Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Manchester United and Michael Carrick will be pleasantly surprised with Andrey Santos after four pre-season games.
Arriving as the first midfield signing, Andrey Santos had to bear the perhaps unfair burden of looking good from day one.
He lived up to those expectations with some performances in pre-season, doing exactly what he was presumed to be good at.
However, what he showed against PSG will pleasantly surprise Michael Carrick the most. It transforms Man Utd.
Paris Saint-Germain v Manchester United - Pre-Season Friendly
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Manchester United v AFC Wrexham - Pre-Season Friendly
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Andrey Santos was a midfield general vs PSG
The game against PSG became anti-climactic for United after 20 minutes, as Mason Mount came off with an apparent injury to break the team’s bright midfield duo.
Santos faced the challenge of not only keeping his own level up, but also helping young Tyler Fletcher flourish alongside him.
The opponents were the Champions League winners, but none of that is even the most impressive thing about Santos’ performance.
The Brazilian has always been a joy to watch on the ball, looking to play it forward and break lines, and his defensive discipline has improved too.
However, what impressed the most against PSG is his recovery tackling and the defensive skill set to snuff out opposition attacks.
Defensive solidity was talked about as one of the weakest parts of his game when he signed for United, and he’s already come on leaps and bounds.
His recovery block to sweep up Ayden Heaven’s mistake in the first half was a sight to behold, and exactly what you expect from an all-action defensive midfielder.
With his skills on the ball already elite, this improvement is a massive jump towards becoming a complete midfielder.
Santos fixing his defence transforms Man Utd
It was widely believed that in Santos and Youri Tielemans, United had signed two technical players whose best time is with the ball.
Getty Images
Therefore, a third midfielder in the destroyer mould was necessary, but that’s not so clear anymore.
United still need a third midfielder, especially due to Mason Mount’s unreliability, but the profile of that player can be flexible now.
Santos’ defensive worries are clearly overblown, and probably caused by Chelsea being a mess last season, while Tielemans’ defensive game improved massively under Emery.
If both these players are the jack of all trades and the master of some, it transforms United, pleasantly surprising Carrick.