English Premier League giants Manchester United hired Dutch manager Erik ten Hag at the start of the season to stabilize their ship.
After joining the Red Devils, ten Hag asked the United board to sign some players who can help him implement his own style of play.
The United management did very well and signed quite a few players. They secured Antonio from Ajax to reinforce their right wing. Casemiro and Christian Erikson joined to bring some quality to the midfield. Dutch defender Tyrell Malacia joined as the team’s new left back.
Then, last but not least, Argentine centre-back Lisandro Martínez signed for Manchester United on a five-year deal from Erik ten Hag’s former Dutch team Ajax.
Lisandro’s move to Manchester United proved his critics wrong
When Lisandro arrived in the English Premier League, there were big questions about this signing. Many former players and pundits couldn’t understand how a 5’9 centre-back can cope with the physicality of the EPL.
Lisandro’s start in the Premier League was not ideal. Manchester United lost their first game of the season against Brighton. This was followed by a horrendous performance against Brentford, where they conceded four goals in the first half. Lisandro was substituted at halftime.
However, since then, the Manchester United defender has not looked back. He became the backbone of United’s defence. His performances have surely established him as one of the best defenders in the division.
No one has been able to point to his small stature or height. Lisandro’s ability to read the game and his aggressiveness in winning the ball have helped him so far. However, despite this, Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness has once again focused on his lack of height.
Souness recently told talkSport: “That concern for me is still there. If you look at the set pieces, he still uses a blocker or they use it in the near post.
“I just feel like, when you’re that size, you’re going to get caught. You will be trapped in the box. I still don’t think it’s terribly fast. I don’t think he’s very good on the ball,” added Souness.
Despite Souness’ concerns, Lisandro Martinez is currently one of the best defenders in the world in the ball game. The Argentine has a great variety of passes and helps Manchester United build from behind.
This was the main reason Erik ten Hag brought him to Old Trafford. So Souness’s comments about Lisandro’s ball-playing ability come as a shock. Affectionately known as the Butcher, Lisandro has so far passed over 1,103 opponents, which is the most for any Manchester United player.
His ability to dominate one-on-one battles comes across as another great weapon for him. The 24-year-old will now try to continually deliver great performances and prove the critics wrong.
