Crossing…

[The Original]

I don't like the system we play at all (despite the 3 game win streak). Amad is a right winger in a 4231/433, but we don't play that, and we've shafted him really by signing Mbeumo who's a better player right now who plays his position.

If we're playing Amad in this system, it should be RWB or right sided 10. The fact he's playing wing back and not "winger" doesn't change the fact he's just much more effective on the right than the left. Whether it's wing back or winger, his job is still essentially to receive the ball wide and run at the opposition full back, and link play. He'll do that better at RWB/RW than he will do at LWB/LW.

It's also not a crazy idea to stick with him at RWB. If Dorgu isn't good enough, we need to sign a better player at LWB.

You have to remember that Amad is a winger playing wingback. The thing that makes him so dangerous at rwb is the fact that he still dribbles like an inside forward, teasing the defender with a partially exposed ball on his outstep, with options to cut in or accelerate on the outside. This is not likely to translate well to playing on the left where, because the dribbles with his outstep, the option to cut in would be much less natural, making him very easy to channel. He would then lose the one major thing that makes him so dangerous. I think it's a terrible idea.

 

[andersj]

I’ve just watched Newcastle cross the ball for there 6’6 striker to head the ball in (not for the first time this season).

As always, we talk in extremes here. Nobody has suggested that the majority of our attacks should come from crosses. I am saying that we are not set up for this to be one of our weapons of note.

I don’t think it’s particularly controversial as such. Sesko is good in the air. He wins a lot of headers in various contexts in the game, so I think it’s fair that he will win some in the box if given the opportunity. The question is about doing it well. Crossing done poorly to strikers who do not thrive of them isn’t wise. A striker who does will of course benefit from a supply of good crosses. Chris Wood seems to enjoy them, for example. I think it would be wasteful to not give him some to attack.

First, there is the fact that it is a trade off. Every time we decide to cross the ball for a header of Sesko, we give up on a different approach. And the question then is if crossing to the head of a big striker is very effective relative to other approaches? Well, I dont think it is. And basically no manager in top five leagues in Europe do either.

A player like Trent, has made more than 800 entries to the penalty area in the PL, only 22 percent was crosses. And several of those crosses where to the feets of Salah and Mane.

That being said, I would really like to have players who can cross better at fullback. Not only for headers, but also for the feet of our attackers. But I just dont agree that it should be a priority to attack through crosses aimed at the head of Sesko. Or that being good at crossing is the most important attribute for a new fullback.

I would rather have a new Patrice Evra than Leighton Baines, to put it that way.

 

[Rozay]

First, there is the fact that it is a trade off. Every time we decide to cross the ball for a header of Sesko, we give up on a different approach. And the question then is if crossing to the head of a big striker is very effective relative to other approaches? Well, I dont think it is. And basically no manager in top five leagues in Europe do either.

A player like Trent, has made more than 800 entries to the penalty area in the PL, only 22 percent was crosses. And several of those crosses where to the feets of Salah and Mane.

That being said, I would really like to have players who can cross better at fullback. Not only for headers, but also for the feet of our attackers. But I just dont agree that it should be a priority to attack through crosses aimed at the head of Sesko. Or that being good at crossing is the most important attribute for a new fullback.

I would rather have a new Patrice Evra than Leighton Baines, to put it that way.

Again, I’ve not said it should be our priority approach at all. But it is a weapon. What exactly is the trade off that we are making by opting for Dalot instead at LWB?

There is mo formula to this because it depends on the players. Salah and Mane have different strengths to Sesko. Players like Kane and Haaland score a fair amount of headers every season from crosses. We should at least gove Sesko that option too, and given what we are currently producing from left-back - I see it as no trade off at all tbh. Woltemade has scored a few from crosses already this season because he has a good chance of winning a 1v1 from a cross.

A good LWB can cross, cut back or shoot - doesn’t have to cross exclusively. But a right footer there takes the ability to do all three of them consistently well IMO.

 

[andersj]

Players like Kane and Haaland score a fair amount of headers every season from crosses.

We cross the ball alot compared to Bayern and Man City.

If your point is that we should have players that are better at it than Dalot I agree. I am sure all do. But it is kind of a mute point.

 

[RedIan]

I am perplexed why Amourin is not playing Luke Shaw at LWB. Hes a great attacking defender who can cross a ball.
We have plenty of centre back options, Martinez, Heaven, maguire, Maz, Yoro, Delit.

Play Shaw LWB with Cunha ahead and suddenly we have a threat from the left as well as the awesome Amad / Mbeumo combo on the right.

 

[quadrant]

I am perplexed why Amourin is not playing Luke Shaw at LWB. Hes a great attacking defender who can cross a ball.
We have plenty of centre back options, Martinez, Heaven, maguire, Maz, Yoro, Delit.

Play Shaw LWB with Cunha ahead and suddenly we have a threat from the left as well as the awesome Amad / Mbeumo combo on the right.

Hasn't got the legs for it. Its a very demanding role. The guy had 16 league starts in 2 years, this run of 5 in a row is the best he's managed in a long time. Asking him to start pelting up and down the wing all afternoon is asking for trouble.

 

[Craig Ward]

Hasn't got the legs for it. Its a very demanding role. The guy had 16 league starts in 2 years, this run of 5 in a row is the best he's managed in a long time. Asking him to start pelting up and down the wing all afternoon is asking for trouble.

Agree. Shaw is actually a pretty decent LCB > but Martinez will be 1st choice there and I worry about Heaven's minutes as he looks a good prospect there.

LWB is a major problem - Dalot just cannot perform as a wingback on either side, but on the left he's the standout weak point of our team. We should just play Dorgu there and let him learn on the job - he cannot be any worse than Dalot

 

[KiD MoYeS]

It's a fair point on the crossing, but we still have Sesko assisting others which is good. Our new forward line has really started to perform in the last month and goals don't appear to be a problem currently. I do think they will continue to improve together and expect crossing and headed Sesko goals to be a weapon. Also worth considering that we have players cutting in on either side and a decoy of a monster striker in the box which might help open up space for Cunha and Mbuemo to keep scoring. I guess I don't really care who scores once we're scoring - which we are right now.

 

[RedStarUnited]

This.

Their is actually just one team in the PL with more successfull crosses than Man Utd this season; Wolves. It is not a great strategy. It is difficult to execute with pression for attacking teams, and very easy to defend against for defending team.

Try finding a title winning team were a big share of their attack relied on crosses for a big striker to head.

Did you quote the weong person or did you misunderstand what you were responding to?

I think the person you are quoting is suggesting that we need to cross more because we dont score enough and other teams who cross more do.

We as a team dont tend to cross a lot and I dont know if thats by design or not but I feel it is. I dont know a single player in this team that I think likes crossing.

 

[berbasloth4]

The problem seems to be not crossing but when we cross it and it’s been a problem for years, we have had zlatan cavani ronaldo even weighorst strikers good in the air, they are making the runs the balls not coming when runs aren’t made the ball arrives not consistent enough or come as a last resort.

Already this season I have been screaming for lads to whip crosses in when have the time and space but instead they will play several passes and the chance goes.

We built our success on crossing and crossers, but our strikers knew when the ball as coming. Strikers knew beckham was one touch cross, knew Giggs get to byline cross, knew Ashley young would cutback and cross - just seems like an area of the game trickling out.

 

[McLvnsMuse]

We don’t cross as much as we should because we don’t trust our midfield to be competitive in recovering and recycling the ball.

So we pick our moments.