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‘Stay away… you can’t physically stop him’: Jamie Carragher gives blunt advice to Man United’s 5ft 9in star Lisandro Martinez, who he says is STILL short, when trying to deal with 6ft 4in Erling Haaland
- Jamie Carragher has offered Lisandro Martinez to face Erling Haaland . to stand
- The former Liverpool man compared it to his battles with Didier Drogba
- He warned the Dutch defender could ‘physically hold him back’
- Carragher remains skeptical of Martinez because of his height
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Jamie Carragher has warned Lisandro Martinez to ‘stay away’ from Erling Haaland in Sunday’s Manchester derby as the centre-back is unlikely to outwit him.
Martinez was criticized for being too small after Manchester United lost 4-0 to Brentford earlier this season, but has since become a cult hero at Old Trafford for his tenacious defense and leadership.
The 24-year-old has formed an impressive partnership with Raphael Varane, with the pair keeping three clean sheets in their last five games.
Jamie Carragher has given Lisandro Martinez advice on how to deal with Erling Haaland
Martinez has impressed in recent weeks, keeping three clean sheets in his last five games
For Carragher, however, it will be a much tougher test for the defender to face City’s number nine. He wrote in the Telegraph: ‘Haaland may have been kept quiet by Martínez last season in Ajax’s Champions League match against Borussia Dortmund (the Netherlands won 4-0), the Norwegian is currently the best striker in the world.’
The former Liverpool man offered advice on how Martinez could curb his natural play to deal with Haaland. He said: “The most visible asset in his first appearances at United – his desire to participate by constantly chasing and taking on his opponents – is what he may need to rein in most this weekend.
“Haaland is waiting for him to take on challenges, knowing that one mistake can be fatal.
Carragher compared Martinez’s potential fight with Haaland to when he faced Didier Drogba. was standing
“Some battles can be won by outsmarting or outplaying an opponent. Other players need out-thinking.’
The 44-year-old compared the fight to when he played against Didier Drogba: “He wanted to feel the breath of his marker on his shoulder. If you got too close, he’d think about what he’d do if the ball was played into his feet.
“So the idea higher up the field was to stay away from him as much as possible and give him more to think about when he got the ball.”
Like Drogba, Haaland is one of those strikers who can create extraordinary moments out of thin air. That’s why such players are so expensive.’
The former Liverpool man warned Martinez to get ‘too close’ to Haaland . to come
Despite his success in recent months, Carragher still felt Martinez’s height could hold him back. He said: “It is well known that some of the greatest centre-backs of all time, including Italy’s Franco Baresi, Argentina’s Daniel Passarella and England’s Bobby Moore, were under six feet, proving that size is no barrier to to be a world-class center. -half.
“The difference is they were about 10 out of 10 in every other department, making up for the one weakness they couldn’t do anything about. It is premature to suggest that Martínez will be so flawless in every other facet of his game.”
The Manchester derby will take place at the Etihad next Sunday.