Sorry Erik, but United must beat depleted Tottenham
THERE is plenty of intrigue surrounding today’s clash between Manchester United and Tottenham. What will Jim Ratcliffe make of his first trip to Old Trafford as co-owner? How do Spurs cope without Son Heung-min? Will Timo Werner come back to haunt United on his debut, having been linked with them? DANNY MURPHY delivers his verdict:
WERNER’S WAY
SIGNING Werner on loan with a £15million option to buy looks sensible business for Tottenham.
Clubs at the top level need five forwards with different attributes competing for three places. It allows managers to make changes during matches as well as between them.
Manchester United were linked with Werner and he’d have been useful for them, although the less than harmonious atmosphere at Old Trafford might have made it harder for him.
Every move Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou makes at the moment is welcomed by his fans, whereas United’s are so frustrated by Erik ten Hag’s signings, they’re quick to criticise any incomings short of Kylian Mbappe.
Spurs already had wide options but the way ‘Angeball’ works, Werner is a good profile with his pace, energy, work ethic and versatility.
Son is away for the Asian Cup, Brennan Johnson does get a few injuries and Richarlison isn’t as quick, so Werner gives Spurs an alternative down the middle. The German’s arrival also means that if James Maddison is missing, Dejan Kulusevski can be moved into the centre.
Werner isn’t a prolific goalscorer but has the added advantage of already knowing the Premier League. We saw at Chelsea that Werner isn’t the calmest finisher but we know he can cope with the physicality.
When they won the Champions League in 2021, Werner played his part with his willingness to run in behind.
There are few risks attached in getting him back from Leipzig. He’ll get game time right away and it wouldn’t surprise me if he did something coming off the bench against them today.
JIM’S NEW FOCUS
CAMERAS will be trained on Jim Ratcliffe as he takes his seat at Old Trafford for the first time since a deal gave him 25 per cent of Manchester United and control of football matters.
Recruitment will be his top priority because United’s has been lousy in recent years.
Ten Hag has to embrace a new way of doing things because his authority on transfers has been undermined by the lack of success of Antony (£85m) and Andre Onana (£47m), players he wanted because he worked with them at Ajax.
The game has changed. It’s a global business now so the traditional approach where the manager’s voice was the only one on recruitment can’t be the best way forward.
An elite club in 2024 needs a sporting director, a world-class scouting department and first-team manager all trusting each other. I’d be encouraged as a United fan by the fact they are being linked to names such as Newcastle’s sporting director
Dan Ashworth.
United have spent £450m on 12 players since Ten Hag took over. They’d probably have been better buying only two – Harry Kane and Declan Rice – and saving the rest of their money.
IT’S MUST WIN FOR UNITED
IF UNITED can’t beat this version of Tottenham, more serious questions will have to be asked of Ten Hag. For all United’s problems, this is the best time to face Spurs. Son, Pape Sarr and Yves Bissouma are on international duty, James Maddison, Ben Davies and Giovani Lo Celso are injured and Cristian Romero is a doubt.
…AND THEY CAN STILL WIN LEAGUE FIRST
TOTTENHAM are on an upward trajectory but the reality is United are still more likely to be champions in the near future because they are such a powerhouse. The right change in manager and a couple of big transfer windows can transform things quickly.
However, I don’t see either winning the league for five years because of the competition from City, Liverpool and Arsenal, and strides being taken by Newcastle and Villa.