Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is in a rut. His team have won only one of the past seven games.
The 4-0 loss to Crystal Palace in the last game was Manchester United’s last game of the season, and it was full of problems, not just the patched up defence.
Erik ten Hag has to try something new. That might seem daunting with a tricky run of fixtures ahead, but sticking with the same methods is asking for defeat.
One quite simple way to attack Manchester United’s problems is to try and tackle the long-standing issue that has plagued the team all season, the lack of a left-back.
Bring Harry Amass in at left-back
With Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia out injured for the foreseeable future, Erik ten Hag needs to try and stop putting square pegs into round holes.
The manager has been persisting trying to use Aaron Wan-Bissaka at left-back, a scenario which worked out poorly against Palace.
Here’s a novel idea: Select a left-back at left-back.
With Alvaro Fernandez out on loan at Benfica, next player up is Harry Amass, who has already won two trophies for the under-18s this season.
Erik ten Hag has shown interest, calling Amass up to the bench for first team games over the past month. But he has not given the 17-year-old a single minute of action.
Now is the time to be bold, and present Amass with the opportunity. The teenager is comfortable in both phases of attacking and defending, and can provide Manchester United with some much needed balance on the left side.
Amass is full of confidence and can provide some much-needed energy. Manchester United’s team needs structure, and picking an actual left-back for the position, who has a lot to prove, could make a real positive difference.
Louis van Gaal showed bravery v Arsenal
Erik ten Hag need only look towards former Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal, who showed bravery with his team selections.
This was evident when he picked Marcus Rashford for his Premier League debut in 2016 against Arsenal, and saw the teenager score twice.
Van Gaal had a methodology that he preferred to call up a young player into a role, rather than select a player out of position as a stop-gap.
United could benefit from Ten Hag adopting a similar approach, and giving Amass a chance at left-back.
Amid the recent run of form, United have little to lose, and everything to gain. Let’s see if Ten Hag is brave enough.