Wout Weghorst Proves Why Erik Ten Hag And Fans Love Him

We will start with beIN Sports presenter Richard Keys talking about Weghorst after the Leicester game.

“You’re playing with ten men most weeks if he’s [Weghorst] in. I mean, he doesn’t do enough to justify a starting place does he? Come on, let’s be honest!”

This statement received countless responses from those who watched the program, and most of them thought that these words were both harsh and disrespectful to this effort so far. After the Leicester goal, his only goal for his new side came in a Carabao Cup semi-final win over Nottingham Forest. The most important thing for a striker is always to score and that is of course also a measure to evaluate the striker's ability to contribute. But you can see the reaction of most Manchester United fans as they repeatedly defend their underperforming striker.

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Merit in the match of Man UTD against Leicester

Analyzing your three favorite goals against Leicester you will see that the Dutchman's movements have created space for his teammates. Weghorst was still well taken care of by the opposing players, and those movements helped him pull a few of his teammates to move in the other direction. In a way, Weghorst is credited with indirectly contributing to these goals.

In the first goal, Wout Weghorst pulled Faes away from Rashford so he could make a run at the back. He caught the attention of Souttar, and the same thing happened. Finally, on the third table, his moving to the left to pull Faes out of position gave Sancho time to accelerate.

Erik ten Hag has a summary of Weghorst that he is the type of player that makes his teammates better. However, few people see it. But what the Red Devils fans see and love in this player is his enthusiasm for the game. The King of Criticism - Commentator Gary Neville also shared on his latest podcast episode:

I love Wout Weghorst. You can laugh about it, but was there a time yesterday when you had to admire Erik ten Hag picking him up for most of the game? I asked Ten Hag about it before the game, and he replied that he felt Weghorst brought something to the team, and I can see why.
Man United last season had a debate about whether they could press with Ronaldo at the top of the attack. But we have seen they are difficult to put pressure on the opponent. While football today without pressing is considered wasted.

And you look at what Weghorst does. He is very good at transitioning the state of the team. He defends very well in set pieces. He is good when they are holding the ball, and he is also always watching. He is doing an important job for a team with a lot of attacking talent. That is why he plays every week.

The striker loved by Erik ten Hag

Here is one of Weghorst's commendable tackles against Leicester. And of course, this is not too strange for the Dutch player in matches. Despite being a striker, Burnley's opponent has excellent defensive skills. Perhaps, he has accumulated during his competition throughout the years.

Erik ten Hag's talent is becoming more and more widely recognized, and Wout Weghorst is one of the reasons for that. Dutch coaches tend to replace their players in new positions compared to how they used to be. But most importantly, this player still knows how to shine. Many people watching did not even believe that Weghorst was a striker, and to reinforce that, the player's performance when he was given the number 10 position by coach Erik ten Hag even made them enjoy it.

In the match against Barcelona, Weghorst was also the one who faced Robert Lewandowski in several situations. Often, two strikers have a hard time meeting each other on the pitch, which is how Weghorst is dedicated. Therefore, the Dutchman can also be a defensive player if you want. His average position in the Manchester United squad is more like a central midfielder as you can see in this chart.

You can also pay more attention to the Dutch player's dives. Although he has a height of 1m97, it does not make him lack mobility and it is clear that Weghorst controls his body quite well. He can accelerate and slide his feet very naturally like a mid-sized player. It makes one imagine a bit of Ibrahimovic - a player who also has good body control and is at a superior level.

The day he joined the club, in his first interview when asked if the player considered his hard pressing as one of the reasons he was signed by Manchester United, Wout Weghorst said:

I think that's one of my strong points. Especially in the period without the ball, I will put pressure on the opponent proactively. That's something I have experience with and that's what coach Erik ten Hag wants in the team. He wants the team to work hard. He wants the team to come forward, and get the ball back as quickly as possible, and I think I can help this club with that.

The hard-working machine in the eyes of the Red Devils fans

Signed by Burnley from Wolfsburg for £12m just over a year ago, Weghorst was tasked with scoring the goals that kept them on top. However, scoring just two goals in 20 appearances made him being loaned out to Besiktas last summer. His return to Turkey with eight goals in 16 matches secured the player a World Cup spot with the Netherlands and put him on Manchester United's radar.

At Man United, despite still having performance problems, the player is still receiving support that he has probably never received in his career, especially at a team with high player expectations like Manchester United.

First, 3 million Euro is still a small fee compared to the financial ability of Manchester United. They might even accept to fail on this deal, but of course, they are not failing at all right now. With the performance that this player brings with a price that is not too much pressure, the fact that Marcus Rashford shines brightly to not make the club fall into another state of goals makes the appearance of a Weghorst very reasonable.

In a list of the top players who pressed the most in the EPL from mid-January this year onward, the Dutchman ranked third in the Premier League in situations that put pressure on opponents. The player has also become more hardworking when the pressing rate is estimated to have increased by more than 30% since joining the club. It shows that Weghorst is playing by nature and giving a lot more.

He was very regretful when he missed the chance to score a tenth goal against Leicester. That was his teammates who also focused on stuffing the ball for this player because they understood he needed goals to be happier. But that is the only thing he could not do because the player is not good at it.

Bruno Fernandes - who plays equally hard, said that the reason for the Dutch player to play is that he will make the runs and the pressure phase the team needs. It is only a matter of time before the goal arrives. And when it does, the player can also find the feeling that has led him to be a striker.

With Man United fans, they are even thinking about the club signing the player. In difficult matches, Weghorst can help them. But more importantly, they love this player's attitude. It reminds us of the people of an enthusiastic Cavani city. A striker may not appear and may be past his prime, but as long as he still puts his heart   and what he can into every game, the recognition will come as it is.