Poor results have led to more questions than answers about Manchester United’s midfield, and there is a sense of desperation growing amid suggestions of alternative options within the squad.
Ruben Amorim has stressed that his 3-4-2-1 system is not the reason for Manchester United’s disappointing start to the 2025/26 season.
The Red Devils have four points from as many Premier League games, after being knocked out of the Carabao Cup by League Two outfit Grimsby Town.
Opposing teams have found it far too easy to get the better of United in midfield, with it often being a 3v2 scenario, with Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro usually outnumbered in the middle of the pitch.
Meanwhile, Amorim has overlooked Kobbie Mainoo in the starting line-up, despite Fernandes struggling in his deeper role.
It remains to be seen if Amorim will make any drastic changes to his midfield, whether it be personnel or adding an extra midfielder to the mix.
Lisandro Martinez won’t fix Man Utd’s midfield problems
One player tipped to play in midfield, once he returns from injury, is Lisandro Martinez.
It is no secret that Amorim needs an urgent midfield uplift after failing to strengthen that area of the team during the summer transfer window.
According to GiveMeSport, Amorim could deploy Martinez in midfield, even though he’s never played there for United.
These calls for Amorim to experiment with Martinez overlook the reasons why former United manager Erik ten Hag didn’t play the defender in midfield after signing him from Ajax.
During his time working with Martinez at Ajax, Ten Hag outlined that the Argentine didn’t have the running capacity to play in midfield. He compared ‘Licha’ to former United defender Daley Blind.
Speaking to ESPN back in 2021, Ten Hag said (via Manchester Evening News): “Daley Blind does not have the running capacity to play in midfield. And neither does Martinez.”
If Martinez didn’t have the running capacity to play in midfield in the Eredivisie, he is bound to struggle with increased demands in a central pairing that gets overrun each week.
We must also consider the fact that Martinez is recovering from an ACL injury.
It would come as a major surprise if Amorim experimented with Martinez in the middle of the pitch.
Martinez’s stance on playing in midfield
Martinez will be eager to return since he has not played a competitive game for United since February.
The World Cup winner will more than likely return to United’s back three rather than play in midfield, but Martinez is the type of player who will play anywhere the manager decides.
Speaking to reporters in 2023 ahead of United’s Europa League clash against Real Betis, Martinez welcomed the prospect of moving into midfield, even though it never happened.
Martinez said: “We have many good midfielders and like I have always said in many interviews, I will play wherever the coach wants to use me.
“I will always be available.”
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