The quarter-finals for the World Cup are set, with Argentina and Switzerland taking the last two places, and Man Utd had something to learn in each game.
Argentina completed one of the greatest comebacks in World Cup history as they beat Egypt 3-2 after going down 2-0 after 67 minutes.
Switzerland held their nerve against Colombia in a 4-3 penalty shootout win after a goalless draw in regular and extra time.
Here’s what Man Utd learned from each game as a new dilemma emerges.
Matthijs de Ligt and Lisandro Martinez are injured too frequently – Should either or both be sold in the summer?
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Argentina vs Egypt – The Lisandro Martinez dilemma is an enigma
Lisandro Martinez is the emotional rock of this Argentina side as the player his teammates gravitate towards outside of Lionel Messi.
His leadership and mentality, combined with his quality on the ball and combativeness off it, make him the perfect backbone of this competitive side.
However, against Egypt, Man Utd fans saw a Martinez of two extremes at the same time.
On one hand was a player who was effectively at fault for both the goals conceded by Argentina, and on the other hand was a player who didn’t shrink despite these mistakes and finished the game with the most defensive contributions.
He lost his aerial duel for Egypt’s first, and was in complete no-man’s land for the second, but he kept going, which speaks volumes about his mentality.
At United, he is now an enigma who presents a dilemma. The errors in his game, combined with his injury record, present a question.
United can’t afford to keep him as just a “leader” because, unlike Argentina, they have to use him every week. If a good offer arrives for him, do they cash in, or do they see the best of Martinez and back him?
He’s emerged as a dilemma after this World Cup.
Switzerland vs Colombia – Utd can do a lot worse than Granit Xhaka
Switzerland’s fairy tale continues at this World Cup, and at the heart of it again was Granit Xhaka, who’s turning back the clock with each game.
After the World Cup debacle, if YOU had the power to reverse/cancel any red card suspension in Manchester United history, what would you pick?
He finished the game with 103 touches and kept his teammates in the game with his leadership skills.
At a time when United are being quoted £100m for unknown quantities, they could do a lot worse than exploring what Xhaka would cost.
Chelsea tried and failed with a derisory £8m bid, but United shouldn’t be afraid of going higher because Xhaka is not declining.
He could easily give them two seasons of top-level midfield orchestration, then be on his merry way. He’s exactly what United need for their midfield. A plug-and-play option that brings quality on the ball.
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