Manchester United’s young defender stood out against Tottenham.
After an unpleasant experience at St Mary’s, Manchester United defender Patrick McNair will remember his individual display at White Hart Lane far more fondly.
The Northern Irishman was substituted in the first half in the win at Southampton earlier this month with his manager Louis van Gaal viewing him as a liability.
Against Tottenham Hotspur he was far more impressive, contributing strongly to the side keeping a clean sheet in the 0-0 draw.
| Match | Won Tackles | Interceptions | Aerial Duels Won | Accurate Crosses | Shots Blocked | Assists | Goals | Total | Mins Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick McNair | Tottenham vs Man Utd | 1 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 76 |
| Phil Jones | Tottenham vs Man Utd | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 90 |
| Jonny Evans | Tottenham vs Man Utd | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 72 |
| Rafael | Tottenham vs Man Utd | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 45 |
| Chris Smalling | Tottenham vs Man Utd | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 18 |
| Luke Shaw | Tottenham vs Man Utd | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14 |
McNair made 12 important contributions against Tottenham, more than any other defender – and made more interceptions (6), than the rest of the defence put together.
He also won more aerial duels than any other defender, and was the only member of the United backline to block a shot.
Fans will be relieved that the experience against Southampton, which could have affected the confidence of other youngsters, appears not to have had any negative effect, and the Red Devils have unearthed a really promising prospect for the future.
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