For quite some time now, Manchester United have been unable to find a player to hold down the right back position ably. This season, Antonio Valencia has been converted into a makeshift right-back under Jose Mourinho and the Ecuadorian has done quite well for himself. But there are two sides to the position and although Valencia has been good going forward, he has been found wanting defensively on few occasions.
This is something that will bother Mourinho, who’s having problems at left back too. Under such circumstances, the signing of a right back becomes inevitable in the summer. Several names have been mentioned but one that of Irishman Seamus Coleman has been stressed on due to the Everton man’s fine showings over the past few seasons.
Having started his career at Sligo Rovers back in his homeland, he made the move to Everton for just 60,000 pounds in 2009. His rise has certainly been admirable as he has gone onto establish himself as one of the most enterprising fullbacks in the Premier League.
Aside from putting in good crosses from the wide areas to help his teammates, Coleman is also known to get on the scoresheet time and time again. It is a quality that will certainly help any team that he moves to. Manchester United, given their predicament at the back, are certainly in need of a player like Coleman. Here are 3 reasons why Seamus Coleman to Old Trafford would be a great move –
Coleman is defensively sound
Don’t get fooled by Seamus Coleman’s willingness to get forward too often as the Irishman also makes sure to never forget his defensive responsibilities. Unlike Valencia, Coleman does think like a defender as he is a defender pre-dominantly. His excessive energy levels allow him to run up and down the pitch throughout games and cause opposition defence some problems.
Coleman has good positional awareness and usually gets back on time following marauding runs of his own. He is equally good in the air, as he has shown in the past. Coleman is also exceptionally quick. Such qualities will definitely aid Manchester United’s defense.
At 28, Coleman is close to his peak
Having turned 28 in October, the Irishman is close to reaching his peak as a footballer. He could certainly do with a move away from Goodison Park in order to further his career prospects. A move to Old Trafford would certainly allow him that. He would also be the undisputed first choice right back at United.
United have missed a conventional right back of late and bringing in Coleman would certainly be plugging a very big hole in the Manchester United defense.
He would bring considerable experience to the Man Utd defence
Coleman is currently the captain of the Republic of Ireland National team. He has been a part of them since 2011, gaining valuable experience there. Along with that, he has also been a Premier League regular for close to 7 seasons now and that is good enough for him to make a move to Manchester United, where he is bound to be a success.