Daley Bread
Can Blind nourish United?
Daley Blind was Dutch player of the year in 2014 and after his £13.8m transfer to Manchester United big things are expected.
The versatile player, 24, can play as a defensive midfielder, left winger, left wingback left back and even left centre.
Blind is a product of the Ajax youth system, who produced the likes of Johan Cruyff, Clarence Seedorf, Patrick Kluivert, Dennis Bergkamp, Frank de Boer and his father Danny Blind. The list goes on and United fans will be hoping that Blind will follow in the footsteps of his father who won five league titles with Ajax and was capped 53 times by Holland.
Frank de Boer said, “What Daley does seems simple, but that is often the most difficult part.
“You’re at the top level and in pressure situations, you must still make the right choices and remain calm, which is very difficult. But Daley does that very well, very well.”
Blind won the league four times with Ajax and has been capped 23 times by the Netherlands so far after featuring in the country’s U15, U16, U17, U19 and U21 sides.
He put in some fantastic displays at the World Cup in Brazil, starting in all seven games they played.
His most memorable moment was his pass to Robin Van Persie for his flying header of a goal against Brazil. That assist was hailed as
the best of the tournament as he collected the ball near the halfway line and floated it through to the flying Van Persie.
Throughout the tournament Blind mainly played as a left wing-back and from his heat map against Brazil in the third-place play-off, we can see he occupied virtually every space down that left wing and was not afraid to go forward yet offered strong protection when he needed to defend.
Where Blind plays for United is down to whatever formation and system Louis Van Gaal selects. With Luke Shaw being brought in for £27 million, he looks like the first choice left back whether it is 3-5-2 or 4-3-3 or a diamond 4-1-2-1-2. So where does this leave Blind? Probably as a holding midfielder.
With so many new players I think the best formation for Louis Van Gaal is that 4-1-2-1 diamond formation. This means that Falcao, Van Persie, Rooney and Di Maria can all fit into the team with the only player left out being Mata. Blind looks like the man to fill the holding role with his main competition for that position, 33-year-old Michael Carrick, injured since the start of the season and lacking match fitness having been out of action for three months.
Blind could also fill in as a left sided centre back if Van Gaal played his favoured 3-5-2 formation.
But with some disappointing performances from Ashley Young, Blind looks clear favourite to play on the left side.
However, with his versatility, passing ability and ball-winning qualities Blind will be best utilized as a holding midfielder.