Former Manchester United defender sends strong statement to Altay Bayindir and Ruben Amorim’s coaching staff after Fulham draw
Manchester United’s 1-0 loss to Arsenal at Old Trafford in the opening weekend exposed their weakness between the sticks.
Signing a new shot-stopper was already on the club’s agenda as early as January, but after a season in which the Red Devils managed just 44 Premier League goals, Ruben Amorim and INEOS decided it was more important to rebuild the attack. The club has spent huge sums on Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko in the hope that Ruben Amorim’s side will have more cutting edge in the final third.
It does, however, has mean that other improvements to the squad, especially a goalkeeper, must wait. Amorim handed Altay Bayindir a start in goal against Arsenal and it was his clanger that saw the visitors take points back to north London.
Starting ahead of Andre Onana, the Turkish international came in for plenty of criticism after being caught out at a corner for the Gunners’ winner at Old Trafford. He got easily bullied by William Saliba in the box, meaning he could softly touch Declan Rice’s corner kick and the ball bounced off his hand and into Riccardo Calafiori’s head right on the line.
Despite his howler, Bayindir kept his place in Amorim’s XI against Fulham at Craven Cottage on Sunday. While he made a couple of decent saves and distributed the ball well in the first half, the 27-year-old looked once again vulnerable when it came to dealing with crosses- both from open play and at set-pieces.
Former Manchester United defender gives advice to Bayindir over how to deal with set-pieces in the box
Former Man United defender Rio Ferdinand has now expressed his concerns with Bayindir’s approach in dealing with set-piece situations. The English pundit wants United’s training coaching staff to continue working with the Turkish shot-stopper closely on the training ground, saying they must be “smashing balls under the crossbar” to improve his ability when it comes to dealing with balls into the box.
“He needs to liven up,” Rio Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel Rio Ferdinand Presents.
“I know that, definitely. I’ll tell you what I’d do, I’d be getting him out on the pitch every day and smashing balls under the crossbar. He’s got to get used to it, he’s got to get used to contact and work out a way.
“Make out the referee is aware by the way that there’s going to be contact. Shout, get him aware to look at you so if there’s any contact, like in the Fulham game, that you get the free-kick.”
Bayindir must command his box well if he is to retain his place in goal
Bayindir was given the nod in goal against Fulham too, despite Onana being fit. He had some good moments, and some bad at Craven Cottage. The 27-year-old made a couple of good saves while his accurate long ball created a chance that Matheus Cunha should have scored in the first half.
On the flipside, the rangy goalkeeper was wrong-footed for Fulham’s equaliser scored by substitute Emile Smith Rowe. He also barely inspired confidence when dealing with corners and was lucky to not concede from one of those for the second weekend running. Opposition teams have figured out United’s fragility in defence and are constantly targeting Bayindir, with players easily bulling him in the box.
Clearly, Amorim and his coaching team must sort this issue out quickly and come up with different techniques to help Bayindir deal with difficult situations in the box.