How Do Utd Beat The High Press?

[Inigo Montoya]

Ok, last 3 games we’ve looked a little vulnerable against the system relying on individual brilliance to get us out of trouble. That’s a positive but moving forward against quality players we can’t rely on that all the time.
What tactics should we employ to counter that? What players should we go for?
I’m no transfer or player expert so don’t really know who’s out there that will give us the quality...oh I do know all about Sancho but that’s just one. I’ve felt we need 3 at least.

 

[Eckers99]

Get Fellaini back and just bypass midfield.

 

[E-mal]

Maguire and Matic dwell on the ball for too long, Bissaka is just poor at football when he has to control and kick it, and our goal keeper hardly makes the right decision. Pogba is often clumsy with it but getting a CDM who is press resistant and a right back that is not terrified of the ball will be a start.

 

[AltiUn]

Probably punishing the other team for persistent fouling anytime we do beat it would be a good start.

 

[Revan]

I guess we need a better midfielder than Matic, a better RB than AWB, and to urge Harry to pass a bit faster.

Or bring Fellaini back like we did under Mourinho.

 

[JoaquinJoaquin]

Simple, stop trying to play out from the back. We don't have the central defenders or goalkeeper capable.

 

[DarkXaero]

While I don't think we can be great at it with the personnel we have, I think that not dwelling on the ball too much would be a start. We have to try to do it a lot faster than we currently do, and that requires the players to pick out their passes quicker, and move more to make themselves available for a pass. It doesn't help when you have someone as poor as AWB can be on the ball though.

 

[Yagami]

First, I think we need our midfielders closer together.

When building up from the back, Matic goes into defence to form a 3 man back line, with the FBs pushing up, our wide forwards coming inside, and Fernandes practically partnering Martial up front. We need Matic to move into midfield and bring Fernandes down; closer to the other two. As a result, the FBs will drop deeper to offer more passing options at the back, so we can maybe form some shapes to pass around instead of Pogba receiving the ball alone in midfield, and him having to resist multiple players on him as a result.

We were much better at beating the press in the big games earlier on in the season because Fred and McTominay actually stayed in midfield and provided passing options.

We also need a CM who can dribble. Our press was terrible today, and usually is because we don't press well as a team (all going with the same intensity, knowing what passing lanes to cut off, etc), but what really helped Chelsea was Kovacic. Whenever he had a player on him, he had the ability and strength to resist the press, turn and carry the ball upfield.

Pogba and Matic are decent at this but, because of their size, they're not as quick on the turn as a Kovacic which means they're less likely to fully get away from their marker. We need someone with a low centre of gravity who can turn quickly away from pressure, beat his man and draw fouls to give the team a breather. That's why someone like Grealish would be a much welcomed addition to the squad.

 

[Jacky Quacky]

I think it’s a major case of personnel. AWB is poor on the ball. De Gea is dreadful. Shaw is decent I admit but Lindelöf and maguire are below par aswell. Matic is one of the worst DMs at press resistance. Pogba also isn’t great at resisting the press either. But I think it doesn’t matter if we have 1-2 players that aren’t press resistant however when the majority of the base of the team are then it becomes a problem.

We desperately need a CB and DM that can get out of a press

 

[bond19821982]

Shaw is a great miss. Replace AWB and DDG.

 

[Skills]

Lob it up to fellaini

 

[glazed]

With our own high press. Someone phone Poch...

 

[JJ12]

Get better players on the ball. AWB Matic Fred James Maguire Williams - not good enough today. Even Rashford was poor.

 

[KennyBurner]

We can start by fielding an 11 that are all comfortable on the ball.

 

[Champ]

We can start by fielding an 11 that are all comfortable on the ball.

This,
And by going more direct.
We have pace to burn going forward yet appear scared to use it.

 

[Giant Midget]

You go over it. Ighalo should have played yesterday, we need a physical number 9 who could have battled for the aerial balls. Watching us struggle to pass it through Chelsea was pathetic.

 

[RC89]

You go over it. Ighalo should have played yesterday, we need a physical number 9 who could have battled for the aerial balls. Watching us struggle to pass it through Chelsea was pathetic.

Agreed. Should have had someone who can hold the ball up.

 

[Buchan]

We get better at the high press ourselves.

It was soul-destroying yesterday watching Chelsea set trap after trap as we tried to play out from the back and we either turned over possession in dangerous areas or we sent the ball out of play, whilst whenever they had possession at the back, we allowed them waltz out time after time. Had we pressed with the same vigour at their end of the pitch, they’d have had two options: continue having 5/6 players ahead of the ball if we won it back in their third of the pitch and risk giving up goals, or lessen their own high press and have bodies back to fortify their goal. Neither happened as we were at walking pace for most of the game and we handed the initiative to them pretty much from the off.

So much for Solskjaer demanding his teams are never out-worked, eh? It was embarrassing to watch yesterday.

 

[CG1010]

Pogba and the two full backs are crucial in linking up with the front 4 and in the last 3 games, they have failed to do their job. Pogba is too erratic in dealing with pressing for my liking. Besides investing in atleast 1 better full back, I really don't know what else we can do. Perhaps some coaching and tactical tweaks. And for those suggesting Fellaini, even as a joke, just no.

 

[Inigo Montoya]

We get better at the high press ourselves.

It was soul-destroying yesterday watching Chelsea set trap after trap as we tried to play out from the back and we either turned over possession in dangerous areas or we sent the ball out of play, whilst whenever they had possession at the back, we allowed them waltz out time after time. Had we pressed with the same vigour at their end of the pitch, they’d have had two options: continue having 5/6 players ahead of the ball if we won it back in their third of the pitch and risk giving up goals, or lessen their own high press and have bodies back to fortify their goal. Neither happened as we were at walking pace for most of the game and we handed the initiative to them pretty much from the off.

So much for Solskjaer demanding his teams are never out-worked, eh? It was embarrassing to watch yesterday.

I think you’re spot on.
As for being outworked. It’s a little harsh, we’re knackered and not having quality replacements is taking its toll

 

[PieCrust]

We don't have the quality to play out from the back while under a high press. All we do is pass backwards, sideways, then turn it over. We also have no presence up front to play it long; none of our forwards are going to be beating CB's on long balls.

The answer is either get better at pressing ourselves as we are clinical on the counter or start working the ball to the FB's. Many times either Shaw / Williams or AWB are wide open, but nobody has that cross field pass in their locker and instead we take 2 or 3 passes to switch the point of attack which is way too slow.

Doesn't help that Bruno has been in poor form lately with many misplaced passes. Pogba also comes back too deep, many times level or even behind our CB's. That's not where we need him getting on the ball.

 

[Classical Mechanic]

Simple answer yesterday would have been to start Ighalo and hit him long.

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

Move the ball quicker.

Our players love pondering on the ball.

It also helps if you press back.

 

[Siorac]

Get better players on the ball. AWB Matic Fred James Maguire Williams - not good enough today. Even Rashford was poor.

We can start by fielding an 11 that are all comfortable on the ball.

Yes. Being comfortable on the ball should be the number one requirement for all future signings. We can just about carry a single Wan Bissaka but more than that and pressing teams will always find joy against us.

 

[Shiva87]

We are generally good on the ball apart from AWB. The problem is the number of touches that Maguire takes when he gets the ball.

He really needs to start deciding quicker. Sometimes he gets the ball - and other teams start pressing all his passing options. You can see that they are not bothering with Maguire. He takes a few passes, looks everywhere and then gives it to Lindelof or the LB.

If he just passed the ball to Lindelof, looks up, gets the ball back, and passes forward immediately - we will find the space to beat the press.

But to be fair, in the current set up - every time we beat the press, we look like we could score!

 

[romufc]

We need to move the ball, when it gets played into midfield, it has to be one touch football.

 

[Mainoldo]

Try do it better yourself. I thought we had a pressing philosophy?

 

[Fredo]

Beating high press, the passing needs to be quicker, if each player dwells on the ball for at least 2-3 seconds before releasing it (Maguire, Pogba), we will never beat high press, no matter the quality of the side doing it. Also, when our defenders push with the ball (Lindelof for example), our midfielders/strikers should make more effort to make themselves available for that pass to continue the build-up...

 

[Swearing Budgie]

I also wish AWB would not take throw ins. He takes ages deciding what to do, then half the time he chucks it to the opposition.

 

[Swearing Budgie]

This isn't a recent phenomenon either. I remember O'Leary's boibies used to press the shit out of us 20 years ago and we always struggled to deal with it.

 

[Skills]

Try do it better yourself. I thought we had a pressing philosophy?

We have a 'run around a lot' philosophy.

Anything that actually involves real co-ordination and teamwork from the training, is a bit out of reach for Ole's coaching talent.

 

[Mainoldo]

We have a 'run around a lot' philosophy.

Anything that actually involves real co-ordination and teamwork from the training, is a bit out of reach for Ole's coaching talent.

This is what confuses me. Is McKenna really that bad or is he not getting to produce what he wants. I mean his u18’s team played beautiful football from what I heard and his status is Spurs was highly thought off.

So what the hell is happening. Jody Morris seems to know what he’s doing.

 

[do.ob]

Most people seem to think it's a question of ability on the ball, which to be fair isn't a stupid suggestion as it always helps, but I think the movement of the team is even more important. When you see really well drilled teams they are able to almost always create a spare man with their movement. Their players don't need acrobatic skills to avoid the pressure, they receive passes at favorable angles that allow them to put their body between the ball and the pressuring player and then they can just pass it to a free team mate.
I mean look at what Norwich did to City at the beginning of the season and they didnt exactly have world beaters playing out from the back.

 

[izec]

If we don't coach it, then it won't happen. Our positions and movement from the players to beat the press is wrong from the start, so i assume we either do nothing about it or the staff has no clue.

 

[Smithy89]

Have a good ball playing Goalie, good CB's and fullbacks who are also very good on the ball. We have absolutely none of that.

 

[VP89]

I did find Ole a bit naive in approaching the press. He could have altered the formation to peg Chelsea back and put on Ighalo as a target man. Eventually when he finally did it, it was too little too late.

Our inability to deal with the high press also comes from the personnel. Wan Bissaka is not as comfortable as he should be from deeper areas and Pogba can be very frustrating when he's too casual or takes too many touches. Fred was too erratic and same with McTominay. I only find Matic capable in a press and even then he gets caught once or twice. If you don't have the players to deal with it, you should embed a system where you go over the top and get runners in behind to peg the opposition back.

For example we were often caught trying to play out and I saw Rashford and James dropping deep to get the ball to feet and interlink - they should be stretching the opposition and creating gaps for the central midfield to pass into.

 

[MadMike]

Simple, stop trying to play out from the back. We don't have the central defenders or goalkeeper capable.

The CBs are capable, being comfy on the ball is actually their best trait by far. GK, RB and DM is the problem. De Gea doesn’t have good distribution with feet. Matic is strong but gets caught too often cause he’s slow. Fred is quick but he’s often brushed off the ball and his ball control is also sloppy. The less said about AWB the better.

Ultimately, I don’t think it suits us.

 

[Murder on Zidane's Floor]

Pretty simple. You don't pass to what Mourinho calls "the first station pass".

An effective press is like a trap that releases when one presser pushes the player with the ball into a direction or avenue giving them a close or easy pass to a player who is being tee'd up for further pressing.

If you constantly just pass the ball five to ten yards to the nearest player because a) you're terrified of losing the ball b) not confident on the ball or c) haven't thought about a pass before you receive the ball (football intelligence) then you walk into the trap.

Vertical / breaking lines passes / forward and straight work. Going long works. Width in your own half does not work, you're just giving the opposition another defender (the touchline).

An example pattern is; GK to CB, CB to CB (my most hated pass), (pressure comes), CB rushes to LB (LB was marked and didn't want the ball) LB turns back towards goal and gives back to CB, CB is pressed and goes back to other CB or GK, who goes back to CB who then passes to RB and the RB does the same thing, turns backwards under pressure or hoofs up the line or loses the ball out of play conceding possession closer to our goal.

My idea (as a forum dweller not a football coach) is, NO EFFING SHORT BALLS UNLESS YOU GO BETWEEN THE OPPO CMs. That's it. Unless you're able to break the lines a la Roy Keane into the AM feet, don't bother. Go long. High press usually means either high back line (get in behind with pace) or gap between midfield and defence (second balls won in their last third, knock downs etc).

I would ban "width" in your own half when in possession as I personally think it is a waste of time, you don't stretch the play, you just move your possession closer to the edge of the playing area.

Then again, I am not a football coach.

 

[The Irish Connection]

You go over it. Ighalo should have played yesterday, we need a physical number 9 who could have battled for the aerial balls. Watching us struggle to pass it through Chelsea was pathetic.

Yep, I thought the same, he’s our best forward for that.

 

[JPRouve]

Playing it long means that you are going to lose the ball even more. Have you guys checked the aerial duel percentages? There is a reason why dominant teams play from the back.