Man Utd's tactical problems

This way of playing is only effective if there is synchronization, with the people behind also rising to accompany people and limit the space. If this doesn't happen, the club in possession of the ball can get past the opponent's first pressing line and get the ball to the players in wide space.

This is Man Utd's problem when the midfield is not cohesive. In the opening match against Wolves, Mount and Fernandes surged, leaving Casemiro the only one to take the task of recalling. To the trip to Tottenham, Mount played closer to Casemiro, but the situation has not improved.

For example, in the 30th minute, Tottenham put the ball past all four of Man Utd's attacking players, forcing Mount and Casemiro to move up close to James Maddison, revealing a lot of space behind.

Another situation came in the 25th minute, when Aaron Wan-Bissaka rose and left Heung-Min Son on the left. Mount and Casemiro could not compete because they were overwhelmed by the number of troops in the middle of the field, allowing Yves Bissouma to wave the ball for Son in the empty left position.

According to British newspaper Sunsport, coach Erik ten Hag needs to push the defense higher to minimize the space behind the first pressing line and in the middle. If Man Utd does not fix this soon, Casemiro is likely to be isolated again in the center of midfield whenever the opponent counterattacks.

In the opening game against Wolves, one of the biggest problems in Man Utd's attacks was that the wingers Alejandro Garnacho and Antony did not leave much of an impression. Wolves always appoint at least two players in the corridor and control the opponent's side attacks well. Since then, Man Utd has been ineffective in getting the ball into the box or having to pass it back.

Yet again, coupled with problems in wide areas, the lack of structure in midfield prevented United from moving into strong attacking positions.

For example, the situation in the 17th minute of the match against Tottenham with the ball deployed to Luke Shaw's position. The English defender did not have the option of passing the ball into the middle and was forced to long for Marcus Rashford, then lost the ball.

Another situation came in the 50th minute, when Man Utd's system was broken when Tottenham attacked. With Mount and Casemiro playing so far apart, Lisandro Martinez was forced to raise a barrage with Richarlison, causing the Man Utd defense to be skewed.

Sunsport said the problem lies in the midfield, where each Man Utd midfielder is often isolated when he loses the ball. The fact that Ten Hag used Mount freely in midfield has not been effective and Casemiro needs to be shared in the interception task.

City do this flexibly when pushing players from defence to midfield, and Liverpool are using Trent Alexander-Arnold in a similar way from right-back.

With the replacement of David de Gea with Andre Onana, Man Utd is expected to keep the ball and deploy from the home field better. But the situation has not improved through the first two games, especially when Man Utd put the ball in the position of Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Opponents know that the English defender is a weak link in holding the ball and Man Utd is still struggling to find the right solution to get on the ball.

For example, in the 47th minute of the match against Tottenham, when the home players put pressure on well, Wan Bissaka had to pass a long pass to Mount in an unfavorable position. Since then, Tottenham have scrambled and won the ball back.

There are signs that Man Utd is trying to do something new when deploying the ball from home, with Raphael Varane - a central defender who is not appreciated for his ability to hold the ball - reaching as high as Casemiro in the situation. This.

Another situation came in the 63rd minute, when Tottenham forced Onana to pass to Wan Bissaka and then followed closely the rest of Man Utd's players. The English defender had no choice and had to hit the ball long again.

Sunsport commented that the midfield - where Mount and Casemiro are far apart - continues to be the reason why Man Utd has not deployed the ball from home well.

At the highest level, the big clubs often use two central midfielders and three taller players in midfield to create better passing angles. Therefore, Ten Hag had to adjust the distance and position of the Man Utd midfield, with the biggest question mark belonging to Mount.