'I am just like Cannavaro' - Why Lisandro Martinez's height won't be a problem
Karan Tejwani
- 18 Jul 2022 10:05 BST
- 3 min read
Lisandro Martinez is set to join Manchester United from Ajax for a fee that could rise up to €67 million, bringing in one of new manager Erik ten Hag’s top targets.
The move comes after weeks of negotiations between the two clubs, as well as interest and a rejected bid from Arsenal, leaving the Red Devils free to go for the player.
There are some questions over the high fee being paid for Martinez, especially considering he has only played at centre-back for one season.
One of the major doubts over his signing comes due to his stature, with many questioning if his 5 ft 9 (or 175 cm) in height will be a hinderance for him and his new team in the Premier League.
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However, there may be some positivity for Manchester United faithful – his height or physicality may not be that much of an issue, as it’s the norm in the Premier League.
Lisandro Martinez's height won't be an issue
Numbers show that, on average, the Premier League has slightly shorter players than the Eredivisie, with the English league’s average height standing at 182.29 cm and the Dutch top-flight’s average height being 182.52 cm.
Furthermore, the competition Martinez will also be competing against will also be of similar stature: Premier League forwards are, on average, shorter than Eredivisie forwards.
Additionally, forwards in the Premier League also engage in fewer aerial duels than those in the Eredivisie, the big change would be the quality Martinez comes up against while he’s at Manchester United.
In terms of the ball being in the air, Eredivisie matches generally see more crosses being played – in the last season, there were an average of 35 crosses a match, with Martinez’s Ajax crossing the ball the most.
This goal-line clearance from Lisandro Martinez 🤯 pic.twitter.com/4n4bkcIDKO
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) July 17, 2022
Contrast that to the Premier League, where there were an average of 23 crosses per match, with Manchester City being the most at 16 per match.
Stats show that Martinez also has the best duel success rate of any player in the Eredivisie, winning 154 of his 222 contested, showing that he can hack it against physical players.
Away from numbers, he’s also often shown that in Europe over the years: the best examples come against Victor Osimhen in 2019, as well as against Edin Dzeko and Erling Haaland in 2021.
As for priors, defenders before him have lacked height and had fine careers, including one of his idols, Fabio Cannavaro: “Cannavaro was comfortable on the ball. And, despite his lack of height, he challenged for every ball as if it was the last tackle to win the game. I loved that style – and I am just like him,” Martinez once said.
Worth reiterating, there will be a massive change in quality of players he comes up against on a weekly basis, but there is backing that he can take on an aerial challenge, and possibly even succeed in it.
