Man Utd’s transfer troubles highlighted by Alex Telles incident
Robin Bairner
- 23 Jul 2022 12:57 BST
- 3 min read
Manchester United should use the 2-2 friendly draw against Aston Villa they played out in Perth, Australia as something of a warning for what is to come in the season ahead.
Overall, it was a positive performance, especially in the first half, when Jadon Sancho gave them the lead before an own goal from Matty Cash put them two clear. It was evident after the break, though, that Erik ten Hag still has much work to be done as goals from Leon Bailey and an injury-time strike from Calum Chambers square the game.
And while it is evident that Ten Hag’s work is having an impact on the existing squad, it is equally clear that reinforcements are still desperately needed.
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Ten Hag lacking options
This was brought into focus midway through the second half, when the Dutchman elected to make 10 changes in his team. The Man Utd manager was so short in midfield that he had to deploy Alex Telles in the heart of the field – a position entirely alien to the left-back.
Ten Hag’s issue was not brought about by an injury crisis. Sure, Scott McTominay missed the match for precautionary reasons and Christian Eriksen has yet to join up with the squad, but Man Utd should not be so handicapped with the loss of just a couple of players.
Instead, the Red Devils have lost a string of midfielders, including Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic and Juan Mata over the summer and have yet to replace them. Of course, the chase for Frenkie de Jong remains ongoing and there is also the possibility of capturing Youri Tielemans from Leicester, but with a fortnight to go before the season starts, United are chronically short of options.
It is an embarrassing position for such a big club to find themselves, and regardless of the ongoing distraction of Cristiano Ronaldo’s absence, shows that United’s transfer work has been chronically sluggish. In the case of Saturday’s draw with Villa, it matters little, but come Brighton on 7 August, it may just count more.
