How would you approach an away game at City

[sosolid4u09]

So. With Arsenal getting a pasting against City by being Arsenal, Chelsea being totally shut out by parking the bus, Liverpool getting battered 5-0 by gegenpressing, Tottenham swept aside 4-1, it's out turn soon!

Chelsea were heavily criticized for parking the bus. All others tried to open up a bit and got slaughtered. How would you approach this game? Try to give a bit of detail. Maybe a partial line up.

What would be the "correct" way to go about this?

 

[BluesJr]

You honestly have to press high and play quickly but with control. Liverpool showed that they’re vulernable to that tactic. It’s risky for sure as there’s a chance they’ll kill you if you make a mistake and to be honest if we tried this tactic there’s no doubt Smalling or Jones would be the one to make it.

Sitting back might work occasionally but I really don’t believe it’s the percentage play. It’s about time managers and coaches realised this against Guardiola, they play into his hands every single time.

 

[sosolid4u09]

You honestly have to press high and play quickly but with control. Liverpool showed that they’re vulernable to that tactic. It’s risky for sure as there’s a chance they’ll kill you if you make a mistake and to be honest if we tried this tactic there’s no doubt Smalling or Jones would be the one to make it.

Sitting back might work occasionally but I really don’t believe it’s the percentage play. It’s about time managers and coaches realised this against Guardiola, they play into his hands every single time.

Agreed.

The thing is, you need to be calculated and drilled with your pressing. If you just go at them heart on sleeve and run them down they'll just pass it around you and score at will.
It needs to be organised and in waves. and I think most importantly, you need to pressure their defence. You need to get their respect. The more you pressure their defence the more success your pressing will have.

Also that first pass once you've recovered possession is critical. You need to get it past their first line of defence and into midfield where you can turn and run at them. So many times teams lose the ball straight after finally getting it back from them

 

[sincher]

While they are very, very good, I would be gutted if we took the full insipid Conte approach. At least we tried to counter attack last time and were not far off a point.

I do think you have to be fully bold and try to keep a good portion of the game in their half. I am not sure our players have the game/energy to press like this though.

 

[Verminator]

Park the bus.Hit on the break.
And highlight to the referee their tactic of fouling you as soon as they lose possession. It is cynical, tactics that they continue to get away with.

 

[ghagua]

Place all 10 outfield players around our own penalty area and just pray. That's what is eventually going to happen anyway.

 

[SuperiorXI]

I don't get how no manager has come up with an effective counter measure yet.

 

[Bwuk]

Don't park the bus because they'll eventually score.

Take the game to them.

 

[Verminator]

Don't park the bus because they'll eventually score.

Take the game to them.

And they'll score sooner.

 

[Member 39557]

Follow the signs to the stadium.

 

[bosnian_red]

The Inter vs Barcelona in 2010 approach (Inter's home leg). Defend solidly but not camped outside your box. Don't let them progress through the middle of the pitch, stop the inside passes to de bruyne and silva and force them to stay deeper or just force it wide for progression and then snuff them out there. Hard to do, but City struggled at Old Trafford in terms of breaking through the middle of the pitch and getting runs at our defence. Our problem in that game was awful defensive mistakes from set pieces gifting them goals, and then playing really badly on the break. But also on the offensive side of things, you need your striker to hold the ball up really well and give us those few seconds to counter effectively.

That's our best route IMO. Out of every side, then it'd be how liverpool play at their best probably, where they press like crazy and force them into mistakes. Or just outplay them like what Barcelona/Madrid/Bayern are capable of doing.

 

[breakout67]

We had a pretty good formula at OT, only for Lukaku to hand them two goals and miss a sitter.

 

[El Zoido]

Park the bus and hope they have an off day.

 

[r3idy]

Watch how City play and score. Ball goes from Fullback in a wide position in field as soon as they get near the half way line. Then it's one of two passes. Slide rule pass behind the opposing full back or across the 18 yard box. Unfortunately for us that would mean packing the midfield and forcing Citys play wide as possible.

On the break I genuinely think Rashford would have a good game if we can get the ball in behind them accurately and turn Otamendi etc. No good playing Martial in my opinion. He carries the ball and would simply not have the space to do anything creative. City are the masters at professional fouls to break up the opposition play and slow play down.

The way to win would be hugely unpopular but essentially, pack the midfield, force them wide and hit them on the break.

 

[Deleted member 101472]

Follow the signs to the stadium.

/thread

 

[King Eric 7]

Clone DDG and put him in goal with himself. The clone won't have the jersey and will save with his feet only. No-one has had to try to score against two world class goalies before. It will mess with their heads. It might work.

I'd say park the bus at their ground. We will have a small handful of chances but if clinical it's our best chance to pick up points while our squad isn't playing as well as theirs.

 

[shabadu84]

Kick the crap out of them. Probably won't help us win the game but it would be funny and that's good enough for me.

 

[Xeno]

I don't get how no manager has come up with an effective counter measure yet.

They need to meet Brendan.

 

[BluesJr]

I don't get how no manager has come up with an effective counter measure yet.

Because it’s the best way to play football if you have great players. It should be copied and adapted, fighting against it by parking the bus etc is just not productive.

 

[RedDevil@84]

Park the bus and try to catch them on individual mistakes. If we play an open game, they will tear us a new one.

 

[NK86]

The best way to beat them is attacking with pace. If we dally around, we will get pressed into submission.

Also, as someone pointed out, the first pass after recovering the ball is so crucial. They come at you in packs and block all possible angles. Knowing our players, we will either hit it to DDG or go route 1. Both ways we lose possession and they come back at us again.

We have to show some guts and ability on the ball to pasa around. If we go long all the time, we will have 30% possession and a humiliating performance and defeat on our hands.

 

[OnlyTwoDaSilvas]

Long balls. Their centre backs are piss weak in the air, even the aging Kompany looks nowhere near as commanding as he once was. A toddler could knock Laporte out of the way.

Pep himself once went long ball over Klopps ultra high press at Dortmund, so he wouldn't be in a position to get all high and mighty about it. Not that I'd give a shit. If we won by Lukaku bouncing the ball in off his arse from a Smalling up 'n under, I wouldn't care. Shove your 900 passes up your arse.

 

[NK86]

Park the bus and try to catch them on individual mistakes. If we play an open game, they will tear us a new one.

I don't think we will play an open game. No way actually. But parking the bus will also result in a loss. They will surely score. We have to ensure we score as well.

 

[RedDevil@84]

We had a pretty good formula at OT, only for Lukaku to hand them two goals and miss a sitter.

One could argue that it was a difficult away match. So they were very cautious. They don't need to be so cautious at home

 

[Liver_bird]

For United pressing in a mid block.
For us playing our natural game which worked. ( Anfield, although it was pretty even at the Etihad till the sending off )
For Europe's elite a variation of the two as well as playing their natural game.

It's not impossible by any means, it's just they're really really good.

 

[ZAGREB RED]

I don't think there is much debate about how United will play in the next game against City, same as last time. Hoping to be proved wrong though.

 

[RedDevil@84]

Long balls.

Our long ball accuracy(not talking about comparative stats) is a bit meh. We hardly create good chances with them

 

[JPRouve]

Defend deep and attack with everything you have and speed.

 

[NK86]

Long balls. Their centre backs are piss weak in the air, even the aging Kompany looks nowhere near as commanding as he once was. A toddler could knock Laporte out of the way.

Pep himself once went long ball over Klopps ultra high press at Dortmund, so he wouldn't be in a position to get all high and mighty about it. Not that I'd give a shit. If we won by Lukaku bouncing the ball in off his arse from a Smalling up 'n under, I wouldn't care. Shove your 900 passes up your arse.

Going long with Lukaku's hold-up play is plain stupid. He will either jump under the ball each time or flick it on to their defenders. We have to get past their press in our own half. Their midfield can be got at if we can avoid surrendering possession as soon as we get the ball back.

 

[James Peril]

If they are on, they will crush us like everyone else. If we are lucky and they are off, or missing key players like de Bruyne, we should park the bus and hope for the best. Their team and setup is lightyears ahead of us, it’s the sad truth.

 

[RedDevil@84]

I am waiting for someone to start "We are Man Utd ffs" on this thread and also to feel ashamed and embarrassed by the thread

 

[Classical Mechanic]

Our team will have to sit in and counter effectively.

 

[NK86]

For United pressing in a mid block.
For us playing our natural game which worked. ( Anfield, although it was pretty even at the Etihad till the sending off )
For Europe's elite a variation of the two as well as playing their natural game.

It's not impossible by any means, it's just they're really really good.

For all my hatred for Liverpool, you guys train for your pressing. We don't seem to. So we have to go for the mid or low block. Works well if we can then attack with pace, else it will be a bore fest for us.

 

[Class of 63]

Sneaking an extra player on the pitch might help, unless it's(enter player of choice)

 

[RedDevil@84]

Play act like them.. React as if someone snapped off the leg for most tackles.. If you don't get anything from the ref, at least you will get the City players and Pep go mad
Maybe they ll lose the concentration

 

[Speedy30]

Until Mane was sent off, it was a pretty even match between us and we actually had a few changes. Salah had missed a few up to that point so he was due to score one.
Once you go down to 10 men, City are not going to show any mercy. Even against 11, they hot favourites, against 10, you may as well just go home

 

[Murder on Zidanes Floor]

Vertical passing through KDB and Silva. Both are good going forward but not defensive screeners. Two options on Fernandhino and you're on their back 3.

 

[mav_9me]

Going long with Lukaku's hold-up play is plain stupid. He will either jump under the ball each time or flick it on to their defenders. We have to get past their press in our own half. Their midfield can be got at if we can avoid surrendering possession as soon as we get the ball back.

Which of course with Smalling, Jones, Young in there is not gonna happen. It will be hoofball after hoofball.

you are right in what you say but it can only happen if:

1) You are decent on the ball at the back, which we are not.
2) You need to train on that, which we don't
3) The alternative is long balls with somebody who can hold it up, which is not quite Lukaku's strength.

Not to be pessimistic but basically defending on low block and hoping to hit on counter. Not too dissimilar to our home game where we did ok.

 

[Adisa]

Don't see the point of discussing it.
Every man and his dog knows how we're going to set up.
Just hope we get lucky.

 

[We need an rvn]

4231 - but really depends who's fit. I'd love the threat of Shaw / Alexi on the left. Whatever 2 central defenders Jose choses as he'll know best. Valencia on the right. Then Matic and that Scotsman as the holding 2. I'd throw a spanner in the works and put Pogs as the fake 10 and speed on the right. No one else but big Luk up front as we have no one else but he can bully Kompany.

Only way I can see it. Would not park the bus as that's a proven failure as they eventually grind you down, they're just too good with the short pass.