Manchester United have a problem at centre back. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s preferred centre back partnership (when he doesn’t play three), is captain, Harry Maguire and Swede, Victor Lindeloff. Although both men have their strengths, they don’t work effectively as a pair. Despite both men being internationals, their strengths don’t complement each other. Neither man is blessed with pace and this is where the real issue is for Manchester United. One of the worst examples of this (from a United point of view) was against Tottenham last season, where Steven Bergjwin simply ran past Harry Maguire with ease to score past David de Gea. Roy Keane, in particular, was vocal in his disappointment with the Manchester United captains effort.
There are other options available for Manchester United at centre back. Axel Tuanzebe had a strong showing when he started against Paris Saint Germain in the Champions League and has impressed every time he’s played. He kept a clean sheet against Watford in the FA Cup, winning 100% of his tackles in the first half. He has, however, he’s not played regular football for a year, having suffered from injuries. Tuanzebe is a solid back-up option but will be one for future seasons when he’s ready to play regular football.
The other, more solid and credible option is Eric Bailly. Bailly has been quality when he’s been used (ignoring the 6-1 loss to Tottenham). A defender who demands the ball, is quick, competent in the air and attacks the oppositions cross, Bailly is outperforming all of Manchester United's current centre backs. Although his performances have been solid as of late, are Eric Bailly’s performances helping or hindering Manchester United?
Short Term
Short term, of course, Eric Bailly’s performances are beneficial for Manchester United. As a club, United have only kept six clean sheets in the league this season. Bailly has been involved in two of those games, against both Aston Villa and Burnley, he could easily have received the man of the match award. Especially against Villa, Bailly made a last-minute block, preventing a certain goal. After the game, all of the Manchester United players surrounded Bailly, highlighting just how good his performance was and just how important a player he is.
His style of play complements United captain, Harry Maguire. Maguire isn’t blessed with a rapid turn of pace, whereas Bailly is. As a result of this, Manchester United, when Bailly is in the squad can play a higher line without the worry of the ball over the top catching the defenders out. In turn, the midfield can also push up the pitch, the wide defenders can push on and lead to better attacking opportunities. This was on show against Burnley in the premier league as can be seen in the graphic below (Bailly (3) and Maguire (5)). With Maguire being able to attack the high ball, Bailly can sweep up any loose balls, sitting slightly deeper, using his pace and leading to a more solid centre back partnership. Using Bailly's pace also means that the wide players (more often than not Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Luke Shaw) don't have to tuck in and support the slow centre backs, leading to more freedom on the flanks for Manchester United.
We know how important Bailly can be, but with his erratic playing style comes a risk. In his debut season under Jose Mourinho (2016-2017) United conceded only 29 goals all season in the league. Yes, this was at the detriment of their attack and they only secured a sixth-place finish. Saying that, The Red Devils did notch the Europa League title. The season after, Bailly missed 26 league games as a result of injury and it was the same story during the 2019-2020 season, where he missed 28 games. The risk with Bailly is that he is extremely injury prone. The Ivorian has missed 71 games since joining the Manchester team. This season alone he’s missed nine games due to a muscle injury. He is certainly a talented player, but his play style does lead to injuries. He puts his body on the line at the detriment of his health but for the benefit of the team. Short term, this isn’t a bad thing as he is constantly performing impressively in a United shirt. In such a compact season having Maguire, Lindeloff, Bailly and Tuanzebe is, without doubt, a good thing.
Long Term
Although Eric Bailly’s recent impressive form is beneficial in the short term for Manchester United (how could it not be, having any player playing well is always a plus), but long term, it is arguably going to hinder The Red Devil’s. Manchester United’s board is simply incompetent. If the team is doing well, the board won’t look to strengthen in the areas that are required. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been let down multiple times by the board with regards to signings and there isn’t any evidence to suggest that it won’t happen again. Most evident this season is the lack of a ring winger. Jadon Sancho was linked to Manchester United in the summer and as this didn't come to fruition, Mason Greenwood has had to adapt to the position, rather unimpressively as of late.
Irrespective of how well Eric Bailly is playing, Manchester United need a new centre back. Recently I highlighted signings that Manchester United need to make, suggesting four potential players that could do an effective job for Manchester United at centre back. Firstly, Dayot Upemecano, currently of RB Leipzig. Unfortunately, according to the Manchester Evening News, Upemecano won’t be making his way to Manchester anytime soon. It’s a similar situation for David Alaba, who looks to be on his way to Spain, to join Real Madrid. Talks regarding both David Carmo and Dan-Axel Zagadou seem to have gone quiet after seemingly trending in the right direction. Recent rumours regarding Sevilla's Jules Kounde as well as Lens' Facundo Medina seem to hold no real weight.
If Bailly can stay fit for a prolonged period of time, he’s certainly has the attributes to be a Manchester United starting centre back for years to come. However, if history is anything to go by, the Ivorian won’t stay fit for any extended period, leaving Manchester United with the slow, lethargic pairing of Lindeloff and Maguire. Axel Tuanzebe is a player that could make a long and positive career at Manchester United. Having been at the club all of his life, the coaches are clearly high on him. Although he’s suffered with injuries, Tuanzebe will undoubtedly be a club legend if he performs consistently.
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