Manchester United were not outplayed by Atletico Madrid at Old Trafford, but the Spaniards won the game.
With Atletico defending a 1-0 lead, the visitors dug in, hung on, and took advantage of an over-zealous referee to time waste and break up the game.
This played right into Atletico’s hands, and United were too naive. It highlighted a flaw in United’s squad, the team’s midfield is ‘too nice’.
Fred, Scott McTominay, and substitute Paul Pogba are nice guys, but they are not exactly modelling their games on Roy Keane. Nor is Donny van de Beek, a discarded option who doesn’t either have the qualities the team are looking for.
Keane was a warrior, a leader, a player who would inspire his side and take no nonsense when opponents tried to take control of a match.
This what United are lacking, and have been severely lacking for years. It doesn’t even have to be a player as talented as Keane, but there does need to be someone who is streetwise, who knows when to draw fouls – and could even engage in a bit of time wasting and dark arts themselves if required.
The closest player to this who United had was Ander Herrera. He became a popular figure among the fanbase and unpopular with rival fans for the way he antagonised his opponents.
United never replaced Herrera, and certainly did not replace Keane. This has to be high on the agenda heading into the summer.
Change the culture
Atletico’s side is made up in the image of Diego Simeone, and while United don’t want 11 players like this, you need at least one of them in amongst the squad of options, especially in central midfield.
The Spanish side’s starting midfielders of Hector Herrera and Marcos Llorente knew exactly how to play United, and to play the occasion.
Fred has improved a lot under Ralf Rangnick, and there are positive signs the Brazilian can be a good squad player. But he doesn’t have that nasty streak in him, and nor does Scott McTominay. Pogba has been part of the problem for United, a show pony who doesn’t like it when it gets tough.
There needs to be a player who can strike fear into the opposition, one who is liable to snap at any time. When was the last time a United midfielder had a straight red card? While this is on one hand a negative, it’s a double edged sword, with this unpredictability putting opponents on edge.
United need a player like this, who is able to get the club over the line in tough knockout games. For the past five years, United have been knocked out of Europe by Spanish teams. That’s not a coincidence. In addition to the quality they possess, they also have clever footballers who know how to negotiate their way through tough ties, and United are a bit too nice and honest for their own good.
Look at the game against City, when they passed it around us. Who was prepared to put themselves on the line and take one of their team out? United were simply too nice about it. Keane, or we dare say Herrera, would never have stood for that.
Signing a midfielder who is a good footballer, but also a bit of a dirty one, the kind you love to hate, is one of the many solutions to United’s many problems.
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