Who would help Manchester United the most?
Clear goal scoring opportunities were hard to come by at Old Trafford last season, and it was not from a lack of a prolific striker. Zlatan scored seventeen goals in 27 appearances in his first season in the Premier League. Despite his efforts, United drew more games than any club in the top flight and scored the fewest goals in the top seven, including eight fewer than seventh placed Everton. While it is clear that their defensive third carried them, the majority of United’s possession came in the middle third, where the ball spent 45% of their total possessions. So what is missing? A solid defense, a possessive midfield, and a clinic striker, the one ingredient missing was the link up play. Manchester need a playmaker that links the midfield and attack, controls the ball at pace, and can drift out wide to allow the wingers to push in. The most acute doubt that United struggled with creativity in the attack.
Let’s target the midfield. United often lined up like this:
Pogba, Herrera, Rooney, and Mata were the primary suspects through the middle. Pogba disappeared at times in his return to the England, and his role as a box to box midfielder hindered his attacking prowess. It turns out that the Premier League is more physical than in Italy, and Paul was not prepared to attack and build up possession, so he was often caught up in the middle of the pitch. Wayne Rooney seemed to reveal that he is now existing in an ephemeral state, and therefore incapable of competently fulfilling the needs of an advanced playmaker. At the base of the three, Herrera jelled into his role as a deep playmaker, but his defensive duties made his attacking contributions less frequent. Now, llacking a big target man without Zlatan, Ander would rely on an outlet to push the attack forward.
Mata made a strong case at times to be able to fill this role, scoring six goals and assisting on three more in the Premier League, but a groin injury held him out for a long stretch in the second half of the year. He lacks the pace that makes him an individual threat in the final third and hinders his abilities out wide, while his .6 dribbles per game and 1.6 shots per game should be considered anemic in a squad that needed all of the attacking creativity it could muster.
United have gifted wingers in Martial and Mkhitaryan, but they are at their best when they can cut inside, playing as inside forwards alla Hazard and Pedro at Chelsea. However, when they do this, they need someone who can draw defenders out with overlapping runs into the box or out to the wings. The player most adept to do this is Dries Mertens. Mertens was the creative force behind Napoli’s incredibly competitive run to third place in Calcio A, with 86 points, one behind second place Roma and five off of Juventus.
Playing mostly uptop, but with the ability to dip out to the left, Mertens would be an improvement in the number ten role. He is always a threat going forward, completing 1.6 dribbles per game, nearly two key passes per game, and taking 4.2 shots per game in the last campaign. As either a false nine or playing off the main striker, Mertens would allow Martial and Mkhitaryan to make runs into the box, clearing space for either him or the full backs to draw opponents out to wide areas. Or as a target man, Mertens could lay off passes to the overlapping wingers.
It was frustrating to watch United at times last season because of their apparent aversion to scoring goals. Having arguably one of the most talented squads in the Premier League, Mourinho’s tactics seemed to benefit the defense, rather than the offense. Players like Rojos and Valencia thrived under the new skipper, while Pogba, Mkhitaryan, and Martial spuddered. By having a player like Mertens to get the wingers involved more in the center of the pitch, clear goal scoring opportunities would not be hard to come by, creating an easy system for the attack, while the manager can demonstrate his defensive masterclass.
