Accommodating Pogba and Sanchez: What Formation Should Manchester United Line-up In?

Following the signing of Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal, Manchester United have been greatly boosted in terms of quality in the attacking department. The Chilean netted his first goal in United colours, during their win against Huddersfield and pretty much looks like the real deal for them at the moment.

However, that being said, Manchester United head coach Jose Mourinho has often been criticized for failing to accommodate star players into his proper system. Henrikh Mkhitaryan, for example, had to depart the club, after failing to get used to Jose’s system but has started off with a bang at Arsenal.

And the former Real Madrid manager could face a similar problem during the remainder of the season as Alexis Sanchez’s addition could somewhat overshadow Paul Pogba’s responsibility in the final third.

The hugely talented Frenchman is primarily a midfielder known for his attacking attributes, shooting qualities and his link-up play in the final third. However, Jose Mourinho’s preferred 4-2-3-1 formation often restricts him from playing his natural game, thanks to the double pivot midfield system.

Playing alongside defensive midfielder Nemanja Matic, Paul Pogba generally takes part in the build-up phase. His ball-carrying abilities help him thrive around the half-spaces, arguably the toughest part of the pitch. The Frenchman also makes marauding runs into the opposition half at times, which often unsettles the opposing defence.

However, at Manchester United, Paul Pogba’s general gameplay has been largely restricted to just passing and ball circulation while the likes of Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard take care of the creative department. Although Pogba’s impressive tally of nine assists this season may suggest otherwise, Paul Pogba definitely deserves to be deployed much further forward in United’s formation.

Therefore, head coach Jose Mourinho should definitely look to move away from his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation in order to accommodate two-star players in the shape of Paul Pogba and Alexis Sanchez. A 4-1-4-1 formation, for example, could be an ideal setup for both the superstars. While Pogba will definitely thrive in the slightly advanced role in midfield, Nemanja Matic can act as the main holding midfielder with either of Juan Mata or Jesse Lingard being deployed as the partnering midfielder of Pogba. On the flanks, Alexis Sanchez and Anthony Martial are both capable of making an instant impact whilst also having the ability to change flanks at will, during the course of the game. It will definitely be interesting to see what changes Jose makes, if any, in order to accommodate the club’s newest recruit as well as the club’s best midfielder in the coming weeks.

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