Why Diego Godin could be the ideal solution for Manchester United’s porous defence
As the Independent claims, Diego Godin rejected a deadline day move to Manchester United and chose to stay at his current club Atletico Madrid for personal reasons. It was being suggested that Godin had used the Red Devils’ late interest to sign an improved contract with Atletico but the Uruguayan has denied all allegations (h/t Independent).
As The Metro puts it down, Jose Mourinho was interested in signing defensive reinforcements ahead of the ongoing season and Godin was one of the few centre-backs that both the manager and Ed Woodward had agreed upon. However, as the transfer failed to materialize, Mourinho had a fall out with the board (h/t Independent).
Amidst all the pandemonium, United failed to land a new centre-back were left without any significant defensive reinforcements. As a result, the likes of Eric Bailly, Victor Lindelof, Phil Jones and Chris Smalling have all committed blunders at the back in the four games that United have played so far.
Undoubtedly, defending has been a major issue for Mourinho’s team. And the manager’s frustration was apparent as he played Ander Herrera as a quarterback against Tottenham Hotspur. Bailly’s recklessness against Brighton & Hove Albion, Smalling’s loss of composure against Spurs, Jones’ lack of authority and Lindelof’s schoolboy errors clearly didn’t leave Mourinho with any choice.
Truth be told, Jones and Smalling have been a part of United’s backline for quite a while and they are certainly not bad centre-backs. However, United need an effective leader at the back. And there can only be a few better than Diego Godin when we talk about defensive leadership.
Even at the age of 32, the Uruguayan is one of the best defenders in the world and he recently showed his class at the World Cup in Russia. He is still fit and has lost none of his reflexes. Standing at 6ft 1 in, he has the perfect height for a centre-back and uses it to good effect to win aerial duels.
The veteran is disciplined and composed at the back and is versatile enough to either play in a high defensive line or in a deep defensive line. With his physicality, he rarely loses one-on-one battles and tends to time his tackles to perfection at crucial moments. Not only is the Uruguayan a world-class defender but he is also a charismatic leader. He is quite vocal at the back while issuing instructions to his teammates and his mere presence should be a boost for the likes of Jones, Lindelof and Smalling.
Godin has all the qualities to play in the Premier League and United should go all out to secure his signature in January. In fact, Godin is capable of impacting Manchester United the same way that Virgil van Dijk has done at Liverpool. All in all, the 32-year-old could definitely help the Red Devils achieve a better defensive record which should change the whole complexion of the team.
