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Analysing Eric Bailly and Daley Blind’s Partnership for Manchester United
- Updated: August 28, 2016
With all the splashy attacking signings and excitement around Manchester United’s start to the season, a couple of relatively unsung heroes have been quietly going about their business in the heart of the defence.
Few would have expected Daley Blind and Eric Bailly to form United’s first-choice centre-back partnership for the first three Premier League games of Jose Mourinho’s tenure, but that is exactly what they have done.
And they have done it to a high level.
United’s 1-0 win over Hull City on Saturday came with the kind of attacking intent and injury-time breakthrough that used to be synonymous with the club. The strikers will get many of the plaudits, and rightly so, but Bailly and Blind were a significant part of the victory.
Indeed, Bailly was voted man of the match by followers of the club’s Twitter account. On that basis, it is probably a misnomer to describe the defenders as unsung heroes given Bailly also won that award against Leicester City in the Community Shield and Bournemouth on the opening day of the season.
A fine debut from @EricBailly24 and you’ve voted him #MUFC Man of the Match – congrats, Eric! ? pic.twitter.com/UoEaOHc3at
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 7, 2016
With 77% of your vote, today’s Man of the Match is @EricBailly24. Congratulations! #MUFC pic.twitter.com/K9ATgGqyGH
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 14, 2016
He’s done it again – congratulations to #MUFC’s Man of the Match, @EricBailly24! pic.twitter.com/k5Gvq8K3Jh
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 27, 2016
Based on that kind of support, he is a shoo-in for player of the month for August.
So just why is the partnership working so well?
The first point that has to be made is they have not yet come under any kind of sustained assault, so what we are dealing with is early-season promise rather than definitive proof this partnership is the future of United’s defence. But so far, they are complementing each other beautifully, enhancing each other’s strengths and mitigating each other’s weaknesses.
As is the system as a whole. Squawka’s Dave O’Brien pointed out after the Southampton game that Marouane Fellaini is regularly dropping deep to provide aerial cover for Blind. Against Hull, it was a slightly different story.
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Whereas three of the aerial duels he won against the Saints were right in front of Blind’s position in the left side of defence, against Hull he was often covering on the right, filling in when Antonio Valencia made his frequent forward runs. Instead, it was Paul Pogba going up for headers in front of Blind.
Perhaps this is a function of a slightly more defensive role for Pogba on the road, though he did get forward plenty …
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