LVG: STOP KDB WITH MALACIA AFORETHOUGHT
Ex-reds boss Van Gaal insists he’s shown Ten Hag that United’s ‘pitbull’ left-back is the man to halt De Bruyne
LOUIS VAN GAAL believes he has shown former club United how to stop City superstar Kevin De Bruyne ahead of this weekend’s Manchester derby showdown at the Etihad.
The former United boss took the unusual step of playing Tyrell Malacia at centre-back during Holland’s 1-0 win over Belgium in the Nations League on Sunday night.
Malacia, who joined United from Feyenoord this summer in a £14.7million deal, has established himself as Erik ten Hag’s first-choice left-back at Old Trafford.
But he was introduced at half-time as one of three central defenders – before going on to snuff out the danger of De Bruyne in the Johan Cruyff Arena.
Virgil van Dijk’s header proved the difference as Van Gaal’s men secured a place in the Nations League finals. But it was Malacia’s performance that stood out for his coach, who likened the 23-year-old to a “pitbull”, due to the aggressive way in which he dealt with Belgium’s most dangerous star.
Malacia and De Bruyne will lock horns again on Sunday when United travel across town to face Pep Guardiola’s English champions.
It promises to be an explosive showdown – and Van Gaal has shown fellow Dutchman Ten Hag that, in Malacia, he has someone capable of keeping De Bruyne quiet when the bitter rivals clash.
Van Gaal is even thinking of using Malacia as a centre-back at the World Cup due to being without injured star Bruno Martins Indi.
The Holland coach, who was sacked by Manchester United in 2016, said: “I put Malacia in the left centre-back role because Martins Indi is not going to make it to the World Cup squad due to injury.
“I have to look at other players who can play there and wanted to see what Malacia could do. I put him on the left of the central defence because De Bruyne played a lot on that side.
“It’s better to have a pitbull like that instead of someone like Daley Blind, who tries to solve it tactically.
“De Bruyne has more acceleration than Blind as well, so I put Malacia there.
“I had already discussed this with him – that he could play as a left centre-back. The defensive work he did very well.”
Ten Hag switched Malacia to right-back during United’s recent 2-0 win over Sheriff Tiraspol in the Europa League, but it remains to be seen if he is willing to break-up his centre-back partnership of Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez.