It’s only been a few months with Manchester United, but first-team coach Benni McCarthy has already made his mark.
Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag has lauded the impact of the 45-year-old South African on United’s flourishing attack.
Ten Hag shared how he needed an outside perspective for the training and management of his frontline (via Manchester United).
The United manager was deployed in defence or in midfield during his playing days. While this grants him invaluable insight, he has hailed the wisdom of McCarthy for the improvement shown by the team’s attacking players.
McCarthy was a renowned goal threat across his career, playing for the South African national team Ajax, Celta Vigo, Porto, and Blackburn Rovers.
A welcome addition
When asked about McCarthy’s contributions during a special Q and A series with Red Devils fans, the managed hailed his new first-team coach’s influence.
He explained that the former striker’s role and lauded his impact in restoring a sense of camaraderie to the team.
Ten Hag said, “In our coaching staff, we had a lot of defenders and midfield players.”
“I wanted also to find a good balance. He is offensive [minded] as he is a former striker, and that is also a really specific job task in the team.”
“I never played there, so I’m lucky to have someone in my staff who played there. Football is about scoring, and you have a goalkeeping specialist, but you also have offensive specialists, and, in particular, we have a specific scoring trainer.”
“He has to add that, in details, working and for the rest of us, he has a relationship to all the players in our squad. He also has to work on the togetherness, and he is doing a great job on that.”
Admired and respected
McCarthy has also earned the admiration and respect of the players, as confirmed by Anthony Martial. Martial recently spoke to United Review about his experiences working with McCarthy at Carrington.
He echoed Ten Hag’s sentiments saying, “Yes, he’s a coach I speak with a lot.”
“Both on and off the training ground. On every occasion, he gives me a lot of good advice, and that can only be a good thing for all the players involved.”
The Red Devils have turned the Premier League top four on its head with strong performances. The sharpening of United’s attack has played a pivotal role in the club breaking into the top four and reviving hopes of a possible title charge.
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