Manchester United’s season has been massively impacted by injuries.
The latest of those, which could be season-defining, is the absence of Lisandro Martinez, just three games after recovering from another setback.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at a former star who would have eased the Argentine’s injury woes.
Daley Blind’s time in Manchester
Almost ten years ago, Daley Blind moved to United from Ajax in a deal worth £13.8m, joining forces with former Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal.
In his first season, the defender would go on to play 25 times for United in the Premier League, despite missing 13 games through injury. Throughout the season, he picked up two goals and two assists apiece, operating as both a left-back and a defensive midfielder.
Over his four-season spell in Manchester, Blind made 141 appearances for the Red Devils, before moving back to Ajax for £300k more than what they sold him for in 2018, making him just one of four players United have profited from in the past decade.
After enjoying a successful second stint in Amsterdam, the Dutch defender moved to Girona, where he is now leading the side towards a La Liga title charge.
Blind would have been the dream Martinez replacement
Martinez is one of the only players in the United team who is guaranteed to play every minute when fit, but since April he has had a torrid time with injuries, missing 34 games prior to the setback he picked up against West Ham recently.
Nonetheless, the number six brings so much quality and intensity to the United side, both in and out of possession, with even Blind admiring the Argentine:
“Martinez is a great centre-back. He is so aggressive, he’s really good with his feet, he’s really good at tackling.”
However, Blind himself excels at similar duties, especially in possession, and the table below from this La Liga season shows exactly what United have missed out on by selling the 33-year-old.
Passes completed
68.11
Top 5%
Touches
86.19
Top 5%
Passes into final third
8.04
Top 2%
Passes into penalty area
0.91
Top 2%
Progressive passes
6.68
Top 2%
As you can see, Blind is simply among the best in Spain for his passing ability, confidence on the ball, and understanding of when to control the play and when to progress the ball, which is what makes him so “magical,” as per football creator Liam Canning.
The fact that the 5 foot 11 star ranks in the top 2% for passes into the final third, passes into the penalty area and progressive passes shows that he has the technical ability that United have missed without Martinez, as the left-footed duo can both take almost all of the responsibility to get the ball into attacking zones.
However, Erik ten Hag knows all about Blind from their time together at Ajax, where the boss often played the former United ace as a left-back, which shows he’s “versatile,” as per journalist Elko Born. The United boss could have done with that kind of player, especially as Luke Shaw has had his own injury issues this campaign.
Overall, it’s clear that Blind would have been a superb player for United under Ten Hag, and one that the boss wishes he had in his team at this current moment.
