Erik ten Hag has ripped up the rule book. For years at Manchester United, it was presumed a two-man defensive midfield pivot was needed in front of the back four, but no longer.
It seemed even Ten Hag himself believed that platitude when picking his first competitive line-up as United manager. Like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick before him, the Dutchman — largely due to a lack of other options, amid the frustrating Frenkie de Jong transfer chase — plumped for a predictable midfield pairing.
Scott McTominay and Fred. Together the duo known colloquially as 'McFred' have often been unfairly maligned, though they didn't cover themselves in glory in that 2-1 defeat to Brighton at Old Trafford on the opening day.
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Criticism of the pair often goes overboard, but the transformation in United's midfield since Ten Hag installed Christian Eriksen as a far more creative and bold deep-lying midfielder, alongside McTominay and to ease the creative burden on Bruno Fernandes, has been remarkable. It's even more incredible given that United didn't get their top midfield target (De Jong) and Ten Hag hasn't yet seen fit to start his £60million new signing.
McTominay and Eriksen wouldn't have been many people's choices for the two positions, despite some of the muted excitement around the Dane's free transfer earlier in the summer. But against Arsenal on Sunday, the pair were excellent.
There's still an expectation, however, that Casemiro will eventually take McTominay's place as the United No.6, the true defensive midfielder in Ten Hag's system. Fred, meanwhile, should be seen as a more combative replacement for Eriksen rather than another No.6.
There's every reason to believe Casemiro's presence in the team could benefit his compatriot and international teammate Fred, who's had a difficult start to the season but was excellent in a box-to-box role under Rangnick. Fred has a knack of coming good just when his critics are shouting at their loudest.
Many fans' first-choice midfield would be a Casemiro-Eriksen axis and that's certainly the sexiest of the options. And based on Eriksen's performances in recent weeks alongside McTominay, it should work.
Then there's the wildcard; the man many expected to thrive (again) under Ten Hag but whose United career continues to drift towards obscurity. Quite where Donny van de Beek fits in this season remains to be seen, but you'd think he will get an opportunity in the upcoming Europa League group stage campaign, which begins at home to Real Sociedad on Thursday night.
A trio of Casemiro, Fred and Van de Beek isn't inconceivable against Sociedad, if Ten Hag chooses to make wholesale changes — and if Van de Beek recovers from the injury that kept him out of the Arsenal game — with the Dutch midfielder taking Fernandes' spot. That No.10 role is where the former Ajax manager sees his old protégé doing his best work, as he admitted in pre-season.
Ten Hag said: "He can do both [sit deep and play high] — I know that from the past. But his best position is his capabilities in the box of the opponent, so playing short behind the striker [is his best role]. He has a really good smell for being in the right position."
Yet it seems plausible that Van de Beek could play in the Eriksen role as a No.8 if Ten Hag wants to pack his team with progressive midfielders — as it appears the case. The fact United forked out for Casemiro should benefit virtually all the midfield players in the current squad, bar perhaps the incumbent 'DM' McTominay.
All of a sudden, United have a whole gamut of midfield options. It's no slight on Fred and McTominay, it's simply an indicator that the club have finally made progress in an area that was a festering concern for so long.
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