Since Lisandro Martinez arrived at Manchester United in the summer he has proved many critics wrong with his impressive displays.
It was clear that United were going to search for a new centre-back last year and when they landed on the Ajax defender there were a lot of questions about the signing.
The first issue that was raised was his height. At 5ft 9in, Martinez is the shortest centre-back in the Premier League. However, history shows height is not everything, as players like Javier Mascherano, Carles Puyol, David Alaba and Franz Beckenbauer have all enjoyed glittering careers despite not being the tallest of defenders.
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All the aforementioned players had real strength in their passing ability and reading of the game and Martinez is no different. What he has brought to Erik ten Hag’s United team is not just his ability on the ball but his incredible ariel presence.
This season in the Premier League, the Argentinian defender has won four duels per game on average. He also wins over half of his ariel duels per game; his 55 per cent record when it comes to winning challenges in the air demonstrates the ex-Ajax man’s ability despite his height.
Out of his 24 appearances in the league this term, 'the butcher’ has started 21 of them and has achieved 11 clean sheets. In terms of the other three defenders around Martinez at United, there has been a fair bit of consistency.
England international Luke Shaw has been a regular starter for the Reds this season and having that consistency has helped Martinez’s transition into the league.
On his right-hand side, he has been paired with fellow World Cup winner Raphael Varane. The pair have played together in most of United’s games this season, making the team look much more assured at the back than in recent years. Having that stability and awareness of those around them has allowed United's players to play out from the back and take more risks.
However, this style of play can backfire easily, as seen in the team’s devastating defeat at the hands of Liverpool. But when the season is over, fans will be able to look at a team that has come on leaps and bounds in the space of just one campaign.
The fact that there was even a discussion of United’s possible inclusion in the title race a couple of weeks ago shows the drastic changes Ten Hag has made. No, it is not all down to Martinez, yet having him in over club captain Harry Maguire has improved the backline and allowed Maguire time away from the spotlight, something that was clearly needed.
Whether the Reds will add to their Carabao Cup triumph this season remains to be seen, but it is safe to say that with Martinez in their backline, the club’s defence looks set to be in safe hands for many years to come.
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