Lisandro Martinez has become Michael Carrick’s leader on the pitch, but the exciting thing is that Carrick hasn’t even unleashed his “Height-plus” successor already in his ranks.
The defensive pairing of Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez has been the bedrock on which Michael Carrick’s biggest victories have been created.
In the process, many players deserving of a chance have had to bide their time as Man Utd lament their exits from domestic cups.
How many points will Man Utd get from the next five games? Let’s hear your predictions/hopes…
Michael Carrick took 13 points from his first five…
Perhaps the biggest impact has been on Martinez’s successor already at Old Trafford, who, in many ways, is the perfected version of the Argentine’s DNA.
Ayden Heaven is Lisandro Martinez’s final form
Before going on to break down how Ayden Heaven is Martinez’s “perfected” form, it’s worth stressing again that this is not a critical piece of the Argentine defender.
If anything, Martinez is probably United’s most important defender whose absence drags down the floor and the ceiling of the team.
However, if there is just one thing lacking in Martinez’s game, it is his height, which he has no control over.
Martinez doesn’t even let it be a hindrance most of the time with his combativeness and intelligence, but if one were to create a perfected form of Martinez, that player would be about four inches taller with all his other skills intact.
Enter Ayden Heaven.
Heaven, standing at 6’2″, is Martinez’s “Height-Plus” successor at United, with his composure on the ball, left-footedness, progressive passing skills, and history of playing as a defensive midfielder.
Heaven has even given evidence about his mentality to rival Martinez’s, as he broke out last season, and despite limited chances this year, performed well whenever he was called upon.
The only shame is that Carrick has yet to fully unleash him due to circumstances out of his control.
Heaven’s will be unleashed next season
By the time Carrick arrived, United had locked in their season of 40 games, so his hands are tied when it comes to squad rotation.
Ayden Heaven was a BARGAIN… How much is he worth now?
No manager will change a winning team when there’s ample time to rest and recover between matches, especially in the defence.
This is effectively Heaven’s third challenge at the club, having already broken out twice and surprised everyone with how ready he looked on both occasions.
United need European football to platform players like Heaven, who have proven themselves to be ready for the spotlight, with a skillset that mirrors their best defender, with the only flaw removed.
Heaven is Martinez’s “Height-plus” successor at United, and Carrick will hope he’s still in the dugout next season when he’ll be able to fully unleash him.
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