When Jose Mourinho took over the reins at Old Trafford, a major squad overhaul was expected by everyone. The Portuguese coach likes a certain mold of players in his squad and isn’t afraid to show the door to the players who do not fit his requirements. Daley Blind was one such player who was expected to leave Manchester United when Mourinho was appointed as the successor of Louis van Gaal.
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He was heavily linked with a move away from the club, with some reports even suggesting that Arsenal were interested in signing Blind. The departure seemed imminent when Eric Bailly was signed from Villarreal, who became the first of the “Four Signings” of Jose Mourinho. Chris Smalling was the obvious choice for a starting place along with Bailly.
Surprisingly, the Dutchman was given a lifeline by the gaffer. He was asked to prove himself for a place in starting lineup and the former Ajax man made the most of this opportunity. Having impressed the Special One in training, Blind started every game in pre-season and was even awarded a starting place in Community Shield clash against Leicester.
Since then, the versatile player has formed a solid partnership with Bailly in United’s defence. He played the full 90 minutes in each of United’s first three games this season and relegated Smalling to the bench.
The vision
At 5ft 9in, Blind isn’t the typical Mourinho center back. He’s neither physically imposing nor particularly quick. What he has is a great vision for passing and clearly knows where to position himself. The Dutchman’s ball playing ability makes him a crucial player in United’s backline.
Only a few players can read the game like Daley Blind can. He possesses a great footballing brain. Blind’s reading of situation and positioning makes him a difficult player to play against. His strength lies in tackling and interceptions he makes, along with his accurate passing.
He provides a stark contrast to his fellow center back Eric Bailly. Bailly is quick, strong and powerful, exactly the opposite type of defender than Blind. But the Ivorian isn’t comfortable with the ball at his feet, and this is where Blind comes into the picture.
Bailly is surely a good defender, but the former Villarreal man lacks first team experience. He made just 51 appearances in Spain before signing for Manchester United. The Ivorian defender needs knowledge of playing in Premier League and can be a bit rash at tackling. Blind can turn out to be a good mentor for the new man and can help his development.
While Bailly can do the dirty jobs with his physical ability, Blind can add guile to the game. The duo can be easily compared to Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand, who possessed different skill sets but made a great defensive pair.
The 26-year-old can execute accurate balls to start the attack from the back. In the game against Bournemouth, there was a moment when Blind got a scolding from Mourinho when his long ball towards Ibrahimovic missed its target. Seconds later, Blind made amends by drilling a perfect pass into Wayne Rooney’s feet, receiving a nod of approval from his coach.
Reliability and consistency
In the game against Hull City, Blind completed 96 % of his passes and won 100% of aerial duels. He was quick to sniff out any Hull City attack and managed to keep Abel Hernandez at bay most of the match. He organized the defence well and started many of United’s attacks from the back.
It’s also worth mentioning how consistent Blind has been in his role at the heart of United’s defence. He played the whole 2015-16 season as a centre back, making 56 appearances, most by any player since Peter Schmeichel in 1998-99 season. Out of the 35 Premier League appearances he made last season, he was subbed off just 3 times. He created 25 chances, scored one goal, and maintained 84 % Average Pass accuracy.
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The Dutchman also brings versatility to the squad. He can play as a center back, left-back or as a defensive midfielder.
Many people questioned his ability to play as a defender when he moved from midfield to defence but proved them all wrong. He managed to cope with the pace of strikers like Romelu Lukaku, Harry Kane, and Sergio Aguero which ensured that United conceded only 35 goals last season, the best defensive record by any Premier League side.
Every team needs a versatile player like him. Phill Neville possessed the similar traits like Blind, who could play in defence as well as midfield and operated in a number of positions throughout his career. If given enough chances Blind can easily emulate the Englishman at Old Trafford.
