With Pogba and Bruno hitting it off, it seems our front 5 is sorted for the coming season, particularly if we bring in Sancho for the RW. Creativity and goals-wise, I think we will be ok. However, in playing such an attacking front 5, we are definitely lacking defensively.
- Rashford plays very high up so Shaw is left 2-on-1 a lot of the times. Our left is definitely open to counters.
- Pogba in the double pivot still doesn't fill me with much confidence, especially since we only have a soon-to-be 32-year old Matic as our only specialist DM
- Lindelof and Maguire both lack pace/mobility, which prevents us from playing a high line a lot of the times
- GK situation will not be resolved by the start of the next season
People will point to our defensive record but that was before Pogba was re-introduced and when Rashford was out injured. Whether or not Ole can find a way to play our front 5 whilst maintaining our strong defensive record will determine how good a tactician/manager he really is. Pep has managed to find a way but he's a generational manager in my opinion.
Defensive Concerns?
posted on 24/6/20
Goals from goalkeeping howlers don’t count in expected goals. Basically gifted Spurs and Everton a goal in our last 2 draws.
posted on 24/6/20
comment by Garner be a star (U13920)
posted 8 minutes ago
comment by #TopLad || Sir Alex Ferguson ||✓ (U10161)
posted 15 minutes ago
Maybe a problem for next season but we should be fine with Matic/McT there this season.
Definitely need another CDM though. Camavinga would be my choice
----------------------------------------------------------------------
imo the right cdm is the 2nd priority after rwf. Matic is great under minimal pressure but will crumble under pressure. Nor does he have the legs to cover our defenders when teams are running at them. While I do not think McT (who i like) and fred (who I don't like) are the right fit to play cdm when both pogba and bruno are on the field. IMO you need a player who is tactically aware like and physically fit to cover the holes bruno/pogba will vacate in midfield. They could well develop into such players. I am more optimistic garner will become that player based on his skill set.
With all these in mind I wil be content if we only get that top rwf this summer and wait till the summer of 2021 to address the other issues if needed. But with the way chelsea are investing do we have the luxury to do just enough? My fear is chelsea's investment my lead to a solid top 3 of liverpool, city and chelsea.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm not Matic's biggest fan by any means but we needn't invent deficiencies he doesn't have. He's much superior dealing with being pressured than McTominay & Fred. He uses his body well to protect the ball, is good technically and stays calm when pressed. He can actually carry the ball and we see him do that in moments in most games. In his prime years he was even better at it - especially at Benfica.
He's not an overtly energetic type of player so much of his groundwork goes unnoticed but I'm pretty sure he's usually one of the players that covers the most ground for us. He's definitely our best option as the deepest midfielder.
posted on 24/6/20
The games we’ve struggled in more often were those like today. Today’s lineup was spot on, we have to take risks at home and were not really troubled by them.
The bigger games we won’t play the same XI, one of the front 5 will make way for a second defensive MF.
We’ve not got the best defence in the world but it’s pretty decent. My concern with the defence is the full backs aren’t yet good enough on the ball when we’re attacking
posted on 24/6/20
comment by The Red Side™ (U11275)
posted 31 minutes ago
Our defensive issues today only stemmed from us not applying pressure on the ball once back in position.
---------------------------------------------------
I don't know about that because early on SU did have a bit of room to run into in advanced areas but didn't really make much of it.
It's why I still think we should change the shape of the midfield and have a three to help cover more space and give the defence that extra bit of protection when we're defending.
It also makes it easier to cover the full-backs quicker if you have a midfielder closer to the flank which would be the case with Pogba playing from the left and Bruno to the right.
Depending on the opposition, the likes of McTominay and a more mobile CB would prove more useful than Matic and Lindelof.
Saying that we should dominate most of the games we have left, probably not as easily as we did this evening though. Matic could've played in his slippers.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I agree about the adjustment to the midfield shape offering better balance but we definitely had a few moments where we had numbers behind the ball but lacked the urgency to go and press once in position. It led to Sheffield having decent spells of possession and getting into our box a few times in the first half. Once we got the second goal it basically killed the game from then on.
posted on 24/6/20
i did not mean to be overly critical of matic if that is what my previous posts reads like.
I personally think ith pogba and bruno on the pitch we will dominate majority of games and matic is the perfect player in such games.
In harder games, something will have to give and as much as I want us to get a new cdm, it will take a special type of cdm for us not to be overrun in midfield if we play the likes of city/pool. But we play less than 10 such games a season.
Our success under saf was not built on dominating the big teams but being clinical against the others
posted on 24/6/20
I agree about the adjustment to the midfield shape offering better balance but we definitely had a few moments where we had numbers behind the ball but lacked the urgency to go and press once in position.
---------------------------------------------
Yeah that was an issue too.
Speaking of pressing I wonder if it's something we're going to commit more to as the squad changes because we don't press that aggressively from the front. Most of the time it's like a half press but not everybody does it simultaneously.
I would love to see us implement a more organised effective numerical press with the midfield and defence squeezing further up the pitch.
posted on 24/6/20
It needs to be said again that José chose to sign Matic when Fabinho was practically begging to join United and work with him.
The stupid .
posted on 24/6/20
That was strange, hadn’t Jose worked with Fabinho at Real too?
posted on 24/6/20
He was only at Madrid for a year but I'm not actually sure how much he worked directly with Mourinho because Fabinho played mostly for their B team and only made his first team debut at the end of the season.
He then joined Monaco on loan that summer.
posted on 24/6/20
comment by The Red Side™ (U11275)
posted 5 minutes ago
It needs to be said again that José chose to sign Matic when Fabinho was practically begging to join United and work with him.
The stupid.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
when I said a special type of cdm , fabinho definitely fits that mould. He is a complete cm/cdm imo. So far I am not sure if there is anything he cannot do in midfield. Maybe staying fit?