Leny Yoro is still in the process of adapting to life as a Manchester United footballer.
There was a lot of excitement when Manchester United hijacked Real Madrid’s move for Yoro, who was viewed as one of the most exciting teenagers in Ligue 1.
The French youngster decided that Old Trafford was the best place to take that next step rather than the fancy new Bernabeu.
The 19-year-old was sold a dream by Ineos as he intends to develop into one of the best defenders in the world. It will take lots of hard work, dedication and faith from Ruben Amorim as his head coach.
Yoro impressed in his debut against Arsenal and has been given minutes since then to build on his match sharpness.
However, Amorim has been careful not to throw the youngster in at the deep end early on, managing his minutes as seen in United’s 2-1 win over Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
Big challenge awaits Leny Yoro
It’s healthy for every squad to have competition and United have gone from struggling to field a defence to having a stable pecking order.
In the Manchester derby on Sunday, Amorim opted for experience with a back three consisting of Matthijs de Ligt, Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez. This meant Yoro was named among the substitutes.
It bodes well for United that De Ligt, Maguire and Martinez performed strongly against the Premier League champions – but it also creates a challenge for Yoro to break into the first-team as a regular.
De Ligt is trying to adapt his game to the Premier League still, while Maguire proved that he is a valuable asset to Amorim’s defence department. Lisandro Martinez had his best performance of the season, providing a stunning assist for Amad Diallo’s late winner against City.
United have plenty of fixtures coming and Yoro will get plenty of chances to prove himself.
Manchester United don’t need to rush Yoro
Manchester United have been guilty of rushing players into the team previously, but Amorim is in a position where he can carefully manage Yoro’s minutes.
Amorim brought Yoro on against City in the 78th minute – before United forced a memorable comeback – so he at least got a taste of winning a derby. United defended well throughout the game, but we need to see consistency in that department as well as find a solution to defending set pieces.
The Carabao Cup quarter-final against Tottenham allows Amorim to mix it up, although he might want to start settling on a preferred backline so the players can familiarise themselves with the system.
Having quality and depth in defence takes the pressure off Yoro’s shoulders. It’s exactly what he needs to adapt and settle into the team.
Yoro is considered a generational talent, so United will benefit from a productive development plan.
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