It’s been nearly 2 years since he first signed for Manchester United, and although he hasn’t been at his best for most of that period, Victor Lindelof is finally playing at a high level.
£31.5 million was the sum that Manchester United parted with in 2017 in order to secure the services of Swedish centre-back Victor Lindelof, who was rock solid at Benfica. At the time, that was a quite significant fee for a centre-back, especially for a 22-year-old that had not quite proven himself just yet.
Although he was expected to be a starter right off the bat next to Eric Bailly and rid United fans of their worst nightmares in Phil Jones and Chris Smalling, Lindelof failed to make a significant impact in his first season with the club, and featured in less than half of their Premier League matches. He was error prone, slow, and lethargic at times – 3 things you absolutely cannot be in the Premier League.
Now, Victor Lindelof is starting to grow into a quality starter for Manchester United, and right when they needed him most.
Once again, Mourinho’s departure in late December and Solskjaer’s entry as interim manager changed a lot of things at Manchester United, with the most notable being the style and swagger on the pitch.
Feels like I am saying this every week at the moment but Lindelof quietly excellent again.
— Alex Shaw (@AlexShawTel) January 25, 2019
This has allowed not only the attacking players like Rashford and Pogba to grow, but defenders like Lindelof as well. In fact, Lindelof’s play has significantly improved since the managerial change, and that can certainly be linked to Mourinho’s over-reliance on the backline, which can be truly detrimental to a young centre-back.
Under Solskjaer, Lindelof is put under less pressure and is given far more breathing room than he once had. He has put in some brilliant performances in of late, most notably in the 1-0 win over Spurs. Against Burnley on Tuesday, Lindelof was brilliant again, despite the fact that Burnley scored twice. He was exquisite with his passing out from the back, and even leveled the match in stoppage time with his first goal for Manchester United.
The Swede has finally taken his first steps toward reaching his potential. He’s always had it in him, and he has the physique and fitness required to be a top centre-back. This upturn in form comes right at a time where United need him most, as they go straight into 4-month tilt with Arsenal and Chelsea for a top 4 spot.