Michael Carrick’s decision to turn to Noussair Mazraoui for the Leeds United match is something that might fly under the radar for some Manchester United fans.
Noussair Mazraoui has been out of action in recent weeks after he suffered an injury while on international duty with Morocco during the extended October break.
However, the 28-year-old Dutch-born defender made his timely return for Michael Carrick’s side after he came off the bench to replace Lisandro Martinez on Sunday.
United In Focus now takes a deep dive into some key details of Carrick’s approach to Red Devils full-back Mazraoui during Man Utd’s 1-1 draw against Leeds United.
3. Michael Carrick’s experiment with Noussair Mazraoui paid off against Chelsea last season
United manager Michael Carrick was forced to turn to Noussair Mazraoui back in April as a makeshift centre-back option to partner alongside Ayden Heaven for the trip to Stamford Bridge. Mazraoui was deployed as the right-sided centre-back and both he and Ayden Heaven kept a clean sheet in United’s 1-0 Premier League win over Chelsea.
It was the first time that Carrick had experimented with Mazraoui in the middle of the defence after Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez were both suspended due to injury. While Mazraoui played at left centre-back in the Leeds match, the foundation of trust was there for Carrick to play him in the position.
2. Man Utd manager Michael Carrick did not disturb the balance of his defensive set-up by shifting Leny Yoro for Noussair Mazraoui
The expectation is for Mazraoui to play at right-back when he does come on for United, but Leny Yoro impressed in the first half at Elland Road. Leny Yoro was superb in the air for United during Sunday’s Premier League match and was one of the standout performers in the first half after playing at right-back.
Rather than shifting Harry Maguire to the left-sided role or putting Yoro there when Martinez came off, United legend Carrick made the smart call by using Mazraoui to fill the void for the second half. The 45-year-old Man Utd boss ensured that he didn’t unsettle Yoro by shifting him into another makeshift role while the Red Devils tried to defend a 1-0 lead.
Noussair Mazraoui in Manchester United’s 1-1 Premier League draw against Leeds United at Elland Road on Sunday afternoon:
- Minutes played: 45
- Clearances: 7
- Successful passes: 12/13 (roughly 92 per cent)
- Tackles: 1
1. Noussair Mazraoui’s multifunction ability shows why he remains an important Man Utd player for the overall squad depth
Whether it is Ruben Amorim, Erik ten Hag or Carrick, there is no denying that Mazraoui’s value for past and present Man Utd managers speaks volumes. The former Ajax and Bayern Munich star has played as a wing-back and centre-back in Ruben Amorim’s three-man backline, while Erik ten Hag even experimented with Mazraoui as a No 10.
Mazraoui is like a true Swiss Army knife for his tactical flexibility on the pitch and he showed it again with his left-sided centre-back role alongside Maguire on Sunday. While Matthijs de Ligt was not ready for his return at Elland Road, Mazraoui effectively plugged the void left behind by Martinez’s exit from the pitch after the first half.
from United In Focus https://ift.tt/9VgNFWM