23 Oct 2020 13:05:01
The question of whether we have a strong enough squad has been asked. So here is my take.

Our squad last season had clear and obvious deficiencies. We didn't have a first choice RW, our defence although kept a good number of clean sheets didn't look convincing, we struggled to break down teams that sat deep and our subs bench was very poor. Lots of people complained that Ole didn't change things up during games, but the reality is that the players on the bench just weren't good enough.

I think considering the high number of young players in our squad it can improve over time without adding new players just by those young players developing and improving. While we don't have many players who should be declining.

However, I think the question as to whether we can improve this season will depend on a shift in tactics and shape.

Last season we played 4231 almost exclusively. The weaknesses that were apparent was the lack of quality RW, balance in midfield and finding the right CB partnership. This lead to most fans feeling we needed to sign a RW, CDM and CB this summer.

Which we didn't. So if we try to play the same way as last season without those players we needed to improve then we will likely struggle much the same as we did last season.

However, if we switch to a 3412/ 41212 shape, with an alternative tactic of possession football with quick transitions, and moving the ball far more quicker then I think this squad could improve on last season's performances and results.

Three at the back would improve and strengthen our defensive solidity, while playing Tuanzebe, Maguire and Shaw would give us three players who are comfortable on the ball and can offer a great base to play out from the back from. In midfield, Matic is aging, but a more mobile defensive presence in McTominay or Fred could work excellently, with the extra body behind them meaning we don't need a sitting holding midfielder. This would enable us to play two of Pogba, Bruno or Donny as creative options meaning it will be harder to mark our creative player out of the game as we would have two, and man marking two players is severely limiting to a team.

Add the delivery from Alex Telles, the ability of Cavani for direct balls, and the continued improvement of Martial, Rashford and Greenwood and suddenly we look a real threat going forward, should in defence and creative through the middle.

Add an option like James, Traore or Pellistri as a wide creative option, or even Mata on the inside right and suddenly we can shift into something more like 343 and shift creativity to the right wing to balance out the creativity from Alex Telles on the left.

It's not always about buying players to improve a side, a change in system that makes better use of the players can massively improve a side, young players can step up, or other players can have the penny drop and kick on.

I think this is a better squad than the one we had last season, while its main strength for me is still it's potential.

1.) 23 Oct 2020
23 Oct 2020 20:29:04
Issue with all of this is width.
All of your formations are narrow by nature.
And Old Trafford is a massive pitch.

So it sounds good on paper and might make sense with the players we have, but it certainly isn’t making use of our pitch 🤕.

2.) 23 Oct 2020
23 Oct 2020 21:37:09
Jonny, I agree there is an issue with width. However, we lack any quality wide players. Our best "wide" player is Rashford, who only starts wide but plays more on the inside left channel and drifts centrally naturally.

The most important thing in team sports is to play to your strengths. We have no quality wide players, whereas we have 3 maybe even four quality central creative players in Pogba, Bruno, Donny and Mata. While we have 4 quality strikers in Rashford, Martial, Greenwood and Cavani.

Finding a system that gets most of our best players on the pitch in their best position will likely yield the best results.

In Telles we have a player who can off width from wing back on the left. While AWB started off as a winger and could be taught/ developed into a better offensive outlet. While Williams is decent going forward and Laird is excellent at youth level.

If we are to play with width in the forward areas we will either have to player square pegs in round holes or hope that one of James, Pellistri or Traore (from January) steps up.

Intelligent players like Bruno, Donny and Mata will naturally drift wide if that is where the space is.

We either trust in them, or try and force the squad to perform a function it is not well equipped to do.

3.) 24 Oct 2020
24 Oct 2020 05:01:59
Aren't all epl pitches now the same size? 🤔.