Author: Doron

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Naturally, fans tend to think about the players or a manager when either praising or criticising a club – rarely are the other members of staff considered. At United in the past 10 years, there is one member of staff in particular who deserves to be singled out above others, Rene Meulensteen.

It’s understandable that coaches and other backroom members of staff don’t necessarily get the attention they should – they’re referred to as ‘backroom’ for a reason. What they do and how they impact the club is somewhat unknown and unclear to a lot of fans – that’s not a criticism; their intricate workings are kept private and away from prying eyes.

Rene joined United in 2001 as Ferguson looked to expand his staff following the move to the Trafford Training Centre (Carrington) from The Cliff. His specific role was to work on both technique and skills with the various youth sides. United’s policy had always been to produce players who were capable on the ball, with a focus on quick passing football that entertains. Ferguson though was ready to take it to the next level and increase specialisation at the roots of the club.

You may have seen videos on YouTube recently, featuring a very young Danny Welbeck and Larnell Cole amongst others. The clips, whilst amusing, serve to highlight Rene’s long-term role in the development of ‘talent’. As boys joined the Academy aged 11 their footballing education began with lessons based on control, touch and the simple but effective skills that all players should have.

I’d have considered some of the skills to be more ‘street football’ – the kind of things I used to try all the time with friends in the road or on the playground. Traditionally though, coaching in England has always had more of a focus on other areas, things that do need to be coached into young players. Rene had a slightly different view, choosing to implement something he’d learnt under one of the unsung masters of footballing coaching, Wiel Coerver.

Having heard about Coerver’s methods, Rene spent much of the 90s in the Middle East learning about them and working alongside Wiel (who by then was already 70). Rene learnt that coaches should analyse what made players great in the past – skills that were previously effective shouldn’t be ignored and can be taught to a new generation. The entire method and theory centres on the fact that at a young age, the players know no better than to respond to the environment they’re put in. If they’re encouraged to practice their skills from that age then it’ll become natural for them to still be doing them and be good at them by the time they’re 17 and hopefully turning pro.

Implementing the Coerver Method at United became Rene’s challenge. The new generation of United players would be taught differently. Not that size has ever gone against a player coming through but the smaller players would be encouraged to be technically excellent so what they physically lacked they had elsewhere. A core part of what Coerver believed in was about a mixture of confidence and versatility. He suggested there was little wrong with playing a player with younger boys so he could physically compete but also believed that appreciating other positions was important. Skills can be used anywhere on the pitch regardless of where you play and so he encouraged the use of players in unfamiliar roles – we’ve seen that lately with Tom Thorpe in midfield and even Larnell Cole as a full back.

Last November, Rene spoke to United’s website about what he’s been doing: “It’s all about quick feet and a quick brain” – whilst Barcelona have been benefitting from this attitude and belief lately, United have to continue to be patient. The fruits of Rene and the other coaches’ hard work is only just starting to be felt. Welbeck and Cleverley represent the first more technically gifted players to have come through our Academy for some time. Whilst still raw, it’s obvious to see how they’ve benefitted – Welbeck in particular has fabulous control and skill for such a lanky player.

Since joining, Rene’s role has of course changed as he became more involved with the Reserves before eventually becoming a first team coach (he did manage Brøndy briefly for a spell in between it all too). The system he’s successfully managed to implement is a stock part of training for United players from the U11s up to the first team. It means that when players do breakthrough and train with the first team that they’re already familiar with the exercises and routines that they’re set to practice. It’s also allowed players to know each other inside out – it’s often been said that Cleverley and Welbeck; and Cole and Lingard are forever on the same wavelength, instinctively knowing each other’s movement and where to play the passes. It even prompted Welbeck to comment: “Sometimes I train against Larnell and Jesse and think I’m playing against a little Iniesta and Xavi.”

Whilst it might be wrong to single one coach out above others (Paul McGuinness in particular has been doing superb work with our U18s), it seems fitting that in Rene’s tenth season at United, so many of his first pupils have either made the breakthrough or made their debuts: Welbeck, Cleverley, Morrison, Fryers, W Keane, M Keane, Cole and although he’s not played for the first team, Lingard. In terms of United’s long term production of their own players, particularly given financial restrictions, Rene’s role should never be overlooked – a key member of staff whose impact on the club in the 21st century has already been unquestionably superb.

Author: Doron

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Coming to terms with United’s finish to the season and ultimately, the capitulation that’ll almost certainly see the title move across the city has been difficult. It’s also thrown up various theories as to why United have managed to mess up a relatively straight forward situation. Here, I asses a few of them and attempt to give a realistic stance on our situation.

The players and their injuries

The idea of ‘quality’ has cropped up numerous times this season, particularly when referring to the heart of the side – central midfield. On paper, United might seem well stocked in that area with Fletcher, Cleverley, Anderson, Carrick, Giggs, and at one time or another Gibson, Scholes and Pogba. However, as the saying goes, it’s quality not quantity – well, actually it’s a mix of the two if you’re a top football club.

Identifying what it actually is that United lack in the middle is down to the individual. Some believe the club lacks an enforcer and leader, and has done ever since Keane left. Others will suggest that United need more creativity, a player who can unlock even the most stubborn of defences. Some, the greedy bunch(!), believe that actually United need both.

However, when looking back upon this season one will inevitably have to look at the squad and the injuries. It’s not an excuse to highlight that United have had more injuries than any other club this season whilst their main rivals, Man City, have had the fewest number of injuries (REF: Physioroom and injury league). Injuries are inevitable part of football but that kind of polar difference is lucky in Man City’s favour. For most of this season, United have been without their captain, Vidic, and a key influential midfielder, Fletcher. Other players have had a series of knocks which have forced Fergie to use Zeki Fryers, a young Reserve player as well as start with Rafael and Park in central midfield at home to Blackburn.

Now, you have to ask yourself: how, given the injuries that United and City have had, are United level on points and likely to lose the league on goal difference only?

There isn’t one correct answer but I’d like to think that on some level, a lot of our squad is good enough. After all, Fergie knows best that it’s as much your ‘second XI’ that wins you the league as opposed to the first choice players. In that respect, the signings the past few years have been fine – Fergie’s been adding to the squad and those players have been positively contributing: Smalling, Valencia, Young, Jones, Hernandez etc. It’s the gloss on top that’s required now, a star player or two who can not only boost the morale amongst the players and fans, but importantly, scare opponents.

The Manager and the mind games

Criticising Fergie tends to be something that splits fans – there are plenty who are uncomfortable with the idea of suggesting that the grand old master can do anything wrong; others treat him like any other manager and point out his errors only too happily.

As far as I’m concerned, he’s made his errors this season, particularly, and bizarrely, in the past month. Dare I say it, (this won’t go down well with everyone) but the old man is starting to go a tiny bit senile. One tweeter nailed it: “Only Fergie could have put that team out last Monday (City), but only Fergie could have brought this squad so close to winning the league” – the incredible thing is only a few years ago, there’s no way Fergie would have got the team selection against City so utterly wrong; nor would he have failed to protect a 4-2 lead with ten minutes to spare.

Sadly, tactical ineptness and odd team selections are a common sight now. The past few years, Fergie has often got it wrong in big games against managers who tactically like to try something different. More to the point, Fergie’s tactics are all too predictable now and other managers are able to comfortably work out how to play against United. Fergie has in the past been very good at keeping ahead of footballing trends but United are one of the last clubs to revert to a 4-2-3-1 with a fluid front four. That’s not necessarily a bad thing presuming you have the players to play a different system well, but if you don’t a 4-2-3-1 will cause a 4-4-2 problems every time.

It’s often argued that tactics aren’t all that important in football, it’s the players that count. The players, as good as they may be are only human and are affected by non-footballing issues. One tactic used to disrupt their mental state is mind games, something that upon reflection, Fergie has been beaten at by Mancini.

Playing the media is an important skill for any manager to have these days and Fergie has usually been able to manipulate them in one way or another to his and United’s advantage. However, with United storming into a lead in the league this season, Mancini played a wild-card and declared the title race over. Since then, his side played care-free as if they had nothing to lose and won games with ease. United meanwhile stiffened up, got nervous and took four points from five games. The pendulum swung back in City’s favour. Deny it if you will but Mancini’s words got to Fergie, United’s players and importantly positively impacted his own players. I thought Mancini was a fool at the time but actually, he’s a bit of a genius.

The Owners and the finances

As has been common practice recently, any non-success is blamed on the Glazers and their ownership of the club. How convenient! Their leeching of our club exists and impacts our club even when we’re successful so any sudden outcry against them is somewhat fickle unless you are a regular criticiser of theirs. On this topic, I strongly recommend reading @herzogschild’s piece for The Huffington Post (only after reading this of course!)

If we’re talking about owners and finances though, it’s worth pointing out that United have had £500m drained out of the club by their American owners (who’ve not put a penny in). City meanwhile have had £930m pumped in by their Arab owners. I’ve no complaints with that, it’s true that to compete at the top you have to spend big – the frustrating thing is that United would at least have the option to compete if the Glazers weren’t there. The club make enough money themselves to be self sufficient without a wealthy owner.

One could argue that the effects of ‘Glazernomics’ are now being felt for the first time. Many fans believe that our failure to buy a good central midfielder in the past few years is because we’re unable to compete on transfer fee and wages in particular. If this is true, then suffering this season because of a lack of quality in the middle can be somewhat loosely tied to the inability to compete and sign the best players. However, the issue of the owners and our finances is not a new problem and shouldn’t just rear its head when the team fails – do read the piece I recommended, it contains everything that I’m not putting in here.

The life sucked out of the club

This for me is the most galling aspect of the title run-in and ultimately will be what I remember this season for whether we win the title or not.

For no obvious reason and apparent reason, United seem to have lost their fight, their spirit, and their ruthlessness. In the last six weeks of a season, something you wouldn’t really associate with the Fergie reign is complacency; and yet a 4-2 lead was thrown away at home to Everton. All the errors earlier in the season that had gone before became irrelevant as the inexplicable collapse took place and fortress Old Trafford became nothing more than a bouncy castle for away fans.

When not being complacent, United aren’t being ruthless. Beating QPR 2-0 at home is a prime example – they had ten men for a lot of the game and to just put two past them was incredibly generous. It was a similar story for Fulham at home and other games. In fact, United have been more than adequate away from home this season, it’s in front of their own fans that there have been very non-United issues.

It’s even visible amongst the fans too. The cleansing of supporters via high pricing and more corporate seats has created eerie and flat atmospheres; it’s now even being felt away from home with club sponsors being given away allocations ahead of fans. It’s probably not just a United thing to be honest, football in general continues to be globalised for the worst.

City

Realistically, they shouldn’t slip up at home to QPR and will deserve the title – whoever finishes first always deserves to be there. I find it hard to agree that City have been that much better than United though. They have played some fancy football but they’ve also had their slip ups and considering the cost of their squad and their lack of injuries, there’s something quite odd about only being able to win a league on goal difference (presuming United beat Sunderland).

The real difference between United and City though is that ruthlessness referred to before – City have gone and smashed teams when they’ve had the chance, including us, and that will be the exact reason why they are likely to win this title.

What next?

Even if United somehow win the league on the final weekend, there cannot be any papering over our cracks. The first XI needs strengthening, not the squad – the players and the fans need a star signing, a spark to rejuvenate everyone. As ever, it’s encouraging that we have talented younger players who are forcing their way into squads but it would be naive to think we can rely solely on them.

City will strengthen again and raise the bar; every club will need to respond to them, not just United. However, that challenge, and its challenges that Fergie relishes, could well provide the Scot with his last hurrah. His spell as United manager is edging ever closer to a finale and just like he was able to rebuild and respond to Chelsea, reacting and attempting to gazump City, win or lose this title, will probably be his final act.

So, believe the doom and don’t hide away from or try to make excuses for our deficiencies. As someone who is usually an optimist, facing up to the reality of this season is tough. A high points total and a lot of goals scored almost contradict the fact that it makes no sense to be criticising United given what’s gone against us. Even more so given that we had no right to challenge City’s lead and then overtake them; but that failure to hold on and the subsequent wobble and crash is a stark reminder that sometimes you have to look beyond the numbers and the competitors, and realise that a lot of United this season, on and off the pitch, from the owners to the fans, has been uncharacteristically (or not in the case of the owners) poor.

Authors: Doron, Nik and Rob

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Despite being a website with content about Man United written by Man United fans – we all happen to not only enjoy football in general, but watch a lot of it. Therefore, we’re trying something new – a weekly column looking at a few learnings and observations from the weekend’s football and not necessarily just in England. A new scribe shall be joining us on this column, Trinidad & Tobago’s finest, Rob. We’ll make no attempt to be neutral and we’ll attempt to link back to United where possible but otherwise enjoy our thoughts and ramblings.

Michael Oliver’s star is rising fast

Newly promoted to the Fifa list of referees this year, Michael Oliver is making exuberant progress in only his second full season on the Premier League. Given plenty of time on the sidelines (at the highest level) as fourth official last season and at the start of this, Oliver has been learning his trade vicariously, much in the same way as Ole Solskjaer did as a United legend from the bench. Referee bosses have been cautious in handling what looks like the hottest British talent in many years, gradually easing him in to pressure cooker of top-flight football. In a turbulent period for referees in this country, Oliver has stood out as the jewel in the proverbial crown. His fitness is exemplary, his positioning improving by the game and his calm demeanour and management of hot-headed ‘superstars’ unimaginably superlative given his age. In recent weeks his appointments have been more high profile too; Swansea v Arsenal last week, a West Midlands derby this (drafted in as Atkinson’s replacement on his ‘week off’). Nothing typified Oliver’s confident and no-nonsense approach than his dismissal of Karl Henry on Saturday for a stamp on Albrighton. In the right position as always, the 26 year old calmly surveyed the scene whilst approaching Henry, turned in behind the midfielder allowing a greater control of the situation and showed him the red card. You know you’re doing a good job when Mick McCarthy doesn’t even complain about your decision. Oliver is no longer one ‘for the future’, his star is rising fast, but he has already arrived.

Patrice Evra is still the best left-back in the Premier League

United captain Patrice Evra now seems well and truly out of the rut that saw him lose his swashbuckling form in and around the disastrous French World Cup campaign. In the months following the summer of 2010, Evra’s usual defensive domineering displays turned into placid, error-prone offerings; Last season there was a distinct change in emphasis, Evra instructed not to be so cavalier, and when he did venture into the final third his delivery was often very poor. Yet he remained in a successful side, and importantly, Fergie’s most trusted asset. This season has seen him gradually re-find his mojo and attacking acumen, with Smalling’s and Jones’ presence at right fullback crucial – their natural tendency as a centre half to form a three-man centre when the fullback is high gives Evra the confidence to attack with verve. Whilst it is true that Evra’s forays forward have often left United short down the left side, Ferdinand’s switch to left centre-half has aided the defensive shape. As has Young’s defensive work on that side, often in tandem with Carrick’s ubiquitous presence in the midfield sweeper role that he has made his own.

In fact, it has been the inverted wing play of both Young and Nani down United’s left side that has accidentally on purpose re-enlivened Evra’s spirit. Their movement inside as part of a fluid front four approach, has allowed the Frenchman the opportunity exploit the space, and he is a constant threat when in the mood he displayed at the Emirates – whether it was assisting Park’s opener versus Wigan or doing the same for Hernandez in the crucial game at Everton, or simply starting the moves with an interception that led to both the openers versus Arsenal and City away, Patrice is once again proving why the modern-day fullback is of vital importance to the team’s potency. He has also improved his general defensive outlay, particularly evident in the bigger games; notably more considered in his positioning in these games, he has worked hard to track his opponent as we saw with Walcott’s anonymity yesterday, and he has also helped out in central areas. Man of the match performances against Chelsea and Arsenal were the reward for his diligence, and his output versus City in the Cup, Totenham at home and Liverpool away should not go unnoticed.

With Cole struggling, many will point towards Jose Enrique’s progression at Liverpool or Baines’ work ethic and crossing ability as proof that there are better left sided fullbacks in the league. But both are far from the finished article and lack the ‘completeness’ of the Evra package. Not 31 until May this year, the left back is at his peak for a defender, and worryingly for United’s closest rivals, he seems to be finding consistency just at the right time.

Boo sucks to Arsenal “fans”

I’ll put this simply: Arsenal fans do not deserve a manager as good as Arsene Wenger. Before a season starts, “In Arsene We Trust” is the motto, but when the footy gets going, they mumble songs, murmur and whinge despite the excellent home form of their players and the surroundings of their brilliant new stadium. Booing when Wenger, one of the great youth developers of the Premier League, subbed a tiring 18-year old off? It was a truly cringe-worthy moment.

Their reaction could’ve been to give a standing ovation for a coruscating performance by a great young talent. But they decided to negate all that, by booing both a substitute and the manager, shattering the confidence of an already demoralised player, and killing the very significant tide of momentum their team had at that point in the game. They couldn’t do anything about the substitution being made or not, but they certainly did something to the morale of the team. Credit them, not Arshavin, with the assist for United’s winner.

Things that Arsenal fans should’ve been more concerned about:
1. Djourou.
2. The most overrated player in the Premier League playing at left back for them.
3. Ramsey getting tired after playing a hell of a lot of games this season… hmm, young player fitness issues? NAH.
4. Ignasi Miquel. He didn’t play, but I just find he has a weird face.

I’d love to see Arshavin come to United on a free, and smash a hat trick past them next season. Also, Arsene, could you resign from AFC and come manage the Trinidad and Tobago national team? We’ve got some good young players! Anyway, Arsenal “fans” are rubbish.

On the road… to a great away record

Few things in life can beat an away win over Arsenal. But one thing that’s been quietly overlooked is the amazing turnaround in our team’s away form. This campaign, United have the best away record in the league – albeit with some extremely taxing trips to come. What exactly has changed?

For one, aggression in midfield has been key. The mauling at Newcastle aside, United haven’t been overrun as often or as severely as they were last season, where Villa, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Wolves can each claim to have dominated United in central areas.

The side has been pressing and controlling the middle third with more authority, showing renewed vigour away from home *insert Giggsy pun*. Last season, United were 17th in the league at tackles per game (with 18.3), and 16th in terms of interceptions (14.6) away from home. This season’s away record sees the side jump to 6th in tackling (20.8) and 7th in interceptions (16.9). When the energy of Cleverley and Anderson was used earlier in the season, the attacking tailspin it created was too much for opposition defences to handle. The Jones-Carrick combo against Villa and QPR showed a pleasing mix of steel and silk, and could feature again when The Greatest Man in the Universe returns from injury in a few weeks.

When Giggs and Carrick have played together, they’ve relied on the finer arts of passing and dribbling to tire the opposition, and that’s helped to put teams like Fulham to bed by halftime. The Arsenal game demonstrated this very well, and if the first-half finishing from Danny and Nani had been better, it could’ve been a very comfy win. Even with Carrick carrying Giggs on a feathered palanquin (until Scholesy came on), and nursing a hamstring injury for 45 minutes, United dominated possession and dictated the tempo in the first half, while retaining the shape and fortitude in the second to repel a stirring Arsenal comeback, snatch a fine winner, and see out the game.

P.S. I could’ve named this bit “Best away record in the league? Blame Michael Carrick.” Since coming back from injury, he’s been sensational. According to WhoScored’s average player ratings, the Geordie Guardiola has been the 6th best player in the Premier League this season. Caveat: WhoScored also has Nasri in 10th place, so take this ranking with a pinch or an industrial silo full of salt, as appropriate.

Darron Gibson’s role at Everton

Since moving to Everton, Gibson has started in both league games away to Villa and home to Blackburn but what’s his role been and how’s he done?

Given plenty of responsibility, Gibson’s been used centrally as a link-man between Cahill and Fellaini. Whilst often found as the deepest of the three, he’s by no means played far back for Everton, he has license to push on. He’s certainly benefited from playing as part of a three and having players who move a lot around him – it’s given him freedom to play some nice attacking passes.

Maybe the biggest asset Gibson’s brought so far is his reading of the game, something he maybe wasn’t appreciated for at United or never got the chance to show. He’s made numerous interceptions in his first two games and has been key to ball retention. Whether Gibson is a bit too one-dimensional remains to be seen but he certainly provides a nice foil for those around him. If though Moyes does at some point decide to play two in the middle it’ll be interesting to see if he keeps his place – for now the early signs are solid and encouraging.

Fulham’s (mini) revival

Impressive wins over Arsenal and Newcastle in recent league games have seen something of the Fulham that Martin Jol envisaged when he took over. Make no mistake about it, two men in particular have been central to it.

Zamora’s recall to the side has served to prove just how important a player he is both for club and potentially for country with Euro 2012 looming. His link-up with Dempsey has been intriguing to say the least. The Newcastle game in particular, where Dempsey scored a hat-trick was fascinating. Despite playing as a striker, Zamora regularly dropped deep and was on the ball over twice as much as Dempsey, who, as soon as Zamora was in possession, set off on a forward run. One might have expected it to be the other way round but with Dempsey being direct and all-rounded, and Johnson fast, Zamora’s physical presence deeper is unnerving for opposition players and he ends up winning the ball on numerous occasions.

Murphy’s contribution also can’t be overlooked. As a deep playmaker he’s still one of the best passers in the league and is regularly spotting opportunities to float delightfully weighted forward passes.

Whilst Fulham are starting to tick at home they are just one of four sides who’ve only won once away from home – their seven goals scored in eleven away games is the worst record in the league and maybe Jol needs to have faith in the attacking football that’s recently been so successful at Craven Cottage.

The weekend’s unsung hero: David Luiz

Having been the subject of a lot of criticism this season, David Luiz turned in a really excellent performance away to Norwich. Up against physical and bullying strikers Morison and Holt this game had trouble written all over it.

However, it was Luiz’s partner, Terry, who appeared to be the one who struggled. Luiz was assured, confident and strong, Refusing to allow Holt or Morison get the better of him, Luiz for once used his physical presence to win battles and the signs that he appears to be learning are starting to show. Whilst in the past he’s committed to tackles too early and has been turned, this time he perfectly judged when to get tight and when to allow space between himself and the strikers.

Chelsea’s defending has been questionable at times this season but Luiz was crucial to a really impressive clean sheet.

Author: Stretford_End

Over the years United and Liverpool can boast about some of the most iconic midfielders this country is lucky enough to have ever seen. From Robson to Keane for United and Souness to Gerrard for Liverpool, there have been some epic clashes in the centre of the park. The match at Anfield will mark the 183rd time the two sides have met but United haven’t picked up a victory (at Anfield) since the 1-0 win in the December of 2007 (scored by Carlos Tevez of all people). In the time since that victory United have lost 2-1 in 08/09, 2-0 in 09/10 and 3-1 last season. Last season, United looked extremely pedestrian in the middle of the midfield, with Scholes and Carrick – this time around, I expect Ferguson to look for energy and drive in Fletcher and Anderson.

In 2007, Anderson and Hargreaves were the midfield duo in a 1-0 victory. Benitez would always line up his sides in a 4-2-3-1 formation, which of course means that United midfield duo would be outnumbered against the defensive clog that is Javier Mascherano, the industrious Gerrard and the guile and craft of Yossi Benayoun. Having said that, United had Carlos Tevez, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo in the lineup – with Tevez and Rooney often dropping deep to vacate space for Cristiano Ronaldo to run into. If my memory serves me correctly, Ronaldo had a poor match and was eventually moved up top after United sustained heavy Liverpool pressure towards the end of the match and tried to counter attack. Below you can see how Tevez and Rooney worked back to put in tackles deeper when United weren’t in possession of the football, which no doubt helped to bulk up the midfield presence:

Carlos Tevez Tackles versus Liverpool in 2007

Wayne Rooney Tackles versus Liverpool in 2007

If I was to pick my formation for the Liverpool match, I would like to see a lineup of 4-4-1-1, with Rooney operating off Danny Welbeck – who’s physical presence and pace could cause Carragher and Agger problems. Nani wide right to take on the impressive Enrique and hopefully try and nullify his surging attacking runs – something that Antonio Valencia has done very well at down the seasons. Ashley Young should play wide left and will provide that attacking threat from cutting in onto his right foot to either unleash a shot or try and influence play and create space for Patrice Evra to bomb into. That leaves the two key central positions.

Fletcher and Anderson, for me, will provide the legs and energy whilst having the quality to keep the ball and make Liverpool’s quartet work for the ball. Anderson has superb stamina and will be key at tracking runs from midfield and will help to press high up the pitch, which in turn will put pressure on Liverpool’s deeper creative threats – like the direct Charlie Adam who does look to go long at times. The obvious aerial ability of Andy Carroll will be a threat to United, meaning that any outlet that could provide service will need to be dealt with. Fletcher will no doubt still be having nightmares from Wednesday night following another superb Spanish performance – but Scotland’s captain lasted 85 minutes in what was a monumentally hard task. He has always been an extremely fit lad and it was a big blow to lose him towards the end of last season following an illness.

I’ve also spoken previously about the introduction of Chris Smalling at right back in games that of a physical nature and sides that are dangerous from set pieces – which will no doubt be an issue with the delivery of Downing and Adam from corners and free kicks. However, much depends on the fitness of Nemanja Vidic, who played midweek for Serbia and missed a crucial penalty for his country – who will miss Euro 2012. Either Anderson or Fletcher will have to pick up deep Suarez, who will no doubt try and influence play closer to his own goal rather than on the shoulder of the centre half.

So, I would probably have a midfield four as follows, which of course is supported by the roaming Wayne Rooney:

So what do you think? Will United lineup this way or will Ferguson opt for a 4-3-3 with Rooney as a lone forward supported by Nani and Young in wide areas? Will the pressing and stamina of both Fletcher and Anderson help to nullify Liverpool’s attacking threat from deep? Anderson and Fletcher can also initiate counter attacks and run with the ball through midfield before distributing to either of the front four.

Any comments/thoughts are always welcome in the comments box.

AUTHOR: – Stretford End

Ok, I’m not going to make out I am an expert in Spanish football, nor am I going to nod approvingly at a goal scored by Bojan in the 62nd minute in the 8 nil victory over Almeria earlier in the season – because I never saw it. I do try and tune into Revista La Liga and obviously watch as much football on a Sunday evening (that is when the missus hasn’t got ‘The only way is Essex’ on), but I didn’t want to give the impressive that I am a seasoned connoisseur in all things Spanish. However, I have always admired the magnificent football of Barcelona and the DNA that has been instilled in the club from the Johan Cruyff and Rinus Michels days.

This blog aims to look at the goals Barcelona have scored and conceded in the Champions League this season, whilst comparing that with Manchester United.

So who has scored for Barcelona in Europe this season? The pie chart below shows a breakdown:

Massive surprise that Lionel Messi has scored more than a third of all Barcelona’s goals in Europe this season. To drill down, he has scored 38% of Barcelona’s goals compared to Pedro, who has notched up 15% of Barca’s goals. We will drill down on individual players later on in the blog, however for now I wanted to formulate the stats prior to any analysis. Below is a table highlight the goals scored against Barcelona in this seasons competition:

One thing that is clear is that out of the eight goals scored against Barcelona this season, only one team has victorious – Arsenal in the first leg of their last 16 tie. All goals scored against Barcelona are quite different as well. We have a long punt down the field, which is then flicked on for Sidney Govou to open the scoring in the first group game involving Barcelona. This was the only game in which Barcelona scored second and went onto win the game, quite convincingly might I add.

Some of the goals scored against Barcelona don’t always reflect the balance of play. For example, in the 1-1 away draw with Rubin Kazan – the Spanish Champions had seventeen shots on goal compared to the hosts eight. Wayward shooting was to blame, with Barcelona only hitting the target four times out of the seventeen, however the player positions below highlight the dominance of the visitors in the match:

It is clear to see the 3-4-3 formation that Barcelona adopt once attacking, with the holding midfielder Javier Mascherano dropping in between Puyol and Pique. This is a classic trait of total football, which has been adopted by Barcelona since the days of Cruyff, interchanging of position and flexibility in moving forward. High pressing is also another trait, which is key to Barcelona winning the ball back high up the pitch -

Do United stick or twist?

I am still adamant that United were far too gung-ho against Barcelona in Rome, although I understand as to why Sir Alex setup the side to attack from the start and score the first goal of the game. However, once Samuel Eto’o scored, the tie was unfortunately over – with United running out of ideas as the match elapsed. Although that may seem incredibly defeatist, considering there were another eighty odd minutes left to play, United were left shell shocked and left far too much space between the midfield and defence – which inevitably saw Carrick overrun and Xavi setting up Messi for a second goal.

Lets take a look at the opening goal and the United setup. Iniesta picks the ball up on the half way line and then faces the United goal:

He then proceeds to drive forward, ignoring the pass to his left for Lionel Messi. Both Carrick and Anderson are in between the Spaniard and the space in front of the defence:

Iniesta passes both Anderson and Michael Carrick like they’re not there. His effortless gliding across the turf and through United’s two deeper midfielders made a mockery of Ferguson’s initial game plan:

Iniesta’s burst and acceleration passed the pedestrianised Anderson and Carrick, meant that Ferdinand had to close him down – which ultimately led to the key pass to Eto’o, who found himself one on one with Vidic:

Now, the key issue with this is shape. Mourinho opted to keep the shape of his Inter side in April 2010 and won tie, whilst deploying the same strategy at home with Madrid in this season’s tournament, which backfired spectacularly. Mourinho will no doubt point at the dismissal of Pepe, which gave Lionel Messi the space he needed to win the tie for his side, as the reason why Barcelona were victorious. However, it must be noted that Mourinho doesn’t line up like this against every side, so despite the theatrical nature to his actions and pre/post match conference – his setup is no doubt a monumental hat tip to the Catalan side. The arrogance that emulates from the nine times European Cup winners may well be stronger than ever – which no doubt also coincides with how they want to play their football, sorry, attacking football. Ferguson will no setup his United side in the same manner than Mourinho did, however surely the starting lineup will be a little more cautious than the gung ho swashbuckling nature of 09?

The lineups

What is great about football, and blogs in particular, is that everyone can select a different eleven. We can argue until the early hours as to whether or not Rafael or Fabio would be better to marshal David Villa, or whether or not Ferguson should risk Darren Fletcher – a midfielder who looks set to miss out on a third European Cup final. I’ve picked my side below, along with Barcelona’s side, and I welcome you to challenge the selection and setup. Doron will no doubt go into more detail and select his side prior to the match on Saturday.

Excuse the use of the black shirts, there wasn’t a ‘white shirt’ option. Barcelona’s team – excluding the left back – is self explanatory:

United will essentially line up 4-4-1-1, with Rooney be called upon more so from a defensive viewpoint than usual. Barcelona will of course adopt a 4-3-3 formation. So what do you reckon? Do you feel this will be the line up for United and Barcelona?

Key Battles

Park vs. Alves: Ji Sung Park put in one mighty performance against Chelsea in the 2-1 victory earlier in the month, which in my opinion booked his place in the starting line up – not that there had ever been any doubt. He will be up against Alves, who was roundly criticised for his playacting in the first leg against Real Madrid, but there is no doubting his ability as a modern day full back. He has the athleticism to provide width for Barcelona, when they move from 4-3-3 to 3-4-3:

This is a pretty obvious movement, whilst natural to Alves and his Brazilian heritage. He will no doubt have the attacking runs of Evra to deal with, whilst not forgetting the energetic hustling and harrying of Ji Sung Park, who will be under instructions to force the Brazilian back:

Again, on paper – this all looks pretty standard. Fabio tucks inside, whilst Giggs and Carrick sit in front of the backline occupying the space that Messi, Iniesta, Xavi or Pedro usually operate in. Park’s role will no doubt be to counter act Alves surging runs, whilst Ferguson may also see the space left by Alves on the right hand side as an opportunity for Hernadez or Rooney to exploit. Park’s main role will be on this left hand side, whilst I believe he will also be asked to close down in the centre of the midfield if the opportunity arises (as he did in the Chelsea game). Park was one of the player who didn’t perform in Rome, he will have a fantastic chance to put that right on Saturday.

Hernandez vs. Puyol/Pique: Javier Hernandez is the signing of the decade. Those are the words I uttered to Doron the other day, he responded with a counter argument that Vidic was his choice – either way, we can all agree that Hernandez is without doubt a bargain. He offers a different dimension to our attack, which I feel compliments the visionary attribute of Rooney, more so than when he is up top alongside the ridiculously gifted Dimitar Berbatov. Hernandez pace will scare the life out of Puyol and Pique, there is no question of that – however, he needs the service to be able to occupy the space in behind. I’ve touched on United being more cautious than in Rome, which means that United will have to rely on the counter attack and superb ball retention when Barca lose the ball.

Take a look at the following images, highlighting a goal Barcelona conceded last season on the counter attack. For the record, it was scored by former United forward Diego Forlan:

Reyes sidesteps Iniesta brilliantly, similar to what Iniesta did against United in Rome, before bombing on towards the Barcelona backline:

Reyes does excellent to beat Busquets, who would have stepped out of the back three to close down the space that Reyes was to move into. His dribbling and skill to beat the Barca holding midfield is the key to then occupy a position that will allow him to find a through ball:

Reyes, who now has a free run, plays the pass through for Forlan to run onto. Puyol is already claiming offside, despite the fact that Forlan is clearly onside,

Barca’s pressing game leaves them vulnerable to this type of chance as Forlan is now bearing down on goal to score the only goal of the game:

The key to this is a fast counter attack, confident play in dribbling passed players and good movement from the frontman. Valencia, Giggs or Rooney can do what Reyes did – whilst Hernandez is quite clearly the best man to make the run, in between defenders, that Forlan made. He plays on the shoulder and is a nightmare to pick up. The key thing is getting the ball to him. United need to be brave, patient and controlled.

Rooney vs. Busquets: Busquets is not the flavour of the month at the moment, considering his alleged racist rant towards Marcelo, and is quite lucky to be involved in the final at all. His father played in goal vs. United in the 1991 Cup Winners Cup final, where Mark Hughes scored twice – and he is no doubt vital in the way Barcelona operate and start moves. Wesley Sneijder, who had a fine World Cup and Champions League season last year, was kept quiet in the final last July, which no doubt was down to the marking of Busquets.

Rooney’s best position, for me, is in the hole behind the front man. He can play wide and do a job, whilst he can operate as a lone frontman and do a job. However, his best position is as a number ten. He is also best when he has limited defensive responsibilities, although it should be noted he never shirks the responsibility of galloping fifty yards to win the ball back. On Saturday, I believe he will need to operate a little deeper for two reasons, 1) to press Busquets and intercept any loose balls 2) counter attack high up the pitch.

Many have suggested that Rooney should play as a centre midfielder, and although I have no doubt he could again do a job there – we need him as the link between the midfield and front line. His natural game is to drop deep and try and influence play, much like Cantona did – however, Rooney is athletically superior to Eric and can break at pace covering ground that draws players out of position. His relationship with Valencia on the pitch has been noticeable, whilst his partnership with Hernandez is now one of the most impressive in the Premier League.

Counter attack – breaking at pace

Counter attacking football used to be reserved for the minnows, the side that should keep it tight, not concede anything and hopefully snatch a goal on the break after the other side has charged forward in search of the goal they so desperately deserve. However, the counter attack should be used as one attacking option and of course there are different methods of counter attacking side, whether it be to defend deep and get the ball forward as quickly as possible (classic counter attack) or to win the ball high up the pitch and counter (by pressing) or to counter the counter attack (which requires shape and organisation).

United have the ability to break and lightening pace, even when the momentum is with the opposing side. Ronaldo’s strike against Arsenal in the Champions League Semi-Final back in May 2009 was exceptional. We’re not going to drill down on it as we’re well aware of the quality of the whole move, which started with a Vidic header from an Arsenal corner. The goal was exquisite and highlighted that counter attacking football is not necessarily ugly and defensive, but to catch your opponent off guard – to disorientate them. United have the ability to do this against Barcelona on Saturday, especially with the pace of Rooney, Park and Valencia to burst forward. The Reyes example highlights the vulnerability of Barcelona at the back, when face with a striker with pace that can exploit the space in behind. Puyol and Pique don’t want to be running back towards their goal, they want the attacker to be facing their own goal – whilst they close down the space – along with the rest of their team mates.

The following analysis actually involves the victims of that Ronaldo counter attack goal – Arsenal – and how they conjured up their very own counter attack to inflict the only defeat of Barcelona’s Champions League campaign:

Substitute Nicklas Bendtner works back to win the ball before looking to his left to lay a pass to Jack Wilshere:

Wilshere then lays a superb first time ball off to captain Cesc Fabregas who has found space behind the midfield. Notice in between the trio of Arsenal players that there are four Barcelona players, who inevitably were pressing high up the pitch to try and win the ball back. At 82 minutes, fatigue could well be playing a part in their inability to ‘counter the counter’:

Fabregas now has the chance to pick a pass down either flank, but chooses the correct option in finding Nasri down the right, who is already on his way – with yards of space in front of him:

Nasri’s pace is now key in getting to the box and then hopefully being supported by late runners from midfield:

Nasri does excellently to get into the box and pick out a pass to the onrushing substitute Andrei Arshavin. The Russian slots home the winner in the game:

Don’t get me wrong, Arsenal were very lucky to still be in the game at this point. Lionel Messi missed a host of chances, whilst Guardiola felt the need to substitute scorer David Villa for Keita, which is when I believe the dynamics of the game changed. Arsenal did extremely well to hold on and then pounce when they needed to, however United are a better defensive unit that the North London side and I don’t expect there to be as many chances as there was at the Emirates that night.

Lionel Messi

Some get wound up with the praise that he receives from fans, pundits and people in the game alike – however, I do honest believe that Lionel Messi is a genius. La Masia has produced some fabulous players over the years, but surely Messi is the best of a wonderful bunch? The little Argentinean started out as a wide man, cutting inside to cause havoc – either with a nimble dribble, delicate pass or shot blistering into the back of the net. He has notched up 52 goals this season in 54 appearances – that is a stunning return. His second goal in the Bernabeu was sent from the heavens. Many fans in the pubs, bars and coffee shops all over the world are now debating on whether Messi is the greatest of all time. Personally, I believe you need to wait until the end of a player’s career before making some a claim. Maradona, for me, is still the greatest player to ever play the game – however, even the great man even acknowledged that ‘at the end of history, people will then decide who was better: Maradona or Messi’.

So lets take a look at the goals scored by Lionel Messi over the course of the season:

Interesting to see that over 80% of his goals are with his left foot, although that remarkable second in the Bernabeu was with his right foot following a superb solo run – beating four Real Madrid players in his wake. Barcelona don’t generally shoot from outside the box, so it is no surprise that only seven of his 52 goals have been from outside the area – with only one in the Champions League (out of the eleven). Are these stats here to help me explain how United can stop Lionel Messi? Good god no! I could do that I wouldn’t be sitting here at 1am blogging about the final. One thing I would say is that I would not dedicate a marker to him, as some have suggested. His deployment as a False 9 will no doubt aim to bring Ferdinand and Vidic out of position, but I believe they will remained disciplined enough to allow him to wander into the midfield space, where ultimately Giggs and Carrick will have the task of closing him down.

Messi’s transformation from a wide player to a centre forward is not a surprise. If you’re playing a direct brand of football, then Didier Drogba is a perfect lone front man, as he has the ability to tower above the majority of centre halves in order to win the ball and bring it under control. Messi’s role in the main figure head is more of a 4-6-0, which means that for long periods of time – the centre halves won’t be marking anyone only space. The idea is to obviously draw out the defenders to create space in behind, which is then exploited by the wingers or indeed Messi himself. Frank Rijkaard noted that Messi would eventually become a central player, however back in 2008 -you would have thought he would be better as a second striker – which is clearly not a possibility at Barcelona, although more likely for the national side.

Samuel Eto’o, a fine striker in his own right, was deemed surplus to requirements due to Messi’s transformation, whilst the integration of the exceptionally talented yet equally infuriating Ibrahimovic was shipped out after only one season in the Nou Camp. Villa’s addition is much better suited for the way in which the Catalans operate, although many old school English may be pulling their hair out at the thought of not having a player over 5″7 in the front line.

Conclusion

If you’ve stayed with me from the start of this blog to the end, the bravo to you – we’ve covered a vast amount of points, discussions and statistics. You will of course have you own ideas as to how United should line up and approach the game, which I welcome you to share in our comments section. My observation that United should play a more controlled, cautious game to that of the Rome match may not sit well with some Reds who want United to go out and attack at all costs. I respect and understand that, but from hearing Ferguson say that United will ‘learn’ from the mistakes of Rome, it will be fascinating to see whether or not Fergie sets his team up to attack as they did or to target Barcelona on the counter attack, as highlighted in the two examples in this post.

No team is unbeatable. All teams have their weaknesses, however we must give credit where it is due – Barcelona is a football institution and this side is one of the best sides that has ever graced this earth. Yes, there is petulance amongst the ranks. Yes, there is even bully tactics at play. However, despite these faults, it would be difficult to find a football fan that isn’t in admiration of how they play. United have a rich history in producing young players, giving them a chance and throwing them into the first Xi. Barcelona also has history of producing top class players, one of which was at United (Pique) and has gone onto become one of the top centre halves in Europe.

United will line up 4-4-1-1, with Wayne Rooney just off Javier Hernandez. If Darren Fletcher had been fit, Ferguson would have had more of a dilemma – however, that isn’t even up for discussion. Two months ago I would have put Rafael in, but I think the nod will go to his brother – who is starting to find his feet at Old Trafford, despite still some concerns about his ability to take knocks. Giggs and Carrick looked so assured against Chelsea, both home and away, they are certain starters in the middle of the park – whilst Park and Valencia have kept Nani out of the side, with some top class performances in the business end of the season. Barcelona will not change the way they operate and will line up 4-3-3 as normal. The only question mark is over the left back and whether or not Abidal will play or adopt Puyol there. If that is the case – Valencia will have a field day and it is vital that United get him in one on one situations.

The adoption of a counter attacking setup is in no way meant to be a negative approach. Some of the best goals of all time are results of a counter attack, most noticeably the Carlos Alberto strike in the 1970 World Cup finals – when Brazil beat Italy 4-1. Ronaldo, Rooney and Park have scored goals, all against Arsenal, in recent seasons that have been first class counter attacking moves. I do not expect United to sit back and defend all night, far from it, however I do not believe that a ‘attack them and see how they deal with it’ approach will work. Valencia and Park have superb athleticism and will no doubt be key from both an offensive and defensive perspective.

I think the game will be won in normal time and I am going for a 2-1 United win, with Wayne Rooney and Nemanja Vidic scoring for United. Doron will no doubt follow up with his excellent preview, where you may see a completely different approach and line-up. This is why we love the game. We all have opinions that we wish to share and hopefully the Stretty Rant is one of those places.

Edit: I forgot to include a really interesting podcast discussing the game in detail on Saturday. Apologies about that and here you go, from RHRN:
http://righthererightnow21.blogspot.com/2011/05/champions-league-final.html

Many thanks to Zonal Marking for inspiration, Total Football Apps and This 11 for the screenshots.

AUTHOR: – Nik (Guest Blogger)

How the manager’s selection policy in midfield is instigating tactical change

Manchester United seem to be gaining that vital momentum and consistency in the league as we enter the final few weeks of yet another captivating season. Crucial to United’s success this term has been the selection policy in central midfield, and seemingly a move towards a slight change in team shape.

In the modern era, Sir Alex Ferguson’s approach to the central midfield area is dictated by makeup of the opposition team; moreover, he has only ever had one mantra when it comes to team selection: to question whether the player is good enough (mentally as well as in terms of technique) to contribute to a winning team (i.e. is he in the right form at the right moment?). It is for these reasons that Fergie is not only held up as a motivator of men, but as an astute tactician, able to re-invent his team and club time and again.

From ‘double pivot’ to ‘triumvirate’

Lobanovsky famously remarked to the effect that there are no positions on the football field, merely ‘football players’. And to a point this is fundamentally true; it is the application of a system and not the system itself that wins football matches. However, there is a clear distinction between playing two centre midfielders and three. The ‘creator/destroyer’ battles of the pre-noughties era are largely a thing of the past. Many of us will remember fondly the enthralling encounters between the likes of Keane and Scholes and Petit and Viera; however, today’s application in central midfield has taken on new significance as not only are three players required in the big games (which meant that Berbatov for example suffered as a result last season), but even when two players are selected, they tend to take on very different roles given that defensive shape – and enhanced defensive roles for narrow wingers – takes on greater importance (see the evolution of Scholes’ role in the team as an example).

The move towards a three-man central trio is partly down to the evolution of tactics (and the need for ‘controlling’ midfield possession) in the last decade, and partly due to the liberalisation of the offside law – meaning that a less direct style of play across only three bands is becoming less desirable at the highest level.

A 4-2-3-1 shape has thus become a coach’s preferential system, and with possession of the football comes better ‘passing triangles’ with the proverbial ‘W’ shape across the middle offering different angles of attack. It’s not to say that Fergie has completely left the 4-4-2 system behind, indeed it’s dynamism is used to great effect on the domestic front. However, its application against the stronger clubs would rely heavily on a high intensity pressing game, which we simply do not have at present. It is perhaps for this reason alone that we have failed to find a consistency this season, especially away from home, as we have leaked goals that would have been unimaginable for a United side in recent years.

A tried and tested formula

In the double-winning year of 2008, Ferguson had success with three from the rotated quintet of Scholes, Fletcher, Anderson, Hargreaves and Carrick (with Ronaldo, Tevez and Rooney ahead). Essential to this system was the fluid interchanging of the selected trio and the ability of each to read the pattern of the game; when to ensure two players are holding, when to join the attack and so on. Each member was given a defined role – Carrick and Scholes to orchestrate from the centre and intercept the opposition attacks; Hargreaves and Fletcher to harry and harass across the park; and Anderson, having struggled for consistency early on in his preferred attacking midfielder role was asked by Ferguson (and Quieroz) to perform a more defensive specialism – leading to performances such as those he gave at Anfield and the Emirates where he used his dynamism and vibrancy to great effect, shackling messrs Fabregas and Gerrard respectively. A personal view is that he should now revert to this position given his strength and ability to run from deep – and also the apparent lack of finesse in his game further ahead on the field.

There is of course the logical argument that we should be seeking to enhance this area of the team, with Cleverley and Gibson not able to step up to the mark as yet; Scholes and Hargreaves arguably seeing out the latter months of their United careers, and non-specialists such as Park, Giggs and even O’Shea at times, unable to offer the sustained quality as we move forward. However there is still the core trio from 2008 available in Carrick, Fletcher and Anderson, who at ages 29, 27, and 23 years respectively are arguably operating at a more refined level – Carrick and Fletcher in particular potentially hitting ‘peak’ years. The duo have been pivotal to the success at the club in the last four years which has seen us win three back to back titles and reach consecutive Champions League Finals, amongst other successes.

Anderson is yet to find the consistency expected of him (not helped by the switching of midfield roles and a glut of injuries which have hampered promising progress) and thus Fergie has rotated well in this area of the field; Park has performed admirably in the advanced central midfielder role in games such as the AC Milan tie of 2008 and Arsenal of 2009; Giggs has recently excelled against Chelsea in the Champions League quarter final, and who is playing with such intelligence and panache. Essentially, when everyone is fit there is still a balance and harmony to the midfield that is the envy of many. Which leaves us with Wayne Rooney and the tactical conundrum Fergie faces from here-on-in.

Rooney as a ‘10’ or an ‘8’?

Ferguson should be given great credit for turning Rooney’s season around with a slight tactical maneuvering; Rooney has dropped very deep at times this season and yet is still adopting playmaking duties in attacking situations and combining with high wide men who like to come into central positions – Valencia, Giggs and particularly Nani have all had great joy varying their wing-play approach in recent months, seeking to link with the attacking personnel more towards the centre. This is essentially allowing United to play what is quickly becoming a 4-2-1-3 at times, rather than a typical 4-2-3-1.

Rooney’s ultimately surprising role then versus Crawley and then Arsenal in the F.A. Cup seemed to rekindle the fire in the player, and as we enter the last furlong of the season it is this role more than any that could define the season. Playing in the ‘number 10’ role is nothing new to Rooney, having frequently dropped deep to collect the ball and link the attack since his early days at Everton. What has altered is the instruction from the manager in terms of positional discipline; more than a deep forward player, Rooney has been asked to stifle opposition attacks from deep meaning that he has often played alongside the two deepest central midfield players, so a position which isn’t quite ‘10’ and isn’t quite ‘8’.

Frequently versus Chelsea in the first leg of the Champions League for example, he was continually pressing the space in and around the deepest midfielder, Essien. In tandem with Giggs and Carrick, they sought to halt any midfield momentum in the Chelsea midfield, learning from the league encounter from the previous month when Rooney played a more orthodox striking role. It has been his energy and ability to get on the ball in the right areas of the field that has allowed others to maneuver accordingly to improve the angle of approach. In fact, Rooney’s passing game seems to have improved as a result, and the frequent ‘Hollywood ball’ attempts now seem a thing of the past. He seems to be thriving with the freedom, able to pull out wide and link with the likes of Evra and Nani to the left, and O’Shea and Valencia to the right. Incidetnally, this is why Hernandez’s movement has been so fantastic, occupying the centre half pairing, the young Mexican seems so adept at exploiting the space between the out of position fullback (who tracks Rooney’s movement) and the centre half.

Jonathan Wilson:

‘By definition, by being only a short pass away from the creator, the two midfield holders are more involved in the attacking aspect and at least one of them can be encouraged to press forwards at times, as Xabi Alonso did for Spain, and as Seydou Keita does for Barcelona. So immediately the range of attacking options is increased.’

The system, used at its best, means that the playmaker is harder shield against, and essentially means that the team is playing with up to four playmakers, each interchanging in a dynamic system going forward. Fletcher or Anderson can be the Keita in the above snippet, and their drive and penetration on the counter attack is pivotal to this way of playing.

Yet there still seems to be nagging reservations about the sustainability of this approach in the long term, which has led to many to question whether there is a need to invest in a ‘trequartista’ type player. A personal view again is that this would be sensible given that Rooney’s finesse in this role is mostly sporadic; to get the best out of the young Englishman then would be to relieve him of classic centre midfield defensive duties, allowing him to alternate between the striker role and ‘creator’ (interchanging with the front four so well as he did v Blackburn and Liverpool for example). This would allow for a more specialist recruit to ply his trade in such an important position, and would ultimately be the safer bet for the team’s efficiency on the whole. Players such as Modric, Sneijder, Sanchez and Pastore have all been mooted and would all be technically more accomplished in the playmaking role; if Ferguson is looking at Rooney as the long-term solution here however, a Rodwell or a Henderson type player may be recruited to challenge our deeper lying central midfielders.

‘The evolution to 4-2-1-3?’

Conclusions

It is imperative that central midfield continues to be an area which is rotated with studious attention to detail. Sir Alex has become a master of squad rotation in recent years where to challenge in each competition, optimum player fitness and mental preparation has become essential. Moreover, the tactical acumen required to send out a team that has the right blend of energy enthusiasm and experience in the position, which is arguably the most important in terms of shaping the outcome of a game, is untold.

When we look at the array of talent available in the senior squad and assess the fantastic progression this team has made since the departure of Ronaldo it is no wonder that Fergie saw ‘no value’ in the market. Aside from the acquisition of Valencia, his policy has very much been to invest time and effort on the training ground with the tremendous wealth of potential we have across the midfield. This strategy has seen Fletcher and Nani in particular come of age when the common consensus amongst fans and media were that they were not ‘United material’. Wilson was very astute when he commented on the value of building from within:

‘[it offers] an almost organic understanding of where they should move and where their team-mates are moving, and, in a world of billionaire owners looking for shop-bought success, that is a consoling thought.’

Who next for United then in this position? Cleverley is progressing very well at Wigan, and there are high hopes for Morrison, Pogba and Tunnicliffe from the youth team. In the immediate future however, Fergie will have little option but to look at investment to fill the void left by the ageing Scholes and Giggs in midfield – and his ultimate dilemma is who to trust with the attacking fulcrum of the side? It is finding the perfect balance in this central area alone which could instigate a change in approach as the manager seeks to create one final ‘magical team’ before his inevitable retirement. But of course the system is only as good as it’s players and application – and with the great man at the helm for some time to come, as United fans, we should have no worries at all on this front.

AUTHOR: Guest Blogger – Nik

AUTHOR: – Doron

Are Manchester United lacking a midfield spark? – It was a question posed by a BBC tactical blog after the defeat against Wolves last month. The idea of a spark, or creative midfielder in the United side has been something that’s bugged me for a while. I’ve never been convinced it’s what we need and with that in mind I plan to make a potentially surprising transfer suggestion.

For me there are two reasons as to why United’s central midfield area has been talked about with grave concern this year. The first, put simply is a lack of goals scored from this part of the team – only 7 in total. In reality, this isn’t something that’s suddenly just happened. That is a lower total than past years but since the 2004/05 season and the days where the Paul Scholes my lord he scores goals chant was regularly sung, no central midfielder has come close to double figures with Fletcher and Carrick both averaging a goal every 13 games in their Manchester United career (NB Gibson so far averages a goal every 6 games – the closest of the current CMs to Scholes’ a goal every 4.5 games).

The second reason, I believe, lies in our competitors. Arsenal have Nasri, Wilshere and Fabregas; Chelsea have Lampard; Man City have Silva; Liverpool have Meireles and Spurs have Modric and Van der Vaart. United have, erm, Carrick? I don’t have a problem with that. However, the media have United constantly linked to attacking midfielders, creative players who also score goals. The perception therefore is that due to the links and the fact our opponents have a certain type of player, United must also have this kind of player.

It doesn’t bother me though. United don’t have to conform to a certain trend in football. All of those teams have a common theme – they don’t play a 4-4-2. By contrast, United’s preferred formation is and has almost always been a 4-4-2 or a variant of that formation. I should add – formations written down by a series of numbers are somewhat overrated; in reality on a pitch they’re so fluid and versatile that they never quite turn out to be exactly as the numbers represent. That said, it’s safe to say that United like to play with four midfielders and two strikers.

Unlike many fans, I don’t think that an attacking midfielder needs to be signed. United have always relied on flair and goals from their wingers – it’s a proven formula at our club. What I do think needs to happen, is the release of some of our more creative players. Namely, Michael Carrick.

Oddly, despite wishing to see Carrick removed from his deeper role at present, I’ve praised it before. I think Carrick has done a very solid job for United this year – he isn’t a player who should be put in a defensive role with the duty of winning the ball and shifting it on accurately to the next player. The ‘old’ Carrick of 4 years ago played higher up the pitch as a player who would create chances, get within shooting distance (and shoot), and be a reliable retainer of possession.

The change in his role is strikingly obvious. Showing his passing from a game against Watford four seasons ago and comparing it with him against Aston Villa this year just shows how much higher he used to play for most of the game:

Carrick passing vs. Watford in 2006/07

Carrick passing vs. Aston Villa in 2010/11

It’s very clear to see the cluster of passes made in the final 40 yards of the opposition half in 2006/07 – whereas against Villa this season there is no such pattern or regularity of passing that high up the pitch.

Few would argue against the fact that Carrick can be a very good creative midfielder. The only other player in the squad who could do this defensive role is Owen Hargreaves; and with him injured and the club not spending any money on a Hargreaves-esqe player the responsibility has been handed to Carrick. Despite doing a decent enough job, Carrick is better with more freedom – with the license to roam and pick out the cutting passes.

I’m not aware of an occasion this blog has pinpointed a specific player to sign – rather it has always backed our current squad, and will continue to do so. I though, am going to break from tradition and suggest who I would like the club to sign. My suggestion is a replacement for Carrick in the defensive role; someone who can tackle and pass; someone who would free-up Carrick to play higher up the pitch as well as potentially helping other players such as Anderson to settle into a higher position (he too has been asked to play deep far too often).

For me, any signing who has to come in and play in the first team immediately really needs to have Premier League experience. There are lots of examples of central midfielders (and players in other positions) joining from abroad and taking time to settle and learn the game. My other concern with any central midfield signing is age. I would be disappointed if United spent big money on a central midfielder aged 21-15 as I would much rather see a product of our Academy given an opportunity first. I don’t want any signing hindering or stunting their progress. In Cleverley, Pogba, Morrison, Tunnicliffe and to a lesser extent, Matty James, United have some very talented young central midfielders. Arguably none of them are ready to be a fixture in the starting XI however they all have a big 18-24 months coming up where hopefully they’ll start to push towards the first team.

With that in mind, my suggested signing is now at the peak of his career. I’m suggesting him with only a couple of years at the club in mind – a bit like the signing of Laurent Blanc (however my suggestion is younger). The player would be perfect to do a disciplined defensive role and wouldn’t hinder the progress of our younger players – in actual fact they could probably learn from him. For me, he’s one of the few true box-to-box midfielders in the league today and is often credited with being a very strong leader.

My suggestion is Scott Parker.

I’ve been impressed with Parker for some time and have long believed he moved to Chelsea too early in his career. His flop at Chelsea has lead many to believe he can’t hack it at a big club although considering he was only there for one season, that seems like an unfair judgement. When Keane was finishing his career, Parker was one of the names being mentioned as his replacement but nothing materialised. Unlike other names being mooted, I don’t think he’d cost a lot of money. He did sign a new five year deal this season but West Ham could still get relegated and a sale would seem likely anyway. Even if West Ham survive, they may be tempted to part company with Parker for a not-so extraordinary fee. Certainly if United came calling, Parker would be unlikely to want West Ham to reject a bid.

I don’t believe that a United signing has to necessarily be a big-name. I’ve written recently about just how tough it is to find the right central midfielder to sign – I used the jigsaw analogy whereby pointed out that the players have to fit next to the ones around them. Simply picking a name out at random doesn’t necessarily work and doesn’t mean that because big famous-named player “x” was fantastic at club “y” that he’ll be equally as good, if not better at United.

Aside from his age, value and the fact I think he’d free up Carrick & Co, Parker’s a very complete midfielder. His goals to games ratio isn’t great but that’s not what his game is about. He’s a very good passer and rarely gives the ball away. To show this, I’ve picked his passing from two losing games this season, away at Arsenal and United this season – games where you’d expect his passing to be poorer than average.

Parker passing vs. Arsenal

Parker passing vs. Man United

His passing success rate of 89% vs. Arsenal and 93% vs. Man United is mightily impressive. These two games show him playing in a restrictive defensive role much like Carrick has been playing this season. Parker, is however as I mentioned able to be versatile and go box-to-box too.

Parker passing vs. Tottenham

Parker passing vs. Wigan

These further two examples from this season show a player comfortable playing all over the pitch and someone who looks for a positive forward pass. The other side to Parker’s game is his grit and desire to win the ball back. He reads the game well and is an excellent tackler.

Parker tackling vs. Wigan

Parker tackling vs. Tottenham

It doesn’t matter who the opposition are, Parker in an almost old-fashioned but controlled style is always looking to engage in physical contact in order to win the ball back. I believe he represents everything we’ve been missing in Owen Hargreaves and would as I’ve said a few times help some of our other players to rediscover their creative touch.

Every signing is a gamble. However, I don’t think United are in a position to take huge risks at the moment. Changes will happen when Messrs Scholes and Giggs do eventually bring their phenomenal careers to a close. The changes however don’t necessarily all have to come from outside the club. United are a team with a proud history of youth football and therefore in my opinion it only needs a small short-term change or addition to prepare for the arrival of some of the new young stars at the club. Scott Parker, would, for me be that perfect player to help the side rediscover some creativity whilst slotting right into our jigsaw and completing the puzzle for now.

Please do share your thoughts, suggest alternative signings, agree with me or tell me I’m bonkers in the comments section below!

AUTHOR: – Doron

AUTHOR – Stretford-End

Nani, or to give him his full title of Luís Carlos Almeida da Cunha, has become an intricate part of United’s attack over the past eighteen months and continues to go from strength to strength as we move towards the ‘squeaky bum’ period.

To date, Nani has scored nine goals in 23 Premier League appearances (goals per game ratio of 39%) and a single goal in six Champions League appearances (goals per game ratio of 17%). Although his goals have been of vital importance for United, its his creating of chances that has stood out this season. Nani can be unplayable at times, either going on the outside of the left back or cutting in from the right and striking with his left foot.

I want to start doing some in depth reviews and analysis of United players and I thought that I would start with our influential Portuguese starlet.

Luis Nani

Season stats 2010/11

Any regular readers of the blog will know that I grew frustrated at Nani’s progress since his impressive debut season in 2007/08. We were linked with Angel Di Maria, then at Benfica, and reports stated that Nani was to be used in a bid to land the Argentinian forward.

At the time, I thought it would have been a good piece of business, considering that an interview in late 2009 stated that Nani was critical of Ferguson’s management style (albeit lost in translation) – it looked like his time was up at Old Trafford.

Nani’s turnaround in 2010 was exceptional. January 2010 saw a run of two impressive home performances, against Burnley and Hull City, where he setup Wayne Rooney three times in a four goal rout:

Nani assists vs. Hull City last season

From then on in he never looked back, playing superbly on the right hand side to give Gael Clichy a torrid time in the 3-1 victory over Arsenal at the Emirates before playing a blinder in the 3-2 victory over Bayern Munich, which unfortunately wasn’t enough for United to qualify. Nani’s goals per game ratio is improving every season, which is highlighted in the table below:

Nani goals per game ratio over seasons

Nani’s goals 2010/11

So far this season, when Nani has scored United have won 35% of games where Nani has played (27% overall of United games). What is interesting is that Nani’s goals have come against ten different teams, with Dimitar Berbatov finding the net against eight different teams and Wayne Rooney six.

This highlights how he is spreading his goal tally across the course of the season against different teams. He is yet to score more than a single goal in a game, whilst Wayne Rooney scored two against Aston Villa and Dimitar Berbatov has notched hattricks against Liverpool, Blackburn Rovers and Birmingham City – whilst scoring a brace against Blackpool and Sunderland. I’ve put together the following tables comparing Nani, Rooney and Berbatov so far this season.

The first column highlights the amount of games accumulated for either a win, draw, loss each time the player scored in a fixture this season (all competitions excluding charity shield). I’ve also included the amount of ‘winners’ the player has scored along with the different opponents (opp) the player has scored against. An example is that Manchester United have won seven games that Nani has scored in, which works out at a 35% goals per appearance ratio in the games United have won:

Nani goal statistics 10/11

Berbatov goal statistics 10/11

Rooney goal statistics 10/11

So based up on these stats, Nani is equally as important as Berbatov this season – as United have won 7 games when either player has scored. Wayne Rooney has a better goal per appearance percentage, however I wouldn’t consider that an indication of Rooney being more important to the team than Nani (or Berbatov for that matter) this season. Interesting to note that Berbatov has only scored one ‘winner’ – against Liverpool earlier in the season. Interesting to note that Hernandez has ‘six’ winners to his name (all competitions).

There was some debate as to what counts as a ‘winner’, so I’ve decided to state that it is when a player scores a goal to make the difference between the sides – although there has to be a notable hat tip for Berbatov’s brace against Sunderland at Old Trafford this season and of course he has been unplayable in some fixtures this season. Nani and Berbatov are more successful at converting chances at Old Trafford than away from home, with 80% of Nani’s strikes (and 79% of Berbatov’s) coming at home:

Nani, Berbatov & Rooney’s goals home and away breakdown

Nani’s Assists 2010/11

Nani has already surpassed his assists tally from last season (excluding Charity Shield again) as highlighted in the extract from out statistics below:

Nani assists 2010/11

What is interesting is to review the breakdown of these assists and where Nani is most dangerous from:

Nani assists breakdown 10/11

This table clearly highlights the strength of Nani on the right hand side of the pitch, with seven assists coming from right sided crosses. The only two assist that have come from the left hand side are crosses against Aston Villa (for Vidic to score) and on Saturday (for Hernandez to tuck away). He has setup Michael Owen against Bolton from a deep freekick and has also notched an assist from a corner against Fulham for United’s only own goal of the season. Nani’s delivery from freekicks and wide areas has improved greatly over the last few seasons.

Nani’s responsibility and discipline

My biggest problem with Nani in the early days was his decision making, which I thought slowed many a United attack down – despite the fact that he has blistering pace that would leave any fullback for dead. He would often slow right down before attempting to take on a defender, usually operating on the left hand side and checking back onto his right foot. His best performances for United have come on the right hand side, which have been more prominent this season due to Antonio Valencia’s injury against Rangers.

Now there are many variables tha you need to take into consideration when assessing the progress of a player throughout the seasons. If they are a deep lying playmaker, you may look at their pass completion rate compared to the season before or maybe you would assess a young goalkeepers distribution prior to a counter attack. The example below highlights how Nani has improved his discipline in the three and half seasons he has been at the club.

The first diagram highlights his pass completion rate against Tottenham Hotspur in 2007/08 (the day he scored his first goal for United – a screamer at the Stretford End) and the second highlights his more disciplined display against Spurs this season:

Nani passes vs. Spurs 2007/08

Nani passes vs. Spurs 2010/11

Of course you do not want to restrict a talent like Nani and operate with a rigid shape, however this example demonstrates that when he needs to be disciplined when facing an attacking outlet he can deliver (whilst notching up a goal and assist in the process). He is of course at his best when he is free to roam as an attacking threat – much like Ronaldo was. Of course there has always been unfair comparisons with Ronaldo, and although I do not think Nani is in the same class, nor ever will be, as his countryman – he is clearly one of our best players over the past year and statistics do not lie.

Both Sir Alex Ferguson and UEFA’s Andy Roxburgh have spoken about forwards that start out wide and cut inside at pace. Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are the obvious two standout that have this ability – whilst both can operate through the centre . Nani can also be placed into the same category of a forward player that is extremely dangerous when cutting inside from the right hand side and getting onto this left foot. He scored goals against Birmingham City, Bursaspor and Stoke City this season by doing this.

Nani’s player of the season?

We can sometimes go overboard on statistics, facts and numbers, which of course are a plenty in this post. However, not to sound pretentious – but football is an art that sometimes can’t be captured in a database of statistics. Nani is a modern day forward, who can operate on both flanks (we will see how much time he spends on the left when Valencia returns to the fold) and is at his most dangerous when cutting inside from the right hand side, which of course leaves vacant space for Rafael to gallop into. He has worked on his physique and there are even suggestions that we could see Nani as a more central player in the future (check the blog in a few weeks on this).

If I were to vote for the player of the season so far, I would opt for Nani – just ahead of Vidic and Berbatov. His turnaround is quite remarkable and should now be considered one of the most dangerous wide men in the league. He tops the Premier League’s assists chart and is United’s third top goalscorer with ten goals. His inclusion against Chelsea tonight and Liverpool on Sunday are crucial and it will be very interesting to see his match up with Ashley Cole, who was given a torrid time by Antonio Valencia last season. Valencia is lightening quick, but doesn’t have the trickery of Nani. Again, lets see if Mikel is quick to move across to help Cole out with Nani cutting in onto his left foot. There is a type of footballer that is ‘free moving’ and ‘artistic’ – which is commonly known as ‘A Creole footballer’. A term that could well be used to describe Nani.

Luis Nani – I thought he was goner in December 2009, i’m very, very glad that I couldn’t have been more wrong.

ord

AUTHOR: – Bricki

Michael Carrick used to always be on the bench for England. Last night he wasn’t even in the squad. Its a position he seems to have been stuck in since the middle of last season. The question is what has happened to the player who was an integral cog in 3 championship winning teams and a team that reached consecutive Champions League Finals?

The introduction of Carrick into the United team from Spurs gave the midfield a more composed look and protection for the back four. This allowed Fletcher, Scholes and the newly signed Anderson to play further up the pitch and support Rooney and Ronaldo. After several quiet displays early on in his United career he excelled against Chelsea at Old Trafford, snuffing out attacks and giving more presence in Midfield.

From this point on Carrick upped the effort and became a mainstay in the team as Rooney and Ronaldo ran riot up front resulting in the first title at Old Trafford in 2 years. His good form continued in the following season and with Scholes out for a long period injured and Hargreaves suffering the same fate, Fletcher and Carrick became a central pairing with regular support from Park or Anderson. In the ‘Quarterback’ role, Carrick kept the team ticking over as well as protecting Vidic and Ferdinand when required.

A stellar passing performance against Inter Milan in the San Siro led the Italian Press to laud Carrick as a fantastic player and question why he had failed to appear at International Level. The composed performances continued until the Final against Barcelona in Rome. Without Fletcher next to him and a very poor Anderson performance, Carrick struggled against Xavi and Iniesta, no shame in this with both players possibly playing the best football of their careers.

This appeared to be a watershed moment for Carrick in his play, he didnt look the same player the following season. Appearing to lack confidence and belief in his abilities, he seemed to be playing within his abilities and not taking risks with his passes. Injury followed and his place in the team was lost and never recovered as United missed out on the title to Chelsea and suffered defeat in the quarter finals of the Champions League to Bayern Munich.

On the national team front Carrick has suffered due to several reasons. The biggest reason is the continued dominance in centre midfield of Gerrard and Lampard. Both players have more ‘Impact’ and a bigger profile in the Premier League than Carrick, however have never gelled for England. Despite this every England coach has persisted with both players and playing 4-4-2 instead of only picking one of the two with a more suitable partner to bring the best out of them. The 4-4-2 formation is also an issue when it comes to getting the best out of Carrick.

His strongest performances for United have come in Europe when they have tended to play a 4-2-3-1 system with players such as Fletcher, Scholes and Anderson in the middle with him. This allows Carrick plenty of options for distribution and the ability to sit and conduct proceedings. As this is a formation that England play extremely rarely it doesn’t allow for Carrick to establish himself in the team. It can also be an issue that very few English players and teams play this way meaning its not a system most England players are not used to.

Heading into this season Carrick needed to rediscover the belief and confidence in his play. He clearly has the talent and skill as proven in previous seasons and whilst Paul Scholes is currently in form naturally that he has faded at points this year as injury has taken its toll. This is the chance for Carrick to make the big comeback and prove he deserves at the highest level, its fair to say that Carrick is in a make or break position with regards his Manchester United future. As Scholes and Giggs eventually step back it needs players to step up and take control, Carrick in his role could become a heartbeat of the next United team.

Carrick could have a genuine chance to make a huge impact this Saturday in the Manchester Derby. With the shape and style of play that Manchester City have played this season, it is Carrick in the deep role ahead of the centre halves who could have a big say in the outcome of the match. Tevez has shown time and again he likes to drop deep and look for the ball, with Carrick in this space it limits the time Tevez can have on the ball and hopefully nullify the attack. with the full backs dealing with the wide players this allows Vidic and his centre half partner to deal with any runs from midfield from Barry, De Jong et al.

Its a golden chance for Carrick to show the style of play he brings to the team with his composure, positioning and support going forward and at the back.

It could truly be the day we rediscover the Michael Carrick of old, i hope he can deliver…

Despite as Yolkie describes in his match report a “laboured” win over Stoke for me there were two key reasons why United won. Firstly, Darren Fletcher and secondly United’s successful wide play.

Yolkie quite rightly highlights Nani, Rafael, Giggs and Fletcher as four of United’s best players tonight against Stoke. Darren Fletcher’s form has been criticised lately. After some very consistent seasons he’s had a bit of strange patch the past couple of months and has been overshadowed by Anderson and Carrick. Tonight saw him paired with Darron Gibson.

Gibson tends to hold a very disciplined role. This allowed Fletcher some freedom tonight to play his A-game – dominating a midfield. The chalkboard below represents Fletcher’s passing, notice how one could easily draw a rectangle around the middle area of the field and it would just about cover the area from which he played every pass.

A better way of representing this would be via the use of a heatmap (below). A huge 60% of Fletcher’s passes were played from around the centre circle – impressive given that Stoke were playing 3 men in the middle versus United’s 2 men. Fletcher had seemed to have lost his presence lately but this representation oh his evening perfectly illustrates that he had his mojo right back tonight.

Contrast Fletcher’s performance against Stoke with the one against West Brom. Granted, Fletcher started in a three man midfield and had to often shift wide when United reverted to two up top. However his heatmap from that game (below) shows him all over the pitch – a role and a style of play that doesn’t and did not suit him.

Fletcher’s change in form was completed tonight with a bustling performance. Tackles and interceptions are something he’s been shying away from lately however in those departments he was on top of his game tonight even if some of his tackles were deemed “unsuccessful”. Although Gibson’s graphics aren’t displayed, he made one interception and one tackle, compared to Fletcher’s three interceptions and seven tackles indicated below.

The other area of the pitch that United were dominant in tonight was out wide. Full backs who like to get forward has always been part of United’s game under Ferguson. Tonight was no different. Evra and Rafael both spent 52% of their time in the opposition half tonight as indicated below.

However the real key to having full backs who can play an attacking game lies in the attitude of the wingers themselves. Giggs and Nani have two very different styles of wing play at the moment. Both come inside at times but whilst Nani likes to stay wide and hug the touchline, Giggs will tend to drift into the centre more often. This is represent with the heatmap below.

These contrasting styles suit both Evra and Rafael. Evra likes to stay wide, so Giggs drifting in field draws a man in with him to create space. Rafael also likes to stay wide but does also like to come on the inside of Nani. Unlike Giggs and Evra who tend to have space between them. Rafael gets close to Nani to help draw away one of the two markers usually assigned to stopping the Portuguese winger. The different combinations out wide tonight and the movement of the wide players was too much for Stoke to handle and United had a lot of joy out wide.

The final piece in the puzzle tonight lies in Dimitar Berbatov. He likes to come deep and get on the ball but rarely on the right because Nani and Rafael work so closely together. So to add to Stoke’s problems he drifts into deep spaces on the left to allow Giggs to come inside and push on whilst drawing a centre back out with him. His movement to the left also helps to give Evra another option when Giggs comes inside. Berbatov’s movement is represent by the heatmap below.

United tonight did labour to a victory but it was well deserved. Frustration will no doubt lie in the fact that United had only two shots on target – the two goals with a further 7 efforts blocked and 10 off target. United’s wide and central play deserved better. Fletcher’s return to form was a welcome boost ahead of a big game against Liverpool on Sunday. Liverpool will have to be wary of United’s clever wide play, Stoke aren’t the first team to have failed to deal with it.

You can read Yolkie’s match report by clicking here, obtain the match details and you can follow me on Twitter