Defenders
Antonio Valencia, Eric Bailly, Daley Blind, Luke Shaw
Antonio Valencia might have begun his career as a right winger and signed as a replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo who left for Real Madrid but there were early signs that he could go eventually become a defender. With his ability to track back, strength and speed, he has all the attributes to play as a right back.
While it is true that he isn’t always the greatest when it comes to covering for a centre back or positioning himself at the right place to intercept balls or stop attacks, his pace and strength make him someone who can always recover if someone makes a mistake.
Trending
The fact that there aren’t many forwards who can out-run him puts him at an immediate advantage. His ability to contribute to the attack and provide crosses from the right flank even allows the right winger to cut in as the width will always be provided.
The centre back pairing for Manchester United should be Eric Bailly and Daley Blind. The new signing Eric Bailly already showed that he can get into the team and start performing right away with his Man of the Match performance in the Community Shield against Leicester.
With plenty of pace, strength and ability to head the ball, Bailly is ideally suited for life in the Premier League. While he might take some time to get used to the physicality of the league and will need to curb his enthusiasm at times, he still has all the raw materials to go on to become the first-choice centre back for United for years to come.
While there can be little doubt about who the better defender is among Chris Smalling and Daley Blind, the position in which they play matters a great deal as well. Smalling is undoubtedly the better defender but as Bailly is already playing as the right-sided centre back the need for someone to play on the left side arises.
With that being the case, Blind is obviously better suited to playing on the left, not just because he is left-footed but also because his positioning, ability to cover for any rush of blood from Luke Shaw and ability to create from the back means he gets the nod over Smalling, who is more suited to be a like-for-like replacement for Bailly.
While Marcos Rojo, Daley Blind and Luke Shaw can all play at left back, there is no doubt that Luke Shaw is the No.1 choice at left back. Such is the demands of the modern game that full backs need to be strong offensively and fast if they are to succeed. Shaw certainly has both qualities in spades.
Before his injury last season, Shaw showed just why United made him the most expensive teenager when he moved from Southampton to Manchester United. With bags of pace, excellent positional skills and a wonderful eye for a cross, Shaw ticks all the boxes as far as full backs as concerned.
All he needs to go this season is simply remain fit and he will go on to fulfill his potential and nail a regular spot in the England side as well.
