Erik ten Hag previews Arsenal v Man Utd clash
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has given himself a selection headache in midfield following the recent arrivals of Mason Mount and Sofyan Amrabat. The former joined from Chelsea at the very start of the window before Amrabat was snapped up on an initial loan deal in the final hours of deadline day.
Both players will be expected to feature heavily for United over the course of this season, although Mount is currently sidelined until after the international break with an injury. Amrabat, on the other hand, is fully fit and raring to go as he looks to settle in quickly at Old Trafford.
However, both players will be made to work hard to dislodge United’s established starters in the middle of the park. Casemiro is almost undroppable for the Red Devils, while Bruno Fernandes and Christian Eriksen have often excelled together in the more advanced midfield roles.
United have collected 42 points in the 17 games that Casemiro, Fernandes and Eriksen have started together in the Premier League. However, only 39 points have been earned in the 24 games that any one of the trio has been left out of the starting lineup.
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This suggests that Mount and Amrabat could have a job on their hands to force themselves into United’s midfield trio, especially given the former’s quiet start to the campaign. He was unable to prove himself as a sure-fire starter before his injury and there is no guarantee that Amrabat will either, as we have seen before with many high-profile players signed by United.
Ten Hag, meanwhile, has already said that it will be hard to justify diverting from a midfield consisting of Casemiro, Fernandes and Eriksen. He told Sky Sports earlier this week: “When we play with Casemiro and Eriksen and Bruno we are very successful.”
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The United boss is known to be a huge admirer of Amrabat, though, and was reportedly insistent on bringing him to Old Trafford long before his move from Fiorentina was eventually confirmed. The midfielder previously worked under Ten Hag during his time at Utrecht, grabbing 10 assists in 50 games under the guidance of his current manager.
Speaking in 2017, Ten Hag said of Amrabat: “Souf is imperturbable, unyielding. That is an additional quality. He will and must play, even if he has to go over five walls or through five walls, and even if he has to fight for it for weeks or months.”
Ten Hag also clearly saw enough in Mount to push hard for his signature, with United forking out around £55million to prise him away from Chelsea. It remains to be seen how the England ace and Amrabat will fare at Old Trafford this season, but it will certainly be crucial for them to make the most of their opportunities in order to break into United’s starting side.
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