Despite the fact that there is still one game left in this season's Premier League season, the looming Europe League final, which is now only one week away, is capturing the majority of Manchester United's attention.
The Reds have already qualified for the Champions League and will finish in the top two regardless of their result against the Wolves on Sunday.
Meanwhile, next Wednesday's crucial match against Villareal has the potential to give Ole Gunnar Solskjaer his first piece of silverware as United manager and end the club's four-year trophy drought, so it's understandable why the fixture is taking precedence.
Despite the fact that the outcome on Sunday will have no bearing on United's league standing, Solskjaer may choose to use the game as a chance to put the players he'll be using in next week's final to the test.
In most positions, the key players choose themselves; however, one headache he does face is deciding who will partner Victor Lindelof if Harry Maguire is unable to play.
Maguire has been out since May 9 after sustaining ankle ligament damage in a 3-1 Premier League victory over Aston Villa.
Before being forced off at Villa Park, the United captain had played every league minute since his £80 million arrivals in the summer of 2019, but he is now in serious danger of missing the big final next week.
Axel Tuanzebe, who played in United's 1-1 draw with Fulham on Tuesday night, or Eric Bailly will take his place. But Solskjaer must decide which player is the best option.
To answer that question, it's best to consider what kind of opponent Villareal are and how they might put the United defence to the test.
They are 18th in La Liga in terms of long balls attempted and fifth in terms of average ball possession.
Unai Emery's side will most likely not fire a barrage of long balls from deep into the United half, but will instead look to get the ball down and build attacks through good possession. This was also his management style when he was at Arsenal.
As a result, dominating in-ground duels could be critical for United's defenders, and with that in mind, Tuanzebe's defensive duel success rate of 67.7% this season really stands out, especially when compared to Bailly's of 56.5 per cent.
Tuanzebe has also proven to be a more accurate passer in possession, with a pass success rate of 91.4 per cent this season, which is slightly better than Bailly's.
Nonetheless, this advantage could be critical. Villarreal isn’t a particularly aggressive team when it comes to pressing the ball high up the pitch. Their average of 11.73 ranks 13th in La Liga according to a metric that measures the same, Passes Per Defensive Action (PPDA).
This means that United's centre-backs may be tasked with initiating attacking sequences and playing through Villareal, who will undoubtedly look to remain fairly compact in order to limit the space into which they can pass. As a result, Tuanzebe's passing ability could be a valuable asset.
Tuanzebe and Bailly do not fare well in aerial duels when compared to Maguire, with both posting success rates of less than 53%, a significant drop when compared to Maguire's average of nearly 70%(!)
And, while United may be fortunate in that Villarreal will most likely put them to the test in other areas rather than the air, the Spanish club is still a major aerial threat when swinging balls into the box - only two sides have scored more headed goals in the Europa League than their six this season.
With this in mind, it would be a huge boost for United if Maguire could get fit and return in time for the big game, but if he can't, the evidence suggests that Tuanzebe is Solskjaer's best option in his place.
It would be a big responsibility on the 23-year-shoulders, old's but if he can put in a big performance and help the Reds win their first trophy in four years, he'll make a strong case to be more heavily involved in Solskjaer's starting 11 on a more regular basis next season
No comments:
Post a Comment