Looking at the many on form top clubs, one thing that is clear is that they know
how to play football with strong proof respective identities, and respond to any situations happening in game. The experienced heads make sure the teams doesn't get hot-headed/agitated/overpissed which can then lead to reckless challenges, stupid bookings which cost the team, mess rhythm, immature responses, etc. Whether it's Juve, Real (Ramos can get mood swing though), PSG, City (they have Silva, Fernandinho, Kompany for that), etc. We lacked that much after Zlatan and Carrick are out. Also strong football identity, which we're still in the process baby stage. Liverpool and Spurs are a good case for that at its advanced stage, as does the rest of the top clubs, they stick to their football and fully trust/understand their manager/coaches.
Football intelligence have strong correlation with
football maturity. It's different than a simple maturity. Don't know how to describe it. How a player play, their positioning and decision makings actively in game show whether they have it or not. It's like
making the right play.
I don't criticize our current squad and coaches that much after the long period of messy football identity the squad experienced. It's literally a new assembly of squad full of younger players lacking experiences. There are clear limitations/weaknesses, not all players are (already or ever) "
in the groove" with the formation of the newer identity that are more United. United's attacking philosophy have a strong spine to its attack, like guns by a mature shooter with armors.
- Sanchez are pretty much still struggling. Never remember him playing in a stable way though. He's like a hot and cold player, even at Arsenal. Constantly have a go attacking, like pam pam pam! energetic more often that not, he'll be making the risky plays then either pull it off or lost the ball, repeat. Weird that this newer system should get the best of him but.. low confidence seemingly.
- Lukaku's, Mata's, Young's, Smalling's and Matic's limitations are getting found out more and more.
- Lukaku is too much of a poacher, they type of poacher that doesn't move much or sticking too close to defenders for some reason. It doesn't help creator/playmakers eg. Pogba. He have the tools, but not the "football intelligence" on how to maximise his arrays of talent. Let's face it, he's actually that fast, and his wing play can be that good. Got the advantage of heights and balance. No signs of him improving so far, even if this system should help him blooms even further.
- Matic tend to slow things down.. not really a good #6 in a fast pace/quick counter system. Good positioning but lacks the intelligence for making top level plays.
- Pogba is still hothead and don't know what to do when things doesn't go his ways.
- Rashford and Martial and Lingard showed clear improvements but still their movements and plays still lack that good top "football intelligence" level.
- Bailly also start to adjust his playstyle which is nice to see but still not enough yet. Lost his mojo i.e. his wil adventurous playstyle which is that effective in attacking and defending.
- Shaw is still in a process I would describe as adapting, and he's doing it okay for now, need to try putting in more attacks is his next step. No problem with his defensive positioning nor performances, or even his possession play.
- Our back central area also suffers from inconsistencies with the CBs crumbling down and missing in actions consistently, so there is clear instability at the back and between De Gea's distribution play.
- Dalot's positioning is good, very mature, but I've seen him making needless tactical foul, in a situation where we have good covers already.
- The rest though... is a mess we know how they are whether it's Fred, Pereira, Jones. Fred is like Sanchez, they're constantly pam pam pam, like a high pitch that can easily lacks stability. Pereira is confuse with what his role is atm which is the problem. Jones is always performing in a crazy rhythm way, unstable, range from great games to sudden terrible performances.
Our few
current players who have "it" are these:
- Herrera, pretty much perfect as #6 and #8 hybrid.
- Lindelof, if he can keep this matured-football performances. This season he's tremendous. Last season he's too immature and soft. His positioning is already good, and he's combining that now with calmness and "right" plays, no more of those risky stupid longtime holding the ball he tend to do prev.
- Mata, but he's limited usually in the big games.
- Young, same like Mata.
- McTominay, yeah, which is why he's usually effective without the need to be flashy. He knows what he's doing making those right plays. He's limited though but then our midfield tend to be more stable when he play there. I see he's making a more and more forward plays which is still a right safe decisions, so that's a nice development.
+ For the sake of this argument, I'll just include these two: Rojo and Darmian. Seriously they know what they're doing. Rojo with his positioning and dupe plays winning challenges/fouls aka dark arts of football. Many fans hate him booting up the field without considering the situation prior to him deciding to do that. It's the right/fair decisions. Darmian also play in a way where he can be effective, often a safe/stable performances, but we know he lacks for some reasons can't do dual role -- can only either attack or only focus on defend (good attacking WB with Italy and his prev club, and good defensive SB with us).
Nice potentials of who showed signs of "
maturing" acquiring those football intelligence, in order from closest to less.
- Shaw
- Dalot
- De Gea
- Lingard
- Pogba
- Martial
- Rashford
- Bailly
