Shea Lacey had become undeniable in the pre-season itself, but his competitive breakout will now happen in a poetic manner.
For the longest time, Shea Lacey has been marked as one to watch at Carrington due to his precocious talent and driven mentality.
Lacey’s style of play is tailor-made for Man Utd, and he showed as much in pre-season even continuing those glimpses against Hull City despite the defeat.
What he needs now is regular minutes, and he is set to get exactly that in a poetic manner.
Shea Lacey’s role will increase after Amad’s injury
When the teamsheet for the PL opener dropped, the absence of Amad was the biggest story, as he had looked brilliant in pre-season.
Michael Carrick said before the game that Amad picked up an injury in training, and the early diagnosis hints at a fairly long absence.
It’s not like Man Utd have a dearth of wide players, but beyond Amad and Bryan Mbeumo, there are no standout options who call that position their own.
Enter Shea Lacey, who performed as the No. 10 in pre-season but likes to ply his trade out wide on the right, from where he can cut inside onto his favoured left foot.
It’s no exaggeration to say that had Amad been fit for the Hull game, he and Bryan Mbeumo would have rotated the TW duties, and Lacey might even have missed out on the squad.
As it stands, not only did he come off the bench, but he also did his prospects no harm by doing well in a team that was struggling to form coherent attacks.
Lacey’s role at Old Trafford this season would have expanded later in the season when domestic cup competitions and the UCL started.
However, due to Amad’s injury, he has a golden opportunity to stake a claim for more minutes early in the season when United play just one game every week.
It is poetic that an injury has accelerated his breakout when he was on the cusp of it already.
Injuries stopped Lacey, now they helped him
A player who was always on the cusp of a breakout, only for an injury to rule him out, is now set for a larger role due to an injury elsewhere.
If Lacey makes the most of his expanded role in the coming weeks, it will be poetic that the very factor which hampered him so far finally pushed him over the edge.
Amad’s injury is undoubtedly unfortunate, but the timing of it could have been a lot worse.
United’s fixture schedule is lighter early in the season, and Lacey already has momentum behind him with a good pre-season.
By the time the Ivorian comes back, Carrick could have a third bona fide option for the first team instead of an exciting youngster aiming to break out.
From his own injuries coming at the worst possible time, to another injury to his teammate coming at an opportune time, the fate is turning for Lacey.
from United In Focus https://ift.tt/dYnVO1u