The Red Devils have completed their last major test before the European Championship. It was the last chance for the Red Devils to show themselves to Domenico Tedesco. Together with ex-national coach Georges Leekens, we looked for the ‘best 11’ of the moment.
Goal: Koen Casteels
Leekens: “We shouldn’t worry at all in goal. Sels did an excellent job against Ireland and England. He showed that he is a very good goalkeeper. I think that after Courtois dropped out, Tedesco already had a kind of hierarchy with Casteels and then Sels. Casteels was also doing well before. We just have to wait and see how his injury goes. Let’s also hope that he has a new club before the European Championship, because he is transfer-free. That would eliminate those worries.”
Defense: Timothy Castagne, Zeno Debast, Jan Vertonghen, Arthur Theate
Leekens: “Castagne is a very useful player. He can also play on the left and even centrally if necessary. It is good that there is some extra competition with Thomas Meunier, because I thought there was little competition on the right. I still have friends at my ex-club Trabzonspor and they are very happy with him.”
“At the center back, the complementarity between Debast and Vertonghen seems to be an advantage for the former. With a national team, it is a blessing if you can fall back on such automaticity. After all, that complementarity is very important. For Debast it was still something under Martinez too early, but now he left a good impression.”
“Vertonghen is a certainty. He radiates that leadership and takes care of that organization. At the back you need players with personality. Theate is also such a person. He knows very well what he can and cannot do. He is very determined. It is true that we don’t have much wealth on the left. That’s why it was good to test Deman, but you know in advance that such a boy needs time to adapt to the international level.”
Midfield: Onana, De Bruyne, Tielemans
Leekens: “I don’t think we should talk about De Bruyne (laughs). That is absolute world class. Onana is a very good player with a lot of potential. However, he still needs to show a little more discipline positionally. Sometimes he has to maintain a little more control as number six, so it is no surprise that Tedesco Mangala often posted next to him.”
“But should you start with two controlling midfielders against countries like Slovakia, Romania and Ukraine? I don’t think so. In such matches, Tielemans can certainly be complementary to De Bruyne, who can then play very close to Lukaku. If you play against top countries such as England suits you, you can opt for some extra controlling power with Mangala.”
Attack: Doku, Lukaku and Trossard
Leekens: “Doku and Lukaku are permanent fixtures. With Trossard you have a player who has made great strides on and off the field at Arsenal. I compare his situation with that of Mertens, who was initially a substitute and then became a starter. ”
“Trossard did not allow himself to be disappointed about his situation. Moreover, he is versatile and can play in several positions in the attack. He will have to compete with Lukebakio and also Bakayoko. And let’s not forget Carrasco, who also achieves his best results as a wing attacker.”
Claudio Reulens
Tags: Georges Leekens European Championship starting team compare Mertens
