When Erik ten Hag took charge of Manchester United things were messy at the club as they finished sixth in the Premier League with multiple positions requiring an injection of quality.
The defense was losing goals and a mass exodus occurred within the midfield department to leave the team looking bereft of quality and numbers.
The Dutch manager has tidied up the defense with the signings of Lisandro Martinez and Tyrell Malacia and the Argentine, in particular, has captured the attention of United fans around the world.
How ETH transformed United’s midfield
Midfield proved much more difficult to improve, especially with big name stars like Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic and Juan Mata all released.
But in the end, the signings of free agent Christian Eriksen and former Real Madrid general midfielder Casemiro have proven to be game changers, as one offers cunning while the other adds bite in midfield.
Paul Pogba will miss the 2022 Qatar World Cup due to a new injury, as confirmed by his agent Rafaela Pimenta. ???????????? #Pogba
Pogba has not played a single official game for Juventus since signing the contract last July. pic.twitter.com/nn13g6xGIX
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 31, 2022
There were questions about whether United could add enough creative force after Pogba’s departure, but those concerns were quickly put to rest.
However, the Frenchman has not been at his best since leaving the Red Devils. He made some controversial statements about his failed move to United and that’s all he’s done since his summer move.
The French midfielder suffered an injury during pre-season training and has not played for the Bianconeri so far this season. He returned to training last week but suffered another setback.
And that ruled him out of the World Cup with the player’s agent Rafaela Pimenta releasing a statement that read: “After yesterday’s and today’s medical in Torino and Pittsburgh, it is extremely painful to report that Paul Pogba will still need recovery time from your surgery.
For this reason, Paul will not be able to join the Juventus squad before the World Cup break or join the French team in Qatar.”
Pogba’s injury problems
This latest injury setback has not gone down well with former Juventus manager Luigi Maifredi, who believes United knew about the player’s injury problems and that is why they let him go so easily.
“Let’s say that Juve had no luck in their signings because Pogba has not yet been part of the team and Di María has had the occasional tendency.
Behind the failure of the Juventus team is also the poor performance of the transfer campaign. So let’s face it, if Manchester gives Pogba away so easily, they must have had something… They caught him and he was an almost injured player and these are the consequences for Juventus,” he told TMW.
Pogba’s injury problems were a well-known issue during his time at United, with the midfielder making more than 30 Premier League appearances in just one in six seasons. Last season, he only made 16 of 38 Premier League starts.
While letting him go for free may not sound like the best business model, United have certainly dodged a major bullet and Ten Hag’s side are all the better for it.
United Matchday Magazine – Stay informed on all things red. Take a seat for the Real Sociedad match and join the debate on United’s hottest topics!
Get all the match preparation, articles, news, riddles, nostalgia and humor. Online soccer content like you’ve never seen it before. No ads, no clickbait, no fake news – just 100% pure United. secure online ordering Click Preview to see more or buy for just £1.25 / $1.50
