With Manchester United on the cusp of signing defenders Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui from Bayern Munich, Erik ten Hag is set to resolve one of the glaring gaps in the competency of his team.
However, the Dutchman still has issues with the balance of his midfield, especially with Brazilian Casemiro no longer as composed or dominant as he once was in the single pivot role.
But do United have a ready-made solution in the form of the dynamic 20-year-old Tom Collyer? We’ll explore this more closely in the article below.
How Did United Line up Against Man City in the Community Shield?
The weekend saw Man United ultimately lose the curtain-raising Community Shield to their city rivals, but only after a highly competitive performance and Jonny Evans penalty miss in the decisive shootout.
So, although you may have backed the right result when betting with the best crypto poker site, you may have been surprised by the evenly matched nature of both sides.
At Wembley, United deployed a midfield three of Casemiro, Kobbie Mainoo and Bruno Ferndandes, with the former playing a little higher up the park than usual. Mainoo subsequently dropped into the midfield pivot to help initiate attacks and provide greater mobility defensively, while the Brazilian probed further forward with his excellent range of passing.
In the second half, Mainoo was replaced with Collyer, who immediately provided energy and dynamism in the midfield pivot role. The former Brighton academy product was relentless in his desire to close down space and restrict City in possession, adding an additional dimension to the Red Devil’s midfield.
So, How Did Collyer Perform?
Collyer lived up to his reputation as a silent destroyer in the middle of the park, delivering an assured and understated performance that’s typical of the man.
As expected, his best work also came off the ball against Man City, with FotMob revealing that he won two of his three attempted tackles and all three of his ground duels during just 31 minutes on the park at Wembley.
He also achieved a 93% pass accuracy during his superb cameo, recycling the ball prudently immediately after winning it back.
This performance was highly encouraging, especially after United’s seemingly failed pursuit of Manuel Ugarte. Collyer definitely provides the dynamism and coverage that they lacked at the base of the midfield last season, with Casemiro struggling to cope with the sheer pace of the Premier League.
The Last Word
Although he replaced Mainoo at Wembley, the promise of Collyer partnering his former Academy teammate in midfield offers hope for United fans ahead of the new season.
Certainly, both players are mobile and positionally sound, while they’re confident possession and capable of rotating roles fluidly. This would enable Fernandes to play with greater freedom and lead the press higher up the park, without leaving United wide open during defensive transition.
Of course, United may still look to strengthen in this area before the end of the summer transfer window. If they don’t, however, Collyer could provide a reliable and invaluable option as the season progresses.
