After a slow start to his Manchester United career, Victor Lindelof is finally turning the corner with dominant performances in the heart of the defense.
Jose Mourinho was very vocal about his desire to bring in a new centre back in the summer, but his request was denied by the Manchester United board, and United’s defense proved their manager right with some downright atrocious performances at the start of the season. That has changed in recent weeks though, and the Red Devils have become far more reliable at the back.
And the man who has been the mainstay in United’s defense in recent weeks is the one who was written off by many less than a year after his arrival at Old Trafford.
More from Playing for 90
- Alexia Putellas reaches 400 games with Barcelona
- Everything you need to know ahead of the 250th ‘Super Clásico’
- Barcelona put five past Real Betis
- Manchester City suffer but come away with win over West Ham
- Baffling Liga MX ruling strips Puebla of a hard-earned victory
Victor Lindelof endured a troubled start at United and made several high-profile errors, costing his side crucial points last season. He failed to settle into the team upon joining from Benfica and many believed that his time at United was over after his abject display against West Ham last month.
But all that has changed in recent weeks, with Lindelof putting in composed and calm performances against quality opposition. The Sweden international was solid against Chelsea and then went on to keep Ronaldo quiet in United’s Champions League defeat to Juventus, before his impressive display against Everton’s tricky attack over the weekend.
But it was his performance against Juventus that stood out and was one of the very few positives for United from that game. Lindelof was one of the major reasons that United did not concede a second against the Italian giants. He made more interceptions (3) and clearances (5) than any other Manchester United player against Juventus. And he stopped numerous counter attacks with his pace and composure in high pressure situations.
Lindelof put in another encouraging display on Saturday as United enjoyed a crucial win against Everton. The 24-year-old once again had the most clearances and he put in a confident display to marshal his side to victory. He also completed 86.3% of his passes against Everton, a huge plus for United, who have been crying out for a defender who can play the ball out from the back for years now.
Lindelof has really stepped it up a notch in recent weeks and the next step for him now is to continue to play with the same confidence and composure. He seems to have won his manager’s trust, and the next step for his is to perform with the same consistency in the coming months.