighton and their 4-0 thumping by Brentford, Carragher spoke on Monday Night Football, on Sky Sports, about the players ten Hag can’t rely on.
Carragher made some stark comments about £57m defender Lisandro Martinez, signed from Ajax this summer, absolved Christian Eriksen from too much blame and also criticised Scott McTominay.
Manchester United midfielder Fred has been substituted early in two league losses. (Photo by Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images)‘Ten Hag will absolutely hate that’ – Jamie Carragher
During his analysis of Manchester United’s two league defeats, so far, Jamie Carragher called out midfielder Fred and goalkeeper David De Gea for being badly exposed. He also said Scott McTominay getting dropped after the Brighton game shows Erik ten Hag has serious doubts about his midfield future.
“It’s obvious that ten Hag wants a goalkeeper that can play out from the back,” said Carragher.
“But the big thing he wants to do, is he wants a back four, a holding midfield player and his goalkeeper to instigate plays – that’s 6 vs. 5.
“But [this ball against Brighton] goes into Fred, and ten Hag will have worked out, very early, that Fred is not capable of receiving the ball in this position.”
“Again,” Carragher added, “I go back to how important ten Hag sees his goalkeeper, on the ball. For him, he thinks he has a back three and the goalkeeper is a player. But the problem is, this goalkeeper is not good enough on the ball, yet.
“He wants to give the goalkeeper angles… the idea is fine, but I just think the player he has got in there is not good enough to do it. De Gea has just given the ball away to Fred [against Brighton]… De Gea was a bit unnerved by that, and he panics and goes long. It means United are then stretched [as their defenders are hanging back] and this is where the first Brighton goal comes from… ten Hag will absolutely hate that.”
Erik ten Hag dropped Christian Eriksen into that holding midfielder role, against Brentford, and the Dane coughed up possession for one goal, but Carragher believes it is too soon to be harsh on him.
When it came to Lisandro Martinez, Carragher was not as forgiving:
🗣 “I’m convinced this can’t work because he’s the size of 5’9 in a back four.”@Carra23 on playing Lisandro Martínez as a centre-back in the Premier League. pic.twitter.com/1N3gwmzatK
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) August 15, 2022
When it came to Lisandro Martinez, Jamie Carragher was not as forgiving.
Carragher said he is “convinced” the defender cannot excel in a two-man central defensive unit. Martinez could work as a fullback, in a three-man defence or as a holding midfielder, possibly, but the pundit says the Argentine’s size [5-foot-9] has already seen teams target him, and profit from it.
Related links.
- Erik ten Hag’s Man United demands show why he should reject their offer.
- Gary Neville and Jamie Redknapp involved in heated clash over Man United.
- “I will not admit that” – Erik ten Hag irked by press conference question about his tactics.
