IT’S fair to say that things did not go exactly to plan for Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United last season.
Victory in the FA cup final against cross-town rivals Manchester City went some way to papering over the cracks, though finishing 8th in the Premier League was well below their objectives.
There has been a sense of positivity around Old Trafford following the Ineos groups investment, led by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, into the club, with the hope of a long-term plan to head in a new direction.
After years of poor recruitment in the first-team squad and mess behind the scenes from the much-maligned Glazer family, this came as something of a relief for fans of the club.
Fresh blood has come in this season in the form of Joshua Zirkzee, Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui, with transfer chiefs also eyeing a new defensive midfielder as priority too.
Kobbie Mainoo filled a big hole in midfield last season, and this pre-season the emergence of 20-year-old Toby Collyer – who became the Red Devils’ 251st academy graduate when he appeared in the Community Shield – could repeat the trick.
After giving Collyer the captains armband against Rangers in pre-season, Ten Hag said: “You know me, I always want to make pathways for young players but they have to earn it.
“He’s now earned an opportunity. Today he was in the starting XI, that’s something, and we see how we can progress.
“We saw last year with [Alejandro] Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo what can happen, so the pathway is also open for other players and Toby is there in fourth.”
Below we take a closer look at Collyer to better understand his strengths as a Man Utd player.
Controlling the space
When Man Utd signed Casemiro from Real Madrid for £70million in 2022, they found a player who brought steel and structure to their side.
His first few months in England saw him lead the team into the top four and win the Carabao Cup before his form fell off a cliff in his second year and look like his legs had gone.
This is where Collyer is likely to come in for the Red Devils.
He is a player who has the capacity to play as a deep ‘6’ or a more advanced ‘8’ in midfield.
His strong ability to read the game and positioning allows him to break up opposition attacks and control the space in front of his teams defensive line.
This sees him buzz around the midfield and pick up second balls to break up opposition attacks.
Having a player of Collyer’s profile in midfield would means Man Utd can push their fullbacks into more advanced positions when they attack.
Collyer is the kind of player who adds solidity and range to the base of the midfield.
He is comfortable when pulled out of the centre and asked to defend space when his fullback has moved into the attack and the opposition counter quickly into the wide spaces.
This also allows team-mates to be more comfortable by allowing them to join the attack and look to break down the opposition defensive blocks.
Collyer can screen the defence and form an effective defensive structure with the two central defenders, which is something Man Utd badly missed last season.
But a player like Collyer in the midfield would go some way to solving this issue.
Strong in the challenge
Collyer is also an effective ball-winning midfielder.
While his positional sense and defensive instincts allow him to read the game and get into position to break up play and collect second balls, it is his work in direct defensive duels that will be most important.
This summer, Man Utd have been heavily linked to Paris Saint-Germain star Manuel Ugarte, who it is understood has an asking price of £60m.
It’s clear Ten Hag and the recruitment team are aware they need a more mobile ball-winner down the team’s spine.
Collyer is quick to engage in defensive duels and has the strength to win the ball back effectively.
As we mentioned above, Collyer has real range to his game and he reads and anticipates threat well when the opposition are building their attack.
When he is positioned centrally he will react and move out to the channels or wide areas to engage the opposition player if the opposition are able to play through the pressure and into space.
And when he does engage properly in the tackle he uses his frame to get into position to win defensive duels.
Even in situations where he cannot directly win the ball in these positions he will hold the opposition up and force them to move backwards.
A soft core allowed the opposition to move the ball into advanced central areas too easily when playing Man Utd last season.
However, adding a star like Collyer in these positions would go some way to dealing with and negating these issues.
Ability on the ball
While Collyer is good positionally and strong against the ball, that alone is not enough to make an impact at the top level in the Premier League.
All players that reach the top level have to be able to handle possession and use the ball effectively.
Collyer has the technical level to play at first-team level for a club of Man Utd’s size.
While Collyer is not yet a top level player on the ball or one who is going to continually break lines and move the ball into advanced areas, he can receive under pressure and link the play cleanly to help with ball retention and the movement of the play through the thirds of the pitch.
Collyer can play in possession as a ‘6’, although he is not a Rodri type who would thrive in a heavily possession based system of play.
Instead, he can receive when the play is tight and then move the ball to his more creative team-mates such as Bruno Fernandes.
He does not overplay or look too do too much and instead uses the ball intelligently to move the team forward from the central areas.
Understanding his ability and limitations in possession is not a weakness for a player like Collyer in this role.
Instead, it means he will not look to force the play and instead he will get the best out of the players around him.
Collyer’s profile and expected role in midfield is something Man Utd badly missed last season, and should allow them to be far stronger in the middle of the park this time around.
Conclusion
There is no guarantee in Collyer starting often for Ten Hag’s side, but he will have an impact off the bench, with reports suggesting there are no plans to loan him out before the transfer window shuts.
Once again the academy at Carrington has produced a player capable of reaching the highest level.
