Manchester United suffered a shock 3-2 defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium last weekend. There are a host of changes to be made in the playing style and the overall setup of the squad if this team are to put the loss behind them and beat an in-form Tottenham Hotspur side.
Here are three tweaks the team should make to muster a better performance against Tottenham next Monday:
#3 Play a five-man defensive set up
Centre-backs Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof struggled to get into the groove against Brighton & Hove Albion as they failed to recover from the initial mistakes. The two looked overawed by the goals that were conceded due to their poor positioning and lack of concentration.
Despite the performance, the two of them are United’s best centre-halves currently, and hence it is necessary that they play more often together and build a better understanding at the back. Lindelof, especially, is a confidence player who plays best when he has the complete backing of the manager.
Though the Swede endured a disappointing game against Seagulls, it is important to keep him and Bailly on the field to ensure that the team has a reliable centre-back partnership going ahead in the season, considering Mourinho failed to sign the player he wanted.
One thing that was noticeable when Bailly and Lindelof played together was the massive space between the two when United tried to play out from the back. If that’s the idea, perhaps a third centre-back would make them less susceptible to the press while playing out from the back.
They do have Chris Smalling and considering Mauricio Pochettino’s side press high up the pitch, perhaps Smalling needs to be introduced next Monday.
#2 The introduction of Jesse Lingard
Jesse Lingard came on the pitch at halftime and immediately added a different dimension to United’s gameplay with his smart, decoy runs from the half spaces to the middle. Lingard played in the same role during the World Cup too.
The attacker is a disciplined player who gets the job done up front without too much fuss. Last time as well, he made a few good runs but neither Paul Pogba nor Fred were able to pick out his runs efficiently.
The Mancunian could be the number 10 the team needs as Matic isn’t fit yet and Pogba has to play a bit deeper. Lingard has that pizzazz in his gameplay and can make something out of nothing with his change in pace and ability on the ball, so he needs to be handed a start next time.
#1 Buildup more patiently
Individual errors were to blame for United’s lost to Brighton, but United’s attacking moves were a bit too hurried in the second half. After the arrival of Marouane Fellaini on the field, most of the deep-lying players tried to breach the midfield lines by launching long balls for the Belgian international.
There was an obvious discomfort over minimizing the two-goal deficit and hence the team needed someone who could control the game with simple, short passes before picking out the accurate long ball ahead.
More importantly, Pogba and Fred need to share some responsibility and build up the attacking moves with, short forward passes instead of looking to demonstrate his passing range with high-risk long passes or diagonals.
If Pogba looks to release the wingers with the required balls from the inner channels, and Fred does his defensive duties whilst trying to play the ball higher up the field, we might see a more composed and serene build-up play.
