How will Ten Hag approach the Barcelona first leg?
Who will Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag start against Barcelona?
That’s a topic of conversation during our latest episode of The Debate and, interestingly, ESPN journalist Rob Dawson suspects the Dutchman provided some clues during our last outing.
Ten Hag surprised many by resting Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez against Leeds at Elland Road on Sunday, starting instead with Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw at centre-back.
Dawson suspects that could be linked to Licha being suspended for the Nou Camp clash, and he expects Erik to field a full-strength side in Catalonia.
“I am actually surprised by the team that Erik picked for the Leeds game, resting Varane and obviously Martinez can’t play in Barcelona and he was rested as well,” says Dawson in The Debate.
“I thought there was a chance that, given the state of the season, you’re well in the race for the top four, with a cup final to look forward to, that he may think ‘well, actually, with the state in the season that we’re at, we don’t actually need it and it’s an opportunity to maybe rest a few’.
Ten Hag surprised many by resting Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez against Leeds at Elland Road on Sunday, starting instead with Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw at centre-back.
Dawson suspects that could be linked to Licha being suspended for the Nou Camp clash, and he expects Erik to field a full-strength side in Catalonia.
“I am actually surprised by the team that Erik picked for the Leeds game, resting Varane and obviously Martinez can’t play in Barcelona and he was rested as well,” says Dawson in The Debate.
“I thought there was a chance that, given the state of the season, you’re well in the race for the top four, with a cup final to look forward to, that he may think ‘well, actually, with the state in the season that we’re at, we don’t actually need it and it’s an opportunity to maybe rest a few’.
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“But given the team that he picked at Leeds, it looks like he is going to go for it in the Nou Camp with a full-strength team and with Casemiro back. It will be interesting to see what they do for the home leg because they have got a cup final three days later.
“I think if you had offered Erik ten Hag at the start of the season a place in the top four and a trophy, he would have bitten your hand off – which would make the League Cup final and the league games more important, but he is obviously not looking at the Barcelona games like that.
“I think if you had offered Erik ten Hag at the start of the season a place in the top four and a trophy, he would have bitten your hand off – which would make the League Cup final and the league games more important, but he is obviously not looking at the Barcelona games like that.
“He is obviously going to win those games and it is a great test against a team that is the most in-form in Europe at the moment. The way that he has looked at all of the games this season, he has never really rested players and, when he has looked at all of the games, he has picked strong teams.
“Even if sometimes the fans have looked at it and thought maybe the team is a bit strong, like the second leg of the League Cup semi-final.”
“Even if sometimes the fans have looked at it and thought maybe the team is a bit strong, like the second leg of the League Cup semi-final.”
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Former Premier League defender and regular MUTV pundit Alex Bruce is also fascinated by the centre-back positions, against a Barcelona side that features the great Robert Lewandowski.
“One thing they will have to do is defend well so it will be interesting to see which centre-back pairing he picks, with Martinez suspended,” says Bruce, son of Steve.
“With Harry getting 90 minutes at Elland Road, that might have been Ten Hag thinking ‘I could do with him getting some game time in preparation for playing at the Nou Camp’.
“You have obviously got Lindelof, Varane and Shaw, who has done excellently at centre-half. He does like having a natural balance doesn’t he, with a left-footer at left-sided centre-half so that could give Luke the nod. It will be very interesting.”
“One thing they will have to do is defend well so it will be interesting to see which centre-back pairing he picks, with Martinez suspended,” says Bruce, son of Steve.
“With Harry getting 90 minutes at Elland Road, that might have been Ten Hag thinking ‘I could do with him getting some game time in preparation for playing at the Nou Camp’.
“You have obviously got Lindelof, Varane and Shaw, who has done excellently at centre-half. He does like having a natural balance doesn’t he, with a left-footer at left-sided centre-half so that could give Luke the nod. It will be very interesting.”
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