The diamond

[Bebestation]

Maguire - Mctomminay/Matic/Fred- shaw
Awb - Pogba - Bruno - Telles
VDB
Greenwood- Rashford/Martial

352 to 442 diamond in game change

AwB- Maguire-- Shaw- Telles
Mctomminay/Fred/Matic
Pogba - Bruno
VDB
Greenwood- Rashford/Martial


Our midfielders can swap around ( Matic, Mctomminay, Pogba, Fred, Mata,VDB)​

 

[SoCross]

Thought i posted this in that thread, my mistake. Still, did we not setup like a 3-4-1-2 today?

We set up like that for sure but then switched to the diamond. Both formations did their job today, Ole earned his money!

 

[Andycoleno9]

One of teams which i really loved to watch and i rate them as one of the best in history (in top 5 for sure) was Milan in 2000s where Ancelotti rotated diamond and christmas tree formation. That was brilliant to watch. In diamond he didn't even had attacking full backs and played with basically two central defenders on full back position so you don't need fb to provide you width, you can do it with midfielders and two attackers. And we have similiar squad to play that.
Ok, i will skip comparing defences because Maldini-Nesta pairing is maybe the best in history (for me the best) but midfield is similiar. Fred can play Gattuso role, Pogba can be Pirlo, Bruno on Rui Costa role and VDB can be our Seedorf. Martial or Cavani can play as poacher like Inzaghi was (i know, i know, there is only one Inzaghi but still ) and Rashford can play Sevcenko role as roaming striker.

Of course, not saying that we can play on that level because it was one of the best teams in the world and had world class manager but still why not try with it and stick with it.

 

[Andycoleno9]

Diamond rules!

 

[OleBoiii]

Diamonds are foreveeeeeer.

Not necessarily for every game. Variety is key.

 

[IrishRedDevil]

Shine bright like a diamond

 

[paulscholes18]

We don’t have any wingers so don’t play with them. Our two best performances have been when we not used them

 

[VorZakone]

"But you need highly offensive fullbacks to make it work"

 

[DancingPanda]

Shine bright like a diamond

Shine on you crazy diamond *

So close

 

[Bebestation]

Pogba and Bruno can provide the width needed with the ability to take central positions when the space is available.

 

[Judas]

It suits us, and I hope we see it more.

 

[jamesjimmybyrondean]

I'm calling it. It's our best formation even against low block

 

[united for life]

d

Diamonds are foreveeeeeer.

Not necessarily for every game. Variety is key.

True. It’s a game by game decision for Ole. We should not get too excited by today’s win. A great win yes, but after PSG’s game, some might argue 3 at the back is a must.
Ole’s showing again that he has the brains tactically to win games

 

[Andycoleno9]

We don’t have any wingers so don’t play with them. Our two best performances have been when we not used them

This. This. This.
I keep saying that lately. We have four strikers. 4 excellent strikers. And 6 midfielders. But zero wingers in squad (i know we have James ). Use what you have.

 

[Delano]

It's what we need to be playing game in game out. It gets the best out of our best players.

Throw Telles into the mix and we are laughing.

 

[Andycoleno9]

I'm calling it. It's our best formation even against low block

You can't call it. I called it first. feck off. Find something else to call.

 

[Andy_Cole]

Diamonds are forever

 

[Bojan11]

It gets the best out of Rashford and Martial.

 

[Brwned]

I like the diamond but people get a bit caught up with systems on here. When Cavani went on it was a 433 and we were even more dangerous. What turned the game today was Bruno and Rashford coming on smelling blood. We're still very much a team of individuals and they drove it forward.

 

[Albin Johansson]

"But you need highly offensive fullbacks to make it work"

This. This. This.
I keep saying that lately. We have four strikers. 4 excellent strikers. And 6 midfielders. But zero wingers in squad (i know we have James ). Use what you have.

T H I S, it is so frustrating seeing people argue against e.g. diamond or 3 at the back with the "lack of offensive wingbacks" argument, as if dan james excels in 4-2-3-1!? We don't need to win 5-0 for anyone to see that a tight midfield maximizes the quality of the squad.

 

[Cutch]

Did we not finish with a 4-2-3-1?

Still not convinced with the diamond to be honest. Too congested through the middle for my liking, and not enough width til we changed formation. It does make us look solid though until we get fresh legs on to win the game

 

[sammyhol]

Sorry to disagree with everyone here... but we played the diamond for 55 mins, and could barely string 2 passes together..

we then changed it and looked a different side...

am I missing something?

 

[Castia]

Looks good

Can get our better midfielders on the pitch, even VDB, Pogba and Bruno considering we’d have a proper sitting DM

 

[Andycoleno9]

Sorry to disagree with everyone here... but we played the diamond for 55 mins, and could barely string 2 passes together..

we then changed it and looked a different side...

am I missing something?

We changed it in 80th minute. And played most of game without Bruno and Rashford.

 

[Infra-red]

We definitely want two of Matic/Fred/McTominay starting games, or we'll leave the CBs exposed.

Assuming we also want two of Pogba/VDB/Fernandes starting, too, this system is one of the few ways we can achieve that.

 

[Kag]

The diamond is no panacea to all of our problems; it has a time and a place. Just appreciate the fact that we have the players to shift from system to system with increased ease.

 

[sammyhol]

We changed it in 80th minute. And played most of game without Bruno and Rashford.

for me, as soon as Scott came on he went into a two man midfield with Fred, giving Bruno and Pogba completely free roles, mainly coming in from wide areas...

so a 4222, or a 442....

then 4231 once Cavani came on.

but when it was a diamond of Matic, pogba, Fred and VDB, we defended well, but on the ball we were pants.

 

[sammyhol]

for me, as soon as Scott came on he went into a two man midfield with Fred, giving Bruno and Pogba completely free roles, mainly coming in from wide areas...

so a 4222, or a 442....

then 4231 once Cavani came on.

but when it was a diamond of Matic, pogba, Fred and VDB, we defended well, but on the ball we were pants.

especially when trying to play out from the back against a high press

 

[Giggsyking]

I stand firm on my OP and think this formation is what suits us best. I love it, even when we defended in the first half we looked solid.

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

It's something Ole experimented with when he first took over. Mainly used it in the so-called tougher games to pack the midfield and it worked pretty well. We saw it last week against PSG, which ultimately won us the game.

As well as it being a pretty balanced formation, it suits the players we have.

It allows our strikers to play as wide forwards, where they can drift wide, as opposed to playing with their back to goal all the time.

There's been a lot of how we can potentially fit most of our midfielders in, whilst still keeping our balance. It seems to do that.

In a game where teams are a bit more stubborn defensively, we could potentially have Telles in for Shaw, but all in all, it seems to work well, and going forward, it's something I'd want Ole to use a lot more.

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

I stand firm on my OP and think this formation is what suits us best. I love it, even when we defended in the first half we looked solid.

Almost Leipzig had a lot of the ball, I never at one moment felt worried that we were going to concede. As you said, we looked solid.

 

[Crashoutcassius]

I'm glad we tried it and that it is now an option, especially since we signed cavani

I don't think it is perfect for everygame but hopefully we try it a few more times especially when telles is back

 

[Adam-Utd]

I think this is genuinely the way to unlock pogba.

every one of our players look suited to play this way too.

we don’t end up relying on fullbacks playing 1v1 either which is the main difference, we actually pass and move properly.

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

I think this is genuinely the way to unlock pogba.

every one of our players look suited to play this way too.

we don’t end up relying on fullbacks playing 1v1 either which is the main difference, we actually pass and move properly.

But it was a diamond, right?

 

[Berbasbullet]

But it was a diamond, right?

will he finally admit it?

 

[sammyhol]

Opinions ey?!

I must have watched a different game...

for an hour to me it’s was:

Failed Leipzig attack.... eventually short de Gea goal kick to CBs..... Few passes across the back line struggling to find an out ball.... eventually one of our FBs gets pressed without an easy pass up the line and hoof the ball clear.... and repeat.

then brought Scott on in a 2 man CM with Fred and gave everyone else free roles further forward, and looked a different side.

agree that we did look solid... but the football for an hour was turgid... not something I’d want to watch huge amounts of.

 

[spiriticon]

I have to admit, I wasn't convinced about it before but it works!!!!

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

will he finally admit it?

He'll be silly not to.

 

[He'sRaldo]

It doesn't even have to be a straight up diamond. Just that general shape with 3 in midfield offers such good coverage especially with the midfielders we have.

It's definitely the way forward. Which is baffling because we used it when Ole first came in and should not have reverted to the 4-2-3-1, for a whole season at that. Ah well, anytime's the right time to make the correct decision.

 

[charlenefan]

I think this is genuinely the way to unlock pogba.

every one of our players look suited to play this way too.

we don’t end up relying on fullbacks playing 1v1 either which is the main difference, we actually pass and move properly.

If it's a choice between playing MMM up front or a diamond which gets the best out of Pogba I'm not picking the later