‘I am very proud of this team’ | Erik ten Hag reviews Man Utd’s 0-0 draw at Liverpool
Manchester United defender Raphael Varane was keen to highlight his partnership with Jonny Evans was key for him to perform well against Liverpool over the weekend. The defensive duo kept the Reds’ attack quiet in their shock 0-0 draw at Anfield in a display that indicated there is still plenty of quality within United’s dressing room.
Liverpool were expected to run riot in Merseyside following their 7-0 success last season, but they hardly managed to create any clear-cut openings this time around. Jurgen Klopp’s side huffed and puffed before being forced to settle for a point, with United being praised for their defensive solidity throughout.
Erik ten Hag’s decision to name Varane in his starting XI has been credited as a key factor in the performance, with the ex-Real Madrid star leading by example in defence and marshalling his side throughout Liverpool’s extended spells of possession.
As a result, the 30-year-old was awarded the Player of the Match award by the Premier League. However, the four-time Champions League winner was reluctant to receive all of the praise for the clean sheet.
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Varane posted a photo of his trophy on his Instagram story, tagging Andre Onana, Diogo Dalot, Luke Shaw and Evans in the post, along with an emoji of two swords, highlighting that he felt it was a team effort at Anfield rather than his individual excellence.
The France international performed well alongside Evans, despite questions being raised previously about why the latter was given a one-year deal by Ten Hag after being released by Leicester City at the end of last season.
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Varane continues to be heavily linked with a move away from the Theatre of Dreams in the January transfer window, with reports circulating that sporting director John Murtough travelled to Saudi Arabia recently to try and draw interest in the ex-Lens star – along with Casemiro, Jadon Sancho and Anthony Martial.
Ten Hag was given no choice but to praise his Varane after his display over the weekend though, saying: “We know what he is capable of and he has many such performances. I think he did very well, as the whole team did, [and] in the partnership with Jonny Evans, they were both leading the team from the back. I think also Andre Onana played a big part in it but I can mention all the players because it was really a team [performance].”
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