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Manchester United had been humiliated once more this afternoon by arch-rivals Liverpool.
There have been few players who might maintain their head up excessive for the Pink Devils, with many blaming midfielder Casemiro and supervisor Erik ten Hag in equal measure.
Among the many “not so dangerous” performers as soon as once more was teenager Kobbie Mainoo, Casemiro’s midfield accomplice.
Mainoo has been sensational since he broke into the primary workforce in late 2023 and is definitely now the primary title on the teamsheet.
Casemiro’s days, sadly, look numbered after the false daybreak of a good opening Premier League efficiency this season in opposition to Fulham. United have accomplished the signing of his pure successor, Manuel Ugarte, who must be accessible for the aspect’s subsequent match in opposition to Southampton in two weeks’ time.
Nonetheless, there’s a sense among the many fanbase that Ugarte alone is not going to repair the large downside that’s how simply United’s midfield is overrun.
So, if Mainoo is as proficient as everybody says he’s and Ugarte is like Casemiro on steroids, why the pessimism that issues received’t get higher?
The difficulty lies within the system employed by Erik ten Hag, a tactical faux-pas that creates a vacuum proper within the centre of the park.
The actual fact is that sensible as he’s, Mainoo shouldn’t be an elite passer of the ball, and Ugarte definitely shouldn’t be both.
Ten Hag needs his full backs inverted to create an additional man in midfield, permitting the quantity 10, Bruno Fernandes, to remain additional ahead up the pitch. Nonetheless, none of United’s full backs are precisely Paul Scholes relating to their vary of passing.
Ten Hag’s ways appear to easily be to roll it out to the wings and for the winger, and/or the overlapping or underlapping full again, to create the possibilities for the strikers to knock in.
This makes it very straightforward for the opposition managers, who usually deploy double markers on United’s wingers, understanding that there’s little menace to return from anyplace else.
Because of this, Fernandes usually will get drawn out broad to assist develop the assault, as might be seen from his current heatmaps, however this then signifies that there aren’t enough our bodies in and across the field to get on the top of any crosses that do finally arrive.
There’s a enormous hole between the attacking 4 and the midfield two and this is not going to be rectified by Ugarte’s arrival.
United merely want higher passers deeper in midfield.
Ten Hag’s United had been at their greatest when Christian Eriksen partnered Casemiro, and that was simply as a lot due to the Dane because it was the then-excellent Brazilian.
With neat, tidy, progressive Mainoo, there additionally must be somebody with that form of passing vary in and across the centre circle in order that not each assault begins on the wings.
This was so evident in opposition to Liverpool right now, when United’s passing was embarrassing at occasions and the midfield overrun consequently.
Ten Hag wants both to revert to a 4-3-3, pulling Fernandes deeper again into midfield to offer that passing vary, or to redeploy Mainoo as a six and play him alongside a deep mendacity playmaker reminiscent of Eriksen, and even Fernandes himself, with Mason Mount or Joshua Zirkzee changing him within the 10.
United have many points however this fundamental tactical one is so apparent, it beggars perception that Ten Hag has not addressed it by now.
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