Why Amorim should resist pressure to play technically gifted United star in faltering midfield – opinion

If there is one position causing concern among Manchester United fans, it is the midfield, and it is no surprise that they are floating some intriguing ideas to address it.

United enjoyed a decent summer transfer window, no doubt. But it could have been a 10/10 window had INEOS delivered Ruben Amorim the “mobile midfielder” his system craves.

With Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro, Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo, Amorim has decent options, but the midfield still lacks balance.

United’s midfield pivot

Fernandes is a guaranteed starter; you want your best player on the pitch. However, finding the ideal partner for the Portuguese Magnifico has proven to be tricky.

Mainoo is viewed as Fernandes’ understudy, while Ugarte is yet to adapt to the Premier League’s intensity. Casemiro, currently the preferred option, no longer possesses the athleticism he once did.

United’s midfield is crying out for a “mobile midfielder” who INEOS failed to deliver, despite a bold pursuit of Carlos Baleba. While this transfer need may be revisited next year, for now, Amorim must look within for solutions.

Martinez in midfield

Interestingly, as suggestions on how Amorim might restore balance to his midfield have begun to surface, the idea of trialling Lisandro Martinez in midfield is gathering momentum.

Martinez is among United’s most technically gifted players, thanks to his ability with the ball at his feet, his intelligence, and his passing range.

The argument is that if deployed in midfield, the South American has the vision to dictate play, is press-resistant, and can shield the defence with his great defensive attributes, all qualities that should help him thrive in the role.

However, as gifted as he is, it has already been made clear why Martinez cannot be the solution for United’s midfield, especially under Amorim.

Martinez lacks a key ingredient for Amorim’s midfield

Obviously, alongside Fernandes, Amorim wants an athletic midfielder, someone with the legs to “cover huge ground” and fill the space left when the Portuguese Magnifico pushes forward.

Martinez, for all his technical brilliance, lacks that athletic edge which Erik ten Hag flagged long ago.

Speaking to ESPN in 2021, as relayed by Manchester Evening News, Ten Hag said, “Daley Blind does not have the running capacity to play in midfield. And neither does Martinez.”

So, as brilliant as Martinez might be, pairing him with Fernandes would not work; it is a bad idea. The same gaps seen when Casemiro partners with Fernandes would likely reappear, so Martinez would not solve the problem.

It is also worth noting that playing in midfield would require more ground to be covered, more tackles to be made, and more contact to be absorbed than the United number six faces as a left-sided centre-back, thereby raising the risk of recurring injuries.

Martinez’s resurgence

Expected to return from injury soon after a steady recovery, United fans will hope Martinez picks up from where he left off.

That ACL injury in February came at the worst possible time, just as he was starting to dictate play from United’s LCB, proving his class.

Hopefully, that is where he picks up from. However, realistically, given the severity of his injury, it may take time before he finds his rhythm again.

Amorim’s midfield dilemma

As for United’s midfield, Amorim must find a way to get the best from what he has because, frankly, he has no other choice at least until the transfer window reopens.

Featured image Shaun Botterill via Getty Images

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