Marcel Sabitzer believes the absences of Casemiro, Luke Shaw and Lisandro Martinez are a key reason why Manchester United are struggling to perform in the Premier League this season.
Any team, no matter their strength in depth, would find life difficult without three players so important, so integral to the manager’s gameplan. Imagine a Manchester City side shorn of John Stones, Nathan Ake and Rodri.
Of course, Pep Guardiola would probably still magic some match-winning formula straight off the domepiece. But no one could expect City to perform with the same free-flowing fluidity without three players key to their build-up play.
Erik ten Hag, then, deserves a damn sight more sympathy than he appears to be getting from some fork-tongued pundits. The embattled Manchester United boss has been forced to contend without his first-choice left-back and his first-choice, left-sided centre-back, Shaw and Martinez as important to the Red Devils blueprint as Stones and Rodri are to Guardiola’s.
Casemiro, meanwhile, has now joined Shaw and Martinez on the treatment table. The veteran Brazilian expected to be unavailable until the New Year.
Manchester United struggling with injuries
“Casemiro, Luke Shaw, and Lisandro Martinez. They are leaders that provide structure and stability to the team,” Sabitzer, who won the Carabao Cup during a loan spell at Old Trafford in the second half of last term, tells The Athletic.
“Erik ten Hag comes with up very specific match plans and patterns of play. But if you have too many important players missing and too many changes as a result, things get lost between the tactics board and the pitch. The rhythm of players coming isn’t right, processes aren’t right.”
Shaw has only featured twice in the Premier League this season. To make matters worse, fellow left-back Tyrell Malacia is also unavailable, destroying the balance of Ten Hag’s backline.
Martinez, meanwhile, is United’s best ‘line-breaker’. The Argentine’s absence means United lack the same precision and pace when attempting to build from the back.
Casemiro, Luke Shaw and Lisandro Martinez out
“In the Premier League and Champions League, you need your best players available,” adds Sabitzer, who is now back in Germany with Borussia Dortmund.
“Everything feels a little laboured and uncertain now. (United) need their big guys to show up and change the course of the season, but I believe things can change quickly once they get important players back.”
Of the aforementioned trio, Shaw is reportedly the closest to a return. Ten Hag, The Standard says, hopes to have the Englishman back after the November international break.
from United In Focus https://ift.tt/RSGw4jF