Ole has been pretty clear that he’s sticking with the double pivot and will be playing Bruno as a ten, centrally and in behind Martial.
With Matic, in form again though he is, turning 32 in a few days and clearly not being the player Ole will see forming a long term partnership with Pogba in the engine room, whom would people like the club to be looking at as his long term replacement?
Fred doesn’t seem an obvious candidate. He has the energy to play up and down, and can shield, harry, tackle and intercept; but his passing is way too inconsistent and we’re yet to see him play the kind of balls between the lines that Matic has shown in recent weeks.
McT has many of the same benefits as Fred. He has the same energy, drive and commitment, and many of the same defensive attributes. He’s obviously still learning the game and doesn’t have quite the same match-savviness; his passing, although more consistent than Fred’s, often looks predictable and can be telegraphed when he chooses the obvious option.
We can hope that McT (or Garner further down the line) might grow into the role, but who else is there out there in the meantime?
We’ve been linked repeatedly with Donny Van De Beek and SMS, both ostensibly more attacking options but with the ability to play a box-to-box role. Neves is another name repeatedly circulated with more experience in a deeper role and maybe more suited to our needs. Saul is yet another. Any of these four players would clearly improve the squad, but would any of them be the right man to dovetail with Pogba?
Fewer and fewer of the top European sides are setting up with a midfield two, and part of the reason for that is that you need two outstanding box-to-box players to do it and be able to compete with the other big boys. The exceptions tend to be counterattacking sides whose wide forwards drop in to the midfield bank to defend, and that isn’t how Ole is looking to set us up.
Whoever we end up with in there alongside Pogba (assuming he stays) will need to be an outstanding talent if we’re to challenge for the top trophies under Ole.
Midfielder to play alongside Pogba
posted on 24/7/20
Being poor at it under Mourinho doesn’t mean we are good at it now. The individuals are a problem, because they don’t really have the ability, but as I said so is the coaching.
It’a an issue that dates back to when Phelan first got the job under Fergie. From 08 to 09 there was a clear an obvious technical and tactical decline in the way we moved the ball. That was with the same players and the addition of Berbatov. I’ve been banging this drum for ten years with our coaching.
You’d have a hard time thinking it but when we signing Smalling and Jones they were known for the comfort on the ball. And we saw it when they first came to the club. They then steadily regressed the longer they played here.
I get why Ole brought Phelan in, but I was confident we’d be seeing the same issues I wasn’t happy with in Fergie’s later years. And here we are again.
posted on 24/7/20
You have to remember that we are the people's champions. The people's club. We represent English football when your foreign style clubs like City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal are playing their tippy tappy nonsense. Playing it out from the back? PC gone mad. We play the United way. Let's get it launched and bring back McCoys Man crisps and the Yorkie, NOT FOR GIRLS. Get me a Carling.
posted on 24/7/20
We’ve got a long way to go, but for me, I see a positive trajectory in terms of the ball-playing.
We’re markedly better at playing out, and although the CBs, Matic, Pogba and Rashford still often take five touches when they should be taking one or two, they don’t now do it every single time: it isn’t mandatory as it was under Twaaaatinho
posted on 24/7/20
It’s the middle third that still needs the most work in moving the ball quickly, IMO. Has been for years and years.
posted on 24/7/20
I don’t judge Manchester United’s football by the lowly standards Mourinho set.
posted on 24/7/20
As long as we don't end up like Woolworths and BHS where they didn't change with the times before it was too late. Although we should keep the pick n mix bit as that was the best thing about Woolworths. But things that don't really fit in the modern world like Maguire should probably go ASAP.
posted on 24/7/20
Let's hope the summer brings the signings needed to either make this system work to it's full potential or giving us even more options, tactically.
We are still a work in progress and you might well see a tactical change when Ole gets in more of his players. The idea that he is laser focused on this formation seems odd, considering we played a big chunk of the games as a 3-5-2
posted on 24/7/20
comment by Ji Sung Park's Cousin - Ole's joy Manticore (U2958)
posted 37 minutes ago
Let's hope the summer brings the signings needed to either make this system work to it's full potential or giving us even more options, tactically.
We are still a work in progress and you might well see a tactical change when Ole gets in more of his players. The idea that he is laser focused on this formation seems odd, considering we played a big chunk of the games as a 3-5-2
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I think some people’s frustrations have been (and are) related to the facts that firstly, he’s never used a 4-3-3/4-1-2-3 despite us having key players with attributes that suit the system, and secondly, that the 4-2-3-1 Ole uses is tactically pretty rigid.
posted on 24/7/20
And that’s where I’ll disagree.... we so often see McT pushing up with Fred staying deep... Pogba pushing up with Matic staying deep... Bruno coming deeper when we lose the ball .... we even see Maguire and Lindelof pushing forward and filling in the midfield
To me, it’s a fluid enough system and can getting with new players
posted on 24/7/20
I don't think the problem is all down to the formation though. I know the players we've got probably means it's crying out to be played 4-3-3 but what's damaging us even more, IMO, is our poor passing and lack of urgency in our passing. We're too ponderous at our worst but, when we're out our best our passing is much crisper and sharper. Maybe it's a consistency issue but it does need to improve.