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Published 19:54 15 Aug 2022 BST
Updated 20:46 15 Aug 2022 BST
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Manchester United midfielder Fred has been substituted early in two league losses. (Photo by Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images)[/caption]
"But the big thing he wants to do, is he wants a back four, a holding midfield player and his goalkeeper to instigate plays - that's 6 vs. 5. "But [this ball against Brighton] goes into Fred, and ten Hag will have worked out, very early, that Fred is not capable of receiving the ball in this position." "Again," Carragher added, "I go back to how important ten Hag sees his goalkeeper, on the ball. For him, he thinks he has a back three and the goalkeeper is a player. But the problem is, this goalkeeper is not good enough on the ball, yet. "He wants to give the goalkeeper angles... the idea is fine, but I just think the player he has got in there is not good enough to do it. De Gea has just given the ball away to Fred [against Brighton]... De Gea was a bit unnerved by that, and he panics and goes long. It means United are then stretched [as their defenders are hanging back] and this is where the first Brighton goal comes from... ten Hag will absolutely hate that."Erik ten Hag dropped Christian Eriksen into that holding midfielder role, against Brentford, and the Dane coughed up possession for one goal, but Carragher believes it is too soon to be harsh on him. When it came to Lisandro Martinez, Carragher was not as forgiving. https://twitter.com/footballdaily/status/1559243236748791810 Carragher said he is "convinced" the defender cannot excel in a two-man central defensive unit. Martinez could work as a fullback, in a three-man defence or as a holding midfielder, possibly, but the pundit says the Argentine's size [5-foot-9] has already seen teams target him, and profit from it. Related links
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