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Manchester United’s 2023/24 campaign was something of a mixed bag of results for the Red Devils. Despite winning a trophy, they struggled in the league and the Champions League and it almost cost Erik ten Hag his job.
However, after much deliberation, the United board decided to keep him at the club, as reported by David Ornstein.
In the Premier League, the Red Devils came 8th in the table, on 60 points, although they were some way outside of the top four, eight points behind Aston Villa to be exact.
However, according to Understat’s expected points table, they massively overperformed. The Understat metric had them in 14th on just 44xPTS.
In the Champions League, it was a poor return for United, crashing out at the group stage and conceding the most goals by a Premier League side in one group stage of the tournament, as per Opta Joe. Their defence of the Carabao Cup also ended in the fourth round, thanks to a defeat at Old Trafford against Newcastle United, the side they beat in the final the previous season.
However, they did win the FA Cup, beating Manchester City 2-1 in the final, thanks to goals from academy graduate duo Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo. It was the second trophy in as many seasons for Ten Hag.
Now, as the new season draws near, rumours have begun to intensify linking United to several players who could enhance the quality of their squad, including one player United are thought to have had a long-term interest in.
Man Utd target Premier League left-back
The player in question here is Fulham and United States international Antonee Robinson. The 26-year-old has been superb for Fulham over the past season, and it has led to fresh links with some of Europe’s biggest clubs.
According to a report from Will Lancaster and Dean Jones of GiveMeSport, the American ‘has taken interest’ from the Red Devils, as they look to strengthen at left-back. That follows injury-riddled seasons for both of United’s left-backs; Tyrell Malacia, who has not played a minute, and Luke Shaw.
However, United are not the only side who are interested in signing Robinson this summer. Rivals Liverpool are in the market for a new left-back, with the American one option, and London club Chelsea are also thought to be of interest, as they start life under Enzo Maresca.
The report explains that Fulham are using Ian Maatsen’s move from Chelsea to Aston Villa as a guideline when it comes to a fee for their left-back. The Dutchman is switching to Villa Park for a fee of around £37.5m. The Cottagers are expected to ask for around £40m in order to sell Robinson this summer.
Why Robinson would be a good signing
The 26-year-old American international was a mainstay for Fulham this season in the Premier League. He featured 37 times in the Premier League, playing 90 minutes in 32 of those games, and missing only one match with a slight muscle injury.
He also registered six assists for Fulham, the most of his career in a single league campaign. That tally for Fulham was bettered only by Andreas Pereira, who created seven goals, as per SofaScore. As football analyst Ben Mattinson put it, Robinson “is one of the best LBs” yet to be signed by a top club.
He was very close to a move to one of Europe’s biggest clubs, AC Milan. The Italian giants were keen on signing Robinson back in 2020, during the January transfer window. The fee was agreed with his then-club Wigan Athletic, which was £6m, although it could have risen to £10m. However, the deal collapsed after Robinson was found to have an irregularity in his heart rhythm, which was found during his medical.
One of the most outstanding aspects of the 26-year-old’s game is his defensive ability. Not only does he rank highly amongst players in the Premier League, but he is also an outstanding defender when comparing him to the rest of the players in Europe’s big five leagues. He reads the game superbly and does not back away from challenges, such is reflected in his stats.
Robinson defensive stats vs. players in Europe’s big 5 leagues |
||
---|---|---|
Stat |
Number |
Rank |
Tackles won |
58 |
=12th |
Dribblers tackled |
52 |
7th |
Interceptions |
80 |
1st |
Tackles and interceptions |
173 |
3rd |
Stats from FBRef |
Should United sign Robinson, they would be bringing in a direct alternative to Shaw. Sadly, the 28-year-old missed 34 games with two separate injuries last season, hence their thought process behind signing a new left-back. Whilst the Fulham man is not quite as good technically as Shaw, he is more than able to hold his own.
According to FBRef, Robinson averaged 3.55 progressive passes per 90 minutes, compared to Shaw’s 4.93 per 90 in the 2022/23 season. The American actually averages more passes into the penalty box than Shaw did two seasons ago, with 1.27 compared to the Englishman’s 0.99 per 90. Their key passing stats are also close, with the Fulham man averaging 0.91 compared to Shaw’s 1.20 in 2022/23.
Where Robinson does excel over United’s number 23 is when it comes to progressive carrying. He averages 2.73 progressive carries and 1.93 carries into the final third per 90. Comparatively, Shaw averaged 1.87 progressive carries and 1.55 carries into the final third during the 2022/23 season. Robinson is a wonderful ball carrier and uses his physicality to help ride tackles and a sharp burst of pace to get away from defenders.
In signing the American, United would be adding a different profile to Shaw to their squad. That is to say, he is a proficient ball carrier and statistically one of the best defenders in Europe, whereas Shaw is technically brilliant and a wonderful passer.
With that in mind, it is easy to see why Robinson would be a great addition to United’s squad. For a fee of just £40m, he could be a superb option for United, adding excellent depth and being able to rotate often with Shaw to ensure the England international does not get too burnt out, thus increasing the risk of an injury.
This is why ten Hag must now swoop to sign the USMNT star, who is set to compete in the Copa America, before the end of the summer window.
Manchester United’s 2023/24 campaign was something of a mixed bag of results for the Red Devils. Despite winning a trophy, they struggled in the league and the Champions League and it almost cost Erik ten Hag his job.
However, after much deliberation, the United board decided to keep him at the club, as reported by David Ornstein.
In the Premier League, the Red Devils came 8th in the table, on 60 points, although they were some way outside of the top four, eight points behind Aston Villa to be exact.
However, according to Understat’s expected points table, they massively overperformed. The Understat metric had them in 14th on just 44xPTS.
In the Champions League, it was a poor return for United, crashing out at the group stage and conceding the most goals by a Premier League side in one group stage of the tournament, as per Opta Joe. Their defence of the Carabao Cup also ended in the fourth round, thanks to a defeat at Old Trafford against Newcastle United, the side they beat in the final the previous season.
However, they did win the FA Cup, beating Manchester City 2-1 in the final, thanks to goals from academy graduate duo Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo. It was the second trophy in as many seasons for Ten Hag.
Now, as the new season draws near, rumours have begun to intensify linking United to several players who could enhance the quality of their squad, including one player United are thought to have had a long-term interest in.
Man Utd target Premier League left-back
The player in question here is Fulham and United States international Antonee Robinson. The 26-year-old has been superb for Fulham over the past season, and it has led to fresh links with some of Europe’s biggest clubs.
According to a report from Will Lancaster and Dean Jones of GiveMeSport, the American ‘has taken interest’ from the Red Devils, as they look to strengthen at left-back. That follows injury-riddled seasons for both of United’s left-backs; Tyrell Malacia, who has not played a minute, and Luke Shaw.
However, United are not the only side who are interested in signing Robinson this summer. Rivals Liverpool are in the market for a new left-back, with the American one option, and London club Chelsea are also thought to be of interest, as they start life under Enzo Maresca.
The report explains that Fulham are using Ian Maatsen’s move from Chelsea to Aston Villa as a guideline when it comes to a fee for their left-back. The Dutchman is switching to Villa Park for a fee of around £37.5m. The Cottagers are expected to ask for around £40m in order to sell Robinson this summer.
Why Robinson would be a good signing
The 26-year-old American international was a mainstay for Fulham this season in the Premier League. He featured 37 times in the Premier League, playing 90 minutes in 32 of those games, and missing only one match with a slight muscle injury.
He also registered six assists for Fulham, the most of his career in a single league campaign. That tally for Fulham was bettered only by Andreas Pereira, who created seven goals, as per SofaScore. As football analyst Ben Mattinson put it, Robinson “is one of the best LBs” yet to be signed by a top club.
He was very close to a move to one of Europe’s biggest clubs, AC Milan. The Italian giants were keen on signing Robinson back in 2020, during the January transfer window. The fee was agreed with his then-club Wigan Athletic, which was £6m, although it could have risen to £10m. However, the deal collapsed after Robinson was found to have an irregularity in his heart rhythm, which was found during his medical.
One of the most outstanding aspects of the 26-year-old’s game is his defensive ability. Not only does he rank highly amongst players in the Premier League, but he is also an outstanding defender when comparing him to the rest of the players in Europe’s big five leagues. He reads the game superbly and does not back away from challenges, such is reflected in his stats.
Robinson defensive stats vs. players in Europe’s big 5 leagues |
||
---|---|---|
Stat |
Number |
Rank |
Tackles won |
58 |
=12th |
Dribblers tackled |
52 |
7th |
Interceptions |
80 |
1st |
Tackles and interceptions |
173 |
3rd |
Stats from FBRef |
Should United sign Robinson, they would be bringing in a direct alternative to Shaw. Sadly, the 28-year-old missed 34 games with two separate injuries last season, hence their thought process behind signing a new left-back. Whilst the Fulham man is not quite as good technically as Shaw, he is more than able to hold his own.
According to FBRef, Robinson averaged 3.55 progressive passes per 90 minutes, compared to Shaw’s 4.93 per 90 in the 2022/23 season. The American actually averages more passes into the penalty box than Shaw did two seasons ago, with 1.27 compared to the Englishman’s 0.99 per 90. Their key passing stats are also close, with the Fulham man averaging 0.91 compared to Shaw’s 1.20 in 2022/23.
Where Robinson does excel over United’s number 23 is when it comes to progressive carrying. He averages 2.73 progressive carries and 1.93 carries into the final third per 90. Comparatively, Shaw averaged 1.87 progressive carries and 1.55 carries into the final third during the 2022/23 season. Robinson is a wonderful ball carrier and uses his physicality to help ride tackles and a sharp burst of pace to get away from defenders.
In signing the American, United would be adding a different profile to Shaw to their squad. That is to say, he is a proficient ball carrier and statistically one of the best defenders in Europe, whereas Shaw is technically brilliant and a wonderful passer.
With that in mind, it is easy to see why Robinson would be a great addition to United’s squad. For a fee of just £40m, he could be a superb option for United, adding excellent depth and being able to rotate often with Shaw to ensure the England international does not get too burnt out, thus increasing the risk of an injury.
This is why ten Hag must now swoop to sign the USMNT star, who is set to compete in the Copa America, before the end of the summer window.