Set-piece homework and more - how Raphael Varane became Manchester United's most important player

Whilst he waited for his transfer to be finalised, Raphael Varane requested clips of Manchester United's porous defending at set-pieces from the 2020-21 season.

United sieved 18 goals from dead-ball situations and that figure nosedived to six last season. Varane was only on the pitch for Aston Villa defender Kortney Hause's winner (for which Edinson Cavani was caught on his heels) and Brentford's consolation.

In an injury-plagued season, Varane was complicit in United's worst defensive campaign since 1978-79. It was not a coincidence he was absent for the minimum four-goal shellackings by Leicester, Liverpool (twice), Watford and Leicester but Varane became tainted in the worst of the lot at Brighton.

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At one stage in pre-season, Varane appeared to be fourth in Erik ten Hag's central defensive pecking order. Lisandro Martinez was arriving as the left-sided centre-back, Harry Maguire's captaincy status safeguarded his place and Victor Lindelof started in all five friendlies he was available for.

Less than a month later, Ten Hag was purring about the "immense" Varane and had performed a U-turn on Maguire: "I think that doesn’t mean when you are captain you are established to play always. Especially when you also have Varane in your squad.

"We have options. And you have already said… Varane… his stature is immense and in pre-season we took a decision to build him physically so he had a bit of a slow start."

In the four games Varane has started in, United have won all four and conceded two goals in six hours. They have lost all three games he has not started in. Again, not a coincidence.

Martinez, a fan favourite who has quickly earned a chant