Ole's tactical weaknesses have been figured out?

[Teja]

I feel like for the first two seasons with Ole, everyone came at us with a different approach. Some teams decided we were weak and decided to attack gung ho and got murdered on the counter. Some teams just sat back 10 men behind the ball as if we were the United sides of old. Some tried to just play their default tactics, let us build out the back but apply pressure in a mid block. We were able to make something work against all these approaches.

This season I think there's been a pretty formulaic way for midtable sides to set up against us:

Play a narrow formation. 5-3-2 works best because it clogs up the center of the park, but you can use whatever formation you'd like and just sit extremely narrow on defence with 3 hardworking players in the middle. At this point, if I see a 5-3-2 against us I know we're in for a miserable game. I'd love to see some stats we have specifically against teams that play 5-3-2.

Commit to the counter with pacy players, work the channels etc. Not really a United specific thing but our nonexistent press and inability to win the second balls means this works very well against us.

Run the high press specifically on our goal kicks, throw-ins etc. and fall back quickly if it's beaten.

 

[romufc]

I dont think there is a specific formation or way of playing against us.

It seems any formation, any tactic works against us.

If the team comes and wants to press high, we cannot get past the press so eventually one of our defenders or CDM's will give it away.

If we go long, we will lose the second ball and you can attack us.

If you want to be defensive set up in a 442 block and play narrow, we will give the ball away, won't track or press and it will be a simple counter attack.

If teams are struggling to get past DDG in open play, get a corner or set piece, we give away loads of fouls anyway, any half decent delivery will cause us problems.

Defensively, I dont think its hard to defend United, just make sure you dont give space to anyone outside the area, Manuts wont pass through teams.

Set pieces are just as bad.

All in all, we are probably the easiest teams to play against in the PL.

 

[Flytan]

Forget patterns of play and formations. Ole's lack of coaching is so bad that most of our squad begin games completely unprepared for the opponent and aren't even focused on the task at hand. It's why we fall behind so often and the Maguire situation against Leicester is the perfect example of that. He shouldn't have been near the pitch. Ole is tactically inept, but he's also completely inept when it comes to preparing his squad.

 

[devilish]

Tactics?

 

[Enigma_87]

Has anyone figured out his tactical strengths, yet?

 

[red4ever 79]

Freestyle and Moments FC

 

[Teja]

Tactics?

Has anyone figured out his tactical strengths, yet?

Freestyle and Moments FC

Come on guys, there's a 1000 other threads for this

I think we do just fine if

(a) The opposition drops off and lets us build out of the back or at the very least has a pressing game that's as bad as ours.
(b) They play a high line and attack us (Leeds etc.)
(c) Play something that leaves some space in the middle. An opposition playing 4-4-2 with normal width is enough for our attacking players to find space.

I think (a) might actually happen now that we have Rashford back.

 

[devilish]

Come on guys, there's a 1000 other threads for this

I think we do just fine if

(a) The opposition drops off and lets us build out of the back or at the very least has a pressing game that's as bad as ours.
(b) They play a high line and attack us (Leeds etc.)
(c) Play something that leaves some space in the middle. An opposition playing 4-4-2 with normal width is enough for our attacking players to find space.

I think (a) might actually happen now that we have Rashford back.

the only tactic I can see with him around is counter attack football. Thus we need to play Bielsa week in week out.

 

[largelyworried]

There are so many issues tactically that its getting painful to watch. We're out numbered and out worked in the middle of the pitch. Even if McFred were in form, Bruno just goes where he wants these days, so we're frequently a man down in that area. The opposition are just planting three bodies in there and having a field day, either breaking up our play or retaining the ball. There was one moment on Saturday on about the hour where Bruno tries to quickly break into space with two other attackers, and when he loses the ball there's the entire centre circle between him and the other midfielders. That's just wild. Not what you'd call compact.

We're much too susceptible to a high press for a big club, pressing our defenders or keeper gives them the shits. On the other hand our press is malfunctioning now, the opposition seem to benefit from it more than we do as it just makes more space in midfield for them.

We're a bit better at dealing with a low block than before, but nothing like as good as we need to be. On the other hand, our counter attack game seems to have gone off the boil, something that we were always good at under Ole.

Very little is working right now.

 

[Foxbatt]

How can the opposition figure out anything? We ourselves don't know what we are doing.