Deciding to go with Luke Shaw for his first two games in charge of Manchester United, Erik ten Hag quickly moved away from that idea and put summer signing Tyrell Malacia on the left-hand side of his defence.
The Dutchman has stayed there ever since in the Premier League, coming in against Liverpool after two dire losses against Brighton and Brentford.
He’s proven to be a hit with both his teammates and the fans, who enjoy his tenacity; a mentality Ten Hag wants to see in his defence, which is why he also brought in Lisandro Martinez.
As for Malacia, he slotted into the team with ease, and his relaxed attitude comes from self-belief, as he explained to Rijnmond on Tuesday.
That he did, making sure Mohamed Salah wasn’t at his best throughout the game at Old Trafford, and helping Manchester United turn their form around and kickstart a good run of games with a 2-1 win.
Ten Hag’s team kept clean sheets against Southampton and Leicester City before eventually conceding against Arsenal, even if they did win the game 3-1.
Either way, Malacia is happy with his decision to move to Manchester United, and was impressed at the welcome from everyone at the club.
He added: “I think the foundation for us as a team has now been laid. From the start, I was able to find my way very quickly. The feeling was just good and I was well received. That was the most important thing for me.”
