Manchester United should not have sold Daley Blind in the summer, as our defensive problems this season have shown

Manchester United’s defensive woes this season could’ve easily been avoided – they shouldn’t have sold their best ball-playing centre-back, Daley Blind.

Daley Blind wasn’t the most popular figure at Manchester United during his four seasons at the club.

When he arrived in the 2014-15 season, we thought we had signed a ball-playing defensive midfield replacement for Michael Carrick. However, after Luke Shaw’s horrific leg-break, the Netherlands international was shifted to fill the hole at left-back. The following season, he began playing as a centre-back but continued to rotate with his previous positions.

By the time he reached his fourth season at the club, nobody seemed to know Blind’s best position. He wasn’t particularly impressive in any of the roles he was tasked to play in, and this began to frustrate United fans, as they felt he was taking valuable game time away from other, more promising players.

Eventually, Jose Mourinho decided to sell the Dutchman back to his old club Ajax in the summer, perhaps content with his options at left-back, centre-back and midfield.

Boy was that a mistake.

Yes, Blind didn’t excel at any of these positions – but he was extremely useful as a utility player. Although Luke Shaw is back to full fitness and is doing well at left-back, United have been struggling in the defensive midfield and centre-back departments – two positions the 28-year-old could’ve helped out with.

There are no two ways about it – Nemanja Matic has been dire this season. The Serbian isn’t providing any cover for his defenders and constantly loses the ball. He also isn’t helping out with United’s attack, as his vision and long passes are practically non-existent.

However, the area that has been most troublesome for United is their central defence. Chris Smalling and Victor Lindelof have been okay at best and absolutely diabolical at worst in their partnership this season. Although they have improved somewhat from the beginning of the season, shipping 21 goals in just 12 Premier League games is so bad it’s actually impressive.

Should Mourinho have held on to Blind in the summer, he could’ve been a solid option to sure up United’s defence this season.

If United needed to raise funds for some reason, Mourinho still should’ve kept him around. Instead, he should’ve sold right-back Matteo Darmian. United even signed a new right-back – Diogo Dalot – this season to add to the options we have already, so keeping the out-of-favour Italian at the club was nonsensical.

Ah well, I guess you live and you learn. Let’s hope Smalling and Lindelof can improve after the international break. But until they learn how to keep a clean sheet, I’ll continue to miss our little Dutchman…

Do you agree that it was a mistake to let Daley Blind go? Which ball-playing centre-back should Manchester United sign in January to replace him? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!