Man Utd drew 2-2 with Leeds on Wednesday night and the lack of depth in the squad was exposed in that performance.
Erik ten Hag instructs Marcel Sabitzer. (Image: 2023 AMA Sports Photo Agency)
A midfield three of Casemiro, Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes has worked brilliantly for Man Utd this season, but two of those players were unavailable to play Leeds on Wednesday night and the midfield was unbalanced.
Eriksen sustained an ankle injury against Reading in the FA Cup and could be sidelined until May, and Casemiro is serving a three-match suspension after picking up a red card at the weekend.
Donny van de Beek and Scott McTominay are also currently sidelined with different concerns, so United lined up with Fred, Marcel Sabitzer and Bruno Fernandes in midfield against Leeds.
The absence of Casemiro had the potential to be significant against the visitors, who press efficiently, and that suspicion was confirmed almost immediately after the first whistle at Old Trafford, which was stunned when Wilfried Gnonto scored early.
Gnonto’s goal in the first minute was well-taken, but the move might have been thwarted had Casemiro been on the pitch. That strike highlighted the pitfalls of not having a specialist defensive midfielder in the team and that was the story of the game.
Although it was the first time Fred, Sabitzer and Fernandes had played together, to be fair, the midfield seemed non-existent at times in the opening stages and Leeds found it far too easy to transition into the final third.
Ten Hag might have considered tweaking personnel at half-time but his options on the bench showed why talk of a Premier League title challenge is premature, as youngsters Zidane Iqbal and Kobbie Mainoo were the only other midfielders in the squad.
Iqbal and Mainoo are highly regarded at the club and have bright futures, but they still aren’t ready for such a prominent role in a Premier League match and it’s clear that United do not have the squad depth that is required to win a league title.
Sancho was the only experienced attacking option. (Image: 2023 Man Utd FC)
Manchester City have won the Premier League five times in the last six seasons essentially because Pep Guardiola has two starting line ups. Their squad depth is absurd and that has given them an immense advantage across multiple competitions.
Guardiola’s side have not been at their best this season, but the squad remains the strongest in the Premier League and Ruben Dias, Kalvin Phillips, Ilkay Gundogan, Aymeric Laporte and Kevin De Bruyne were on their bench most recently against Tottenham.
Just for perspective, Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire, Tyrell Malacia, Jadon Sancho, Facundo Pellstri, Anthony Elanga, Iqbal and Mainoo were the outfield options available to Ten Hag from the substitute bench against Leeds on Wednesday night.
Sancho was the only experienced player, who could change a game, on that bench and that’s exactly what he did, fortunately for United. The winger was superb and crucial in securing a 2-2 draw after replacing Wout Weghorst on the hour mark.
With Anthony Martial and Antony also unavailable, Ten Hag was without six first-team players against Leeds and that would hurt any team in the league, perhaps even City, but the lack of squad depth was highlighted in the draw and that will need to be addressed for a title charge to be possible.
United are just seven points adrift of leaders Arsenal, who have two games in hand, and stranger things have happened, however, the lack of options away from the starting line-up will become even more pronounced in the latter stages of the season.
The Reds remain in all four competitions and the fixture list has been brutal since the New Year. There are bound to be injuries sustained, as there have been, and that seems likely to restrict United to a third-placed finish this term.
Ten Hag has exceeded expectations in his first season and it seems he could achieve something special with a stronger squad.
This campaign was supposed to be a transitional one and the future is bright.
source: www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk
