Former Manchester United coach Rene Meulensteen believes Manchester City have replaced Rodri well with the signings of Enzo Fernandez and Elliot Anderson, but has raised concerns over United's defensive record ahead of Sunday's derby at Old Trafford.
City spent a joint-British record £125m to sign Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea, after committing £116m on Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest. Morocco international Ayyoub Bouaddi, 18, was also brought in for £86m, while Bernardo Silva, Rodri, Tijjani Reijnders and Nico Gonzalez departed.
Meulensteen's verdict on City's midfield rebuild
“When you lose someone like Rodri, you obviously miss a very important player. He is extremely difficult to replace, and he’s done a fantastic job for City over the years,” Meulensteen said.
“That said, I think they’ve brought in two really good midfielders in Anderson and Enzo. Anderson is a very dynamic box-to-box player with lots of energy, and Enzo is someone Enzo Maresca knows well from his time working with him at Chelsea.”
“They’ve bought well and replaced him well, and they’ve got other squad players who can fill those positions. The most important thing now is just making sure they keep those key players fit.”
United's midfield strengthened, but defence a concern
United spent £155m reconfiguring their midfield, bringing in Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba to complement Kobbie Mainoo, Mason Mount and Bruno Fernandes. Meulensteen, who served as Sir Alex Ferguson’s right-hand man for six years, believes the business has left Michael Carrick’s side stronger than they were 12 months ago.
“I think United are better now than they were a year ago because they brought in players in positions where they needed reinforcement,” he said via BestBettingSites. “Securing Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos, and Carlos Baleba gives Michael Carrick far more options in that engine room.”
“Obviously, Baleba isn't fully fit yet, so we still have to wait and see how that works out. But Tielemans brings proven Premier League experience and intelligence, while Kobbie Mainoo did very well under Carrick last season.”
“It was a bit of a surprise to me that Mainoo didn't start against Hull, but he started the next two games and was outstanding. He is certainly not someone you can directly bypass. Overall, the midfield is definitely stronger.”
However, Meulensteen is concerned by the fact that Carrick's team has conceded six goals in 270 minutes of football so far this season. “If there is a big debate or an area of concern, it’s still how strong they look defensively at the back,” he said. “You have to question the fact that they've already conceded two goals in each of their opening games. They look a bit open at times.”
Derby prediction
Even though City have won all three of their Premier League games so far this season, Meulensteen believes this afternoon's showdown presents United with the chance to make a statement. “It’s not a bad time for United to play City,” he said.
“When Michael Carrick first took over, his first game was at home against City and everyone was impressed by that performance.”
“Enzo Maresca's City have made a strong start by winning games, but they are still finding their feet and playing differently than they did under Pep Guardiola.”
“It’s a great moment for United to step up, show their teeth, and deliver a convincing performance. I can't see City failing to score. They're too good, and United are conceding. I'm still going to be a little biased though, 2-1 to United.”
