Last week, Manchester United played Leeds twice as part of an unusual double-header Premier League matchup, and they earned four points from the two games. Despite the lackluster nature of both performances, Sunday’s triumph at Elland Road was significant.
But what lessons could Erik ten Hag draw from those games? He was named on the bench for the weekend game against Leeds, and it was clear that he was missing from the team. It appears that he would have received a reminder about who his most important defender is.
Even though Lisandro Martinez is ineligible for the encounter against Barcelona at Camp Nou on Thursday as a result of receiving three yellow cards during the Europa League group stage, he was rested on Sunday in preparation for that game.
At Elland Road, United defeated Leeds while keeping a clean sheet, but that seemed impossible for much of the game. The hosts, who are having trouble in the league, should have scored but David de Gea made a few crucial saves.
The chosen center-back pairing for the game was Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire, and the latter showed why Martinez was signed for £46.8 million, rising to £55.3 million in the summer, and why his own time at Old Trafford is running out.
Maguire struggled to handle the ball the whole game, possibly frightened by the hostile environment. He made sloppy, errant, and unconvincing passes, which hampered the build-up play and made it less than usual effective.
Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho’s brilliant plays helped United win the game 2-0, although they were unable to leave their own half for large stretches of the first 45 minutes as Leeds applied good pressure and Harry Maguire found it difficult to consistently find a ball.
Although the limitations of the England international are well known, his passing is typically strong and yet it failed him against Leeds. It had repercussions for the midfield and demonstrated how crucial Martinez is to the team.
Before moving to Manchester, Martinez’s fans at Ajax, who adored him while he was playing for the club in Amsterdam, cited his charisma and his passing ability as his most attractive attributes, and that has been evident during his time there.
The center-back is already a fan favorite, and Ten Hag’s desired playstyle depends on his passing abilities. Martinez is able to break the lines with his dynamic range of passing thanks to his assurance on the ball, which is essential to build-up play.
When he wasn’t in the starting lineup at Elland Road, the team occasionally appeared dysfunctional because he wasn’t there to coordinate from the back, and it doesn’t seem random that United scored twice after he was introduced onto the field as a substitute.
The limitations of Raphael Varane’s playing skills were also made clear last Wednesday, so Maguire wasn’t the only player to commend Martinez over the course of those four days, which included two games against Leeds.
Last week, Leeds stunned Old Trafford by scoring through Wilfried Gnonto nearly immediately after the opening whistle. To do this, Leeds forced United to turn the ball over, and Varane more than did his lot to contribute to this.
At the early beginning of the game, the Frenchman had three possessions of the ball but each time he passed it sideways or backward, inviting pressure from Leeds. Although Varane is a top-notch defender, he is not flawless.
Martinez is unquestionably the best passer among the defensive alternatives, and the value of that skill in play-building cannot be overstated because he connects the back line, midfield, and attack.
This season, Martinez has averaged an amazing 0.59 critical passes per 90 in the Premier League, while Maguire and Varane have averaged 0.21 and 0.06 respectively. This statistic supports the appearance the three center-backs have made.
His passing abilities will be a huge loss for United against a Barcelona team known for emphasizing possession.