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Manchester United don’t lack attackers right now, but loanee Ethan Ennis’ latest performance shows he’s developing into the exact profile the club doesn’t have, but desperately need.
Ethan Ennis was sent on loan to Fleetwood Town this season after impressing at Doncaster last season.
He has had one of the more successful loan outings, playing 27 league games, which account for 88% of all available minutes, and emerging as their biggest threat.
His latest performance against Newport County was his best one yet, and it showed that he’s developing into the exact profile of player United desperately need.
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Photo by Anthony Devlin/Manchester United via Getty Images Ethan Ennis shines for Fleetwood in latest game
Ennis had a short time at Fleetwood Town this season, when he was almost playing in a wing-back role, which would have helped his prospects back at Old Trafford.
Needless to say, Ruben Amorim’s sacking put that theory to rest, but Ennis deserves credit for refashioning himself again.
Fleetwood still play three defenders at the back, but Ennis’ role is more advanced, with the central zone fortified by three defenders and three midfielders.
In the latest 0-0 draw against Newport, Ennis took full advantage of that advanced role and became the creator-in-chief for the League Two club.
He created six chances, touched the ball 76 times, and had it not been for the opposition goalkeeper’s heroics, would have engineered a win for his team. [Stats courtesy FotMob]
With 11 touches in the opposition’s box, he was a buzzing presence everywhere in attack, but what will attract United the most is his ever-developing style of play.
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Ennis is doing all this playing like a breed of attacker that is slowly making a return to the elite game.
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Photo by Darren Staples / AFP via Getty Images
He has flourished playing as a winger, playing on his strong foot, as he runs to the byline and creates havoc by playing directly.
In an era where most players prefer to cut inside and shoot with their stronger foot, Ennis helps in maintaining width by staying high and wide.
He was an inside forward in United’s academy, joining from Liverpool, but he has acclimatised beautifully to playing as a traditional winger this season.
The importance of width in today’s game is peaking again as more teams employ low-blocks, which means the attacking team needs to stretch the game horizontally if they can’t do it vertically.
Ennis’ right-footed, right-winger profile is something United don’t have, but need desperately, as evidenced by the team missing Patrick Dorgu on the left.
A pre-season with United next campaign, and anything could happen, especially if he continues this form on loan this season.
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