What Next For Daley Blind?

On Wednesday, Eric Bailly became the first signing under new Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho. The 22-year-old defender is a welcome addition for United supporters desperate for new defenders to be added to their squad.

Having spent a season with Daley Blind in the centre of defence, Bailly will provide a stark contrast for the Old Trafford faithful. Not only is he over six feet tall, he’s fast, strong and thrives in one-on-one situations. Essentially, he’s the opposite type of defender to the Dutchman.

So where does this leave Blind?

There have been rumours that the arrival of Bailly spells the end for Blind, who was always a poor man’s Kevin Strootman, whose transfer was made impossible due to injury. If Blind wasn’t even Louis van Gaal’s first choice, it’s hard to envision Mourinho keeping him in the squad. So, he might be tarred by the brush of failure, similar to Marouane Fellaini after he was David Moyes’ man.

However, there are several reasons to keep Blind.

He was never meant to play in the centre of defence, where he was deployed all season under Van Gaal. He developed into Eredivisie’s best player with Ajax precisely when shifted from left-back to midfield, following the likes of Jan Vertonghen and Luis Suarez in winning Dutch Footballer of the Year. He’s a player with plenty of strengths to his game, even if his weaknesses have been highlighted as a centre-back.

There were too many occasions where he was beaten for pace and in the air. If Mourinho watched Blind’s performance at West Ham at the end of the season, a game which ended United’s hopes of Champions League qualification, then he won’t be anywhere near central defence next season.

What Blind does possess is great vision and the ability to execute accurate balls to make his visions a reality. Let’s not forget that this is the player who assisted Robin van Persie’s memorable header vs. Spain with an inch-perfect pass at the 2014 World Cup. Time and again, despite playing a much deeper role last season, he was able to play brilliant balls out from defence.

Surprisingly, he also managed to cope exceptionally well in battles against Romelu Lukaku, Harry Kane and Sergio Aguero. Supporters expected him to be bullied off the ball and beaten by pace, but he usually held his own.

Beyond his vision, execution and tackling ability, Blind is a versatile player as well; capable of playing as either a left-back or a back up in the midfield, he deserves a chance in different positions.

Every team needs players like this; Phil Neville and John O’Shea enjoyed great careers at United and, while they were rarely the stars of the show, they played their part in the club’s success over the years.

In Luke Shaw’s first season at the club, Blind kept the youngster out of the team in the left-back position. Shaw looked ready to step up in his second season but fans never really saw the pair compete for a spot, with Blind required to play alongside Chris Smalling and Shaw sidelined by a broken leg.

It’s also worth remembering how fit and free from injury Blind is. In two seasons at United, he’s picked up just four injuries, with the worst of those coming in Nov. 2014 when he was out for two months.

Last season, Blind played in 56 games for United, starting all but one — the most by any player since Peter Schmeichel in 1998-99. Now he has a summer to recover after Netherlands failed to qualify for the European Championship.

Blind has done far more than Marcos Rojo or Phil Jones to warrant a place in United’s team, with the former rarely impressing at full-back or in the centre of defence, and the latter even struggling during his time with the under-21s.

Bailly shouldn’t be billed as any more of a threat than Shaw’s return or other potential Mourinho signings at left-back or in midfield. The new man lacks in first-team experience — he’s played just over 50 games in Spain — and needs knowledge of playing in the Premier League, both of which mean he may not be ready to be thrown into the deep end.

However, if his performances for the Ivory Coast are anything to go by, this may be a situation where he thrives. He was called up to their 2015 African Cup of Nations squad after just two appearances for his country and started every game as they went on to win the competition.

Blind doesn’t set the world alight but he is a useful player to have available. He might not have much of a future at United, but for his reliability, versatility and experience, Mourinho would be wise to keep him on board for next season at least.