CC BY-SA 2.0. OTF Logo added.
Raphael Varane cannot handle the speed of the Premier League, according to former Man United coach, Rene Meulensteen.
Manchester United Football Club have endured a tough start to the season. Erik ten Hag’s men look totally void of confidence and belief in their own abilities, with the bad results starting to flow.
A few wins have glossed over what has been a tough watch for the supporters, though there is now time to rest up and recuperate over the international break.
Injuries have also played their part. Last time out, there was no Raphael Varane who typically picked up another minor knock. Although he’s expected to be back following the international break, ex-Red coach, Rene Meulensteen, had some negative words to say about the World Cup winner.
According to Meulensteen, the key Man United star ‘cannot handle the pace’, of the Premier League, which is one of many United’s ‘shortcomings’ this season. The Dutchman went on to say that Ten Hag doesn’t have the players who flourish in his high-pressing system.
Check out what Rene Meulensteen had to say in full here:
‘United have certain shortcomings. [Varane] cannot handle the pace,’ he told ESPN Netherlands. ‘The Premier League is dynamic. Everything goes at 100 kilometres per hour. That is the big problem in midfield. They have no energy and that is how the defence gets into trouble.”
‘He [Ten Hag] wants to put a lot of pressure on, with a lot of intensity. Just like at Ajax. But he doesn’t have the players for that. The players don’t have the mentality to constantly put pressure on.”
Honestly, it’s hard to disagree. Varane is looking every bit a player who is contemplating retirement. That said, he’s still our best centre-back when fully fit and available. His importance to this side cannot be understated.
Sadly, that’s just the situation United find themselves in right now. The squad, on the whole, is still in an absolute mess and it’s all the club’s own fault. Time and time again they’ve overpaid for players in terms of both transfer fee and weekly wages. It’s now coming back to haunt the Reds, with money now tight.
Varane’s mega-money deal still has two-and-a-half years left to run. We’re lying to ourselves if we think he’s still going to be good enough to start high-intensity Premier League matches come the end of that contract. Again, I love the player, but sometimes you have to look past the natural ability.
Do you think Rene Meulensteen is right about Raphael Varane? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below.
