Ole can turn to Axel to fill new midfield role
TUANZEBE IDEAL FOR HOLDING ROLE AGAINST LIVERPOOL
ONE by one Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has seen his midfield options at United reduce. The sale of Marouane Fellaini, the loss of Ander Herrera, the injury to Paul Pogba and the form of Nemanja Matic and Fred - has left the Norwegian with a considerable hole to fill in the middle of the pitch.
At the moment Scott McTominay is the only certainty to start in United’s midfield.
Pogba would join him if fit, but there is no guarantee his Dubai fitness camp will see him recover in time to face Liverpool on Sunday.
That will give Solskjaer a problem. Not only have Fellaini and Herrera not been replaced, but the midfielders that remain at the club have generally suffered from an alarming dip in form.
Matic has looked sluggish all season, Fred’s radar continues to let him down, while Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard have offered very little in more creative roles. If Pogba loses his fitness battle it will be McTominay and two others against Liverpool, but which two is the real problem. On recent performances none of United’s regular midfielders deserve a spot in the side.
Once again James Garner will have his supporters, but Solskjaer’s reluctance to involve him against AZ Alkmaar and Newcastle suggests a sudden elevation to the first-team against the Premier League leaders is unlikely for the 18-year-old.
But Solskjaer might have a left-field alternative that is worth considering that would allow him to shake up his midfield, although it is dependant on
Victor Lindelof overcoming a back injury to start alongside Harry Maguire.
If the Swede achieves that, then it would free up Axel Tuanzebe to move slightly further forward, taking up a disciplined holding role at the base of midfield. The 21-yearold’s defensive quality could be vital to help out with the triple threat of Mo Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino.
While playing a back three against Liverpool’s front three would be a risk, given their movement, having Tuanzebe anchoring midfield with the flexibility to track the danger men could provide another layer of insurance for United. That would allow McTominay to play more of a box-to-box role. The Scot has the energy to cover plenty of ground and has proven himself a threat in the final third. He also has the intelligence to drop deeper and help soak up pressure when required against Jurgen Klopp’s side.
Rather than picking a more creative option, in Mata or Lingard, Solskjaer could give Fred another
On recent performances none of United’s regular midfielders deserve a spot in the side Tyrone Marshall
chance. The Brazilian is running out of those but a more resolute threeman midfield would allow United to compete with Liverpool’s trio in midfield at Old Trafford.
By playing Fred further forward, Solskjaer could take away some of his defensive duties and hope the 26-year-old can instead finally show off his passing range, perhaps finding the gaps to exploit Liverpool’s high line at the back.
There are inevitably risks involved in whatever midfield Solskjaer picks next week, but using Tuanzebe and McTominay would at least give it a more energetic feel than in recent weeks.
Tuanzebe was used out of position at left-back against Arsenal, but he does at least have some experience playing in a defensive midfield role, although it is limited. He came on in that position against Leicester City at Old Trafford recently, playing the final five minutes as United looked to hold on to their narrow 1-0 lead.
Tuanzebe played 72 minutes in a similar role for Aston Villa at Burton Albion in the Carabao Cup, while his 45 minutes for United against Crystal Palace in May 2017 were also in midfield.
Tuanzebe played a full game in a midfield role for United against Chelsea, in the old Under-21 Premier League, at Stamford Bridge in May 2016.
So the youngster isn’t without some experience in midfield. Given the paucity of options available to Solskjaer he could be a realistic option to face Liverpool.