Two months ago I wrote the article linked below discussing the value of having a good goalkeeper.
What is the Value of a Good Goalkeeper
My god! Talk about hitting the nail on the head.
In the article I talked about how having a good goalkeeper (not even a good defence) is crucial.
Since Senne Lammens came into the team against Sunderland, Man United fans have all come to agree that this is what we have been missing in net.
For example, set pieces used to be a death sentence for Man United with Bayindir and Onana in goal.
Where would we be now if the club did not sign Lammens?
Consider this. The league has transitioned to long throws in the box and corner set-piece routines. Weak goalkeepers, like Vicario of Tottenham, are being isolated in the box and are struggling to punch the ball away.
Lammens seems to be coping with this, effectively giving our defence confidence. Our defence knows that the goalkeeper will come out for a high claim where possible, therefore they can concentrate on heading the ball away. No wonder the fans celebrate high claims like a goal.
Manchester United is still conceding far too many goals. Most of these are coming in the second half of games and for relatively obvious reasons.
It is the midfield!
First of all, teams are approaching Man United with far more caution than they were when the season kicked off. This is because we are starting better in most games than usual. Our attack is incredible with the likes of Mbeumo and Amad causing the most damage. As a result, we are scoring first in most games.
In the second half, teams come out looking for a goal. This is where we struggle with our midfield. The midfield just doesn't have the legs to compete the entire 90 minutes. I have seen many point their finger at Bruno, but for me the issue is really the Casemiro position.
Casemiro's position is more of a holding role. He is the guy who cleans up. Bruno, on the other hand, has to augment the attack.
Unfortunately, Casemiro cannot give the same level of performance for a full 90 minutes. So when he is inevitably subbed out for Ugarte holes begin to emerge in midfield because the two players offer two different things.
Ugarte is not the kind of player to make a last ditch tackle. He plays on the front foot, anticipating where the ball is going to go so that he can intercept and carry the ball forward. Because of this, when the opposition is able to bypass Ugarte, they find so much room behind him to attack.
The solution seems relatively simple. Find a physical, defensively-minded, mobile midfielder with above average passing.
The problem? You are most likely going to spend north of £50M for such a profile. The kicker? That player cannot be a placeholder. They must be a player for the future.
If Manchester United have any ambitions of finishing the season in Champions League places and want to guarantee that is the case, they have no choice but to spend in January. Maybe even a loan if clubs play hardball on fees.
For now, we can only hope the squad can make it through our easier run of games ahead of the January transfer window.
