Lisandro Martinez (25, Manchester United) is turning doubt into admiration.
Lisandro joined Manchester United from Ajax ahead of the season. Coach Eric Ten Hag, who took the helm, strongly wanted him, who had been with him until last season, and invested a transfer fee of 67.37 million euros (approximately 91.4 billion won) including options.
Many looked suspiciously. This is because Lisandro is 175cm tall and short for a centre-back. Even though he is 176 cm, he is shorter than Italy’s legendary center back Fabio Cannavaro (50), who dominated the World Cup stage. No matter how much he had excellent left-footed build-up ability and one-on-one defense ability, there were many concerns that it would be difficult to work in the Premier League (PL), which is famous for its roughness.
Indeed, Lisandro struggled early in the season. Manchester United kneeled at home to Brighton from the opening game, and tasted a shocking 0-4 defeat in the next game against Brentford.
Immediately, criticism towards Lisandro poured in like a flood. Senior Gary Neville sighed, saying, “No matter how good your skills are in the PL, if you are short, it is very difficult to succeed as a center back.” will,” he said, taking a pessimistic view. 메이저사이트
But Lisandro quickly proved his skill. After a harsh ceremony, he gradually adapted to the PL, and now he is firmly guarding Manchester United’s defense with Rafael Baran. He plays as the main center back and is contributing greatly to Manchester United’s leap to fourth place.
Carragher also praised Lisandro, saying he was wrong. He appeared on ‘The Overlap’, a YouTube channel run by Neville and ‘Skybet’, and applauded, “Lisandro is doing great. He’s so small, but he must be a special player to play as a centre-back.”
Carragher continued: “Lisandro plays a big part in the psyche of Manchester United. You can see him fighting back at the World Cup. Thanks to him and Casemiro, United are stronger and stronger. All players have their weaknesses. “But the best players hide him. Lisandro is a really good player and he surprised me with his great handling.”