There is an opportunity in every crisis and no other club does crisis quite like Manchester United, who have a long relationship with the term.
The latest crisis is upon Old Trafford with the defeat to Liverpool and with the international break starting, there is a lot of noise to fill till September 14.
However, not all of that has to be negative as Manchester United were given glimpses on a new building block they might have found in a punishing crisis.
Many things went wrong vs Liverpool, but an opportunity emerged in that crisis, and with patience, United will have a new building block.
Toby Collyer’s first steps
Casemiro had just dropped arguably the worst 45 minutes of his career so the task on the day for Toby Collyer was not to be “better than Casemiro”.
Still, this was a 20-year-old midfielder tasked with replacing a five-time Champions League winner vs fierce rivals at Old Trafford for his league debut.
Anything better than an unmitigated disaster would have been something to work with in the future.
Instead, Collyer exceeded expectations by some margin. For sure, there were some moments when he looked hurried and was bullied off the ball by Liverpool’s intense press but on a day when the same can be said for the likes of Kobbie Mainoo, Casemiro, and Lisandro Martinez, it is hardly a defining statement on the ability of a debutant.
Collyer kept it simple for the most part and was secure in defence, but showed renewed improvement on the ball, an area he was found lacking in, in pre-season.
He created one chance and showed the courage to make some progressive passes when most of his senior colleagues wilted under the press.
These were great first steps in professional football and gives the team something to work with as he is brought along into the first-team squad.
The way ahead
With United playing in four competitions and Casemiro not improving anytime soon, Collyer might well end the season with double figures in appearances.
Manuel Ugarte’s arrival will squeeze the field a bit but what works in Collyer’s favour is that his playing profile is not replicated by anyone at the club bar Ugarte.
On paper, he’s the only replacement the team has for the Uruguayan, and with fixtures coming thick and fast soon, he can expect to play a huge role this season.
The challenge for him will be to impress in a larger role, with some weight of expectations as even though Liverpool was a “trial by fire” due to the circumstances, it was also essentially a free hit since not many expected him to set the world alight.
A breakthrough like Mainoo’s is generational and won’t be repeated by every youth product, but Collyer has shown the ability and most importantly, the mentality, to be alongside Mainoo as United’s newest building block in the long run.
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