Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has claimed that Manchester United midfielder Youri Tielemans is ‘not going to be’ in Michael Carrick’s starting line-up.
Following Casemiro’s departure as a free agent and Manuel Ugarte’s serious knee injury, the Red Devils prioritised revamping the midfield department this summer.
After being linked with expensive options like Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali, Aurelien Tchouameni and Mateus Fernandes, United ultimately decided to purchase Andrey Santos, Tielemans and Carlos Baleba.
However, Santos has found himself on the periphery this season, while Tielemans has struggled to showcase his best. On the other hand, Baleba has just returned to full fitness after recovering from an ankle problem.
Although Man Utd finished third in the Premier League last campaign, they have endured a dire start this term, languishing 13th in the table with six points from as many matches.
Now, speaking on Sky Sports, Carragher (via Metro) has explained why Tielemans has struggled at Old Trafford thus far, although he displayed excellent performances at Aston Villa under Unai Emery.
The former defender says that Emery kept his team compact, which covered Tielemans’ lack of athleticism. However, United have been wide open under Carrick; as a result, Tielemans’ lack of athleticism has been getting exposed.
Man Utd told Tielemans is ‘not going to be’ in Carrick’s team
So, United need to be more compact; otherwise, Tielemans is ‘not going to last’ in the starting line-up in the future.
Carragher said:
“Why did Tielemans look good at Aston Villa and he’s really struggled so far at Manchester United? When you look at an Unai Emery team, they are coached to within an inch of their lives every day and every time you watch Aston Villa game, that team is compact and together.
“And when you have a player who isn’t great athletically which he isn’t, you need your team to be super compact. That is exactly the opposite. That is what Manchester United need to do[be compact] or he is not going to last, he’s not going to be in the team.”
Although the 29-year-old, valued at around £34m by Transfermarkt, has had a difficult start at Old Trafford, he is a talented player and could still turn the situation around in the future.
He is a deep-lying playmaker by trait but is also comfortable in the box-to-box and CAM roles. Despite his lack of athleticism, he is technically sound, can play threading passes between the lines, has an eye for long-range passing, and is efficient at taking set-pieces.
Meanwhile, after taking on Atletico Madrid in the Champions League tonight, Man Utd are set to face Leeds United in the Premier League next weekend.
