Opinion: Blind Emerges As Key Man

ManUtd.com's Adam Marshall was impressed with the pivotal role Daley Blind played in midfield in the 3-1 win over Leicester City...

Daley Blind came in for unfair criticism from some quarters, most notably Gary Neville, for a perceived safe and secure approach to the game. Instead, in my view, he has been an undoubted hit since arriving in the summer from Ajax.

Trust is a key thing for managers and Louis van Gaal felt comfortable enough fielding a midfield four that included his fellow countryman as the only defensive-minded individual, and Blind repaid that faith with a Man-of-the-Match display, earning 67 per cent of votes in our Twitter poll.

Wayne Rooney, Angel Di Maria and Adnan Januzaj are about as attacking a trio as you will find in anywhere and yet they were deployed behind Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao, who both scored in the 3-1 win over Leicester City.

The responsibility was almost solely on Blind to shield a back four that also contained somebody who is still considered an orthodox winger: Antonio Valencia. Not only did Blind perform this duty with distinction, in fact Leicester's goal only came when he was nursing a knock during the build-up, but he claimed the assist for two of the first-half strikes.

The instant pass to van Persie after latching onto a loose ball in midfield evoked memories of his tee-up for the striker's diving header against Spain at the World Cup but, this time, the Netherlands skipper adjusted his body equally intuitively to corkscrew a half-volley beyond Mark Schwarzer.

When heading on a Rooney corner just before half time, Blind turned to see the ball in the net via Foxes skipper Wes Morgan, with the job about as good as done before the second period had even started. The bad memories of the 5-3 defeat at the King Power were fading.

Yet there was far more to his afternoon's work. Mopping things up, keeping possession and providing a calm assurance - particularly necessary in the absence of United's other established midfield marshall Michael Carrick. Rooney, also displaying great responsibility, was more eye-catching in his controlling of matters in the middle of the park but, for me, this was a stellar performance from Blind.

Not all players can have the mandate to make things happen, take people on and look good on the ball. There has to be a balance, as the manager keeps reiterating, and his summer recruit provides this beautifully with a touch of class too.

At a time when United were being criticised for lacking sparkle and a cutting edge, it was wrong to pick on Blind for any of these faults. He is mature beyond his years and has important versatility, switching to a three-man defence and left wing-back with minimum fuss and maximum efficiency so far in his burgeoning Reds career.

It is easy to see why he is so relied upon by his manager and long may it continue. I find it easy to predict he will become a vital cog in van Gaal's Red machine for years to come.

Credit: Manutd.com