Five reasons why Man United should break the bank to sign Mats Hummels
Manchester United secured their first away win of the season on Saturday with a potentially galvanising 2-1 victory at the Emirates. But despite unprecedented levels of spending over the summer, clear gaps remain in the United back four and Arsenalcould have been out of United’s sight by half time had they been more ruthless in front of goal. With rumours circulating last week that the board are preparing an audacious January bid for World Cup winning centre back Mats Hummels, we examine five reasons United should do whatever it takes to secure the Borussia Dortmund captain.
1. Mats Hummels is the leader United need
Manchester United have been blessed throughout the Premier League era with a number of leaders in their squad. The likes of Steve Bruce, Gary Pallister, Jaap Stam, Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic have stifled many an opposition strike force over the years to secure important wins. With Ferdinand, Vidic and Patrice Evra all having departed over the summer, United have been left without a clear leader at the back, and so it has shown with a chaotic and indisciplined defence a key factor in their inconsistent form. United are crying out for authority at the back and Mats Hummels offers this in abundance. His leadership skills – recognised by Jurgen Klopp, who made him Dortmund captain over the summer, and tennis legend Boris Becker, who tweeted “At last we have a leader in our defence” following an excellent Euro 2012 – have led him to two Bundesliga titles, a World Cup winner's medal and a Champions League final appearance. The German defender would instantly give United the leadership they crave while acting as a great role model for academy products Paddy McNair and Tyler Blackett.
2. United need defensive stability
From Pallister and Bruce to Vidic and Ferdinand, a key component of United’s success in the Premier League era has been having a first-choice centre back pair with an almost telepathic understanding. In the 2008/09 season, the chemistry between Ferdinand and Vidic helped Edwin Van Der Saar to achieve a Premier League record of 11 consecutive clean sheets, and United ran out eventual champions, conceding a mere 24 goals along the way. This season pales by comparison, with 19 goals conceded already and defensive stability conspicuous in its absence. As Van Gaal has tinkered with his formation and personnel, eight players have featured in eight separate defensive lineups, with the United boss alternating between two and three central defenders. The sense remains that Van Gaal is still unsure of his first choice defence, yet should United secure Mats Hummels he would surely be one of the first names on the team sheet. It wouldn’t be long before an understanding is developed between Hummels and Evans, Jones or whoever Van Gaal decides is best placed to partner Hummels in defence.
3. His defensive discipline
Perhaps Rio Ferdinand’s greatest strength as a footballer has been his reading of the game. While his defensive partner Vidic won fans over with his battling and last-ditch challenges, Rio’s ability to snuff out danger before it materialised meant he was only sent off once in 312 league games for United. Summer signing Marcos Rojo, on the other hand, was sent off four times in 49 league appearances for Sporting Lisbon, while the dismissals of Tyler Blackett and Chris Smalling have contributed to defeats Leicester City andManchester City respectively. For a relatively young defender, Hummels has an excellent reading of the game and his record of a single red card in 152 Bundesliga appearances for Borrusia Dortmund shows his reluctance to rush into challenges and leave his team exposed. A calm head at the back is something the current United crop would surely benefit from, and something Mats Hummels can offer.
4. If they don’t sign him, a rival will
While Jurgen Klopp has done a great job keeping his Dortmund team competitive, there has been a trend of their best players leaving for bigger teams. Over the past few seasons they have lost Kagawa to United (who has since returned to Dortmund), while Robert Lewandowski and Mario Götze have both moved to rivals Bayern Munich. If Dortmund fail to improve on their poor Bundesliga form which currently sees them lying in the relegation zone, on eleven points after 12 games, it seems inevitable that Hummels will seek a challenge elsewhere. Hummels would undoubtedly improve any Premier League squad, but with Man City’s record defensive signing Mangala failing to impress so far, and Arsenal and Liverpool both in dire need of strengthening at the back, there is a danger that unless United act first, a top-four rival may strengthen at their expense.
5. He is young for a centre back
The accomplished manner with which Mats Hummels marshals the Dortmund and Germany defences means it is easy to forget that at 25 years old he is still very young for a centre back. The record fee to secure a 23-year-old Rio Ferdinand from Leeds United in 2002 raised many eyebrows at the time, but after 12 years of trophy-laden success there are few who question the ￡30 million Manchester United paid now. It is likely United would have to pay another record breaking fee to secure Hummels in January, but if he could maintain his standards well into his thirties and act as the bedrock of United’s defence for the next decade as Rio Ferdinand did before him, who would question the transfer fee? 本帖最后由 天然夜行者 于 27-11-2014 04:02 PM 编辑
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发表于 25-11-2014 05:02 PM
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