United still have a right problem out on the flank
SURPRISINGLY, United – the club of Best, Morgan, Coppell, Kanchelskis, Beckham and Ronaldo – has failed to identify a solution on the right flank in the past six years.
Antonio Valencia was so cowed by the number seven he requested to revert back to his old number 25 under David Moyes. Louis van Gaal used Angel di Maria, a trial so unsuccessful he was substituted against Sunderland and Newcastle in successive matches.
Juan Mata stepped in and that was nearly three years ago. Remarkably, that is where the leftfooted playmaker is primarily playing for Jose Mourinho, who chose Henrikh Mkhitaryan to reinforce the right flank until the Armenian displayed his merits as a No.10.
During the Tottenham debacle last week, Anthony Martial began on the right, Jesse Lingard moved there for the second-half and Mata ended the game there. Ashley Young switched to the right at Anfield and Martial floundered there in the December derby – and those are just in ‘big six’ encounters.
“I don’t want attacking players so don’t speak about attacking players that are coming here, because nobody is coming here,” Mourinho claimed at the weekend.
“We have Mata, Lukaku, Rashford, Martial, Alexis – I don’t want attacking players, you have to go to other areas – for attacking players I am really happy.”
Mourinho said Andreas Pereira ‘plays in a position that we don’t have’ on loan at Valencia, and there are no prizes for guessing what that role is.
Senior United sources indicated in November the club was still open to signing Gareth Bale and Mourinho showed interest in Bordeaux’s 20-year-old Malcom earlier in the winter.
Both occupy the right flank. Maybe Mourinho has disregarded the right wing.
The role of the winger has changed drastically since Valencia got chalk on his boots in Ferguson’s penultimate campaign.
Full-backs have become greater attacking assets and the trend is for wingers to play on the opposite side to enable them to drift infield and provide a greater goal threat.
Mourinho peculiarly claimed in August he has ‘pure wingers’ when even Martial began his United career as a centre forward and his place is jeopardised by Sanchez. The left is well stocked whereas on the right Mata and Lingard are vying for a role neither would choose to play in.
Fixed wingers are scarce, despite Sane and Sterling’s resurgence, and perhaps Mourinho is considering an internal option – and Tahith Chong’s break-neck start to his Under-23 career offers encouragement.
The alternative is a right wingback. Mourinho wanted Ivan Perisic in the summer and may have reserved that position for him as he considers possible heirs for Valencia, who will be 33 at the start of next season and into the last year of his contract.