Jaap Stam names Erik ten Hag’s best signing at Manchester United

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Jaap Stam has praised one Erik ten Hag signing in particular at Manchester United despite the raft of criticism the Dutchman has received.

Erik ten Hag’s future at Manchester United looks far from certain following two back-to-back defeats, which were damning for the former Ajax boss in different ways.

The 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth was a shocking one for the Red Devils as they were outclassed by the high-pressing South Coast side.

However, the 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich was disastrous in a different sense as the Red Devils hardly had a sniff against a team that had already qualified for the knockout stages.

Stam praises one signing

However, despite the doom and gloom that has been brought into the club after these defeats, former United defender Jaap Stam has praised one player in particular.

“He’s a good player and he’s got a great mentality,” Stam said on the Stick To Football show on Lisandro Martinez, who joined the club from Ajax in 2022. “He’s another player that needs to step up for the team. He’s still not the quickest so you need to be careful with him.

“Going into aerial battles with him, he isn’t the best at that and he has been caught out a few times but he’s a really good player. If you want to play possession-based football, players like him are needed.”

Martinez, despite his injury problems, has been one of the shining lights for the Red Devils and arguably Ten Hag’s best signing at the club.

Martinez needed

The Argentine is arguably one of the Red Devils’ most important players, not because of the defensive prowess he brings, but because of his passing ability.

Martinez can be relied upon consistently to progress the ball through the lines and help United’s attack. With Andre Onana in goal, the Cameroon international has struggled for passing opportunities and has been limited to lumping the ball forward, aimlessly.

The return of the former Argentine defender would help United massively but we’re reaching the point where the Dutchman may not last to see Martinez come back into the starting 11.