Predictable United struggling to adapt to new system

Call it 4-5-1 or 4-2-3-1 (a more convoluted name for essentially the same formation) Sir Alex Ferguson may need to reconsider the system and personnel he deploys if his Manchester United side are going to have anything more than a passing interest come the business end of the season.

Tottenham Hotspur’s win at Old Trafford on Saturday, their first since 1989, only confirmed what many are starting to suspect. This United side is struggling to function with five in midfield.

Going into the game Andre Villas-Boas wouldn’t have needed to study hours and hours of video to work out how to beat United. It has been evident for a while.

At the Etihad in April a five-man United midfield laboured to the extent that had the game been over 180 minutes they still would have failed to create a goal-scoring chance. That meek surrender angered many United fans, who were as confused then as they are now about the employment of a system that renders their side impotent in attack while affording minimal protect to a fragile back-four.

And while the players might have changed over the summer, the recruitment of Shinji Kagawa and Robin van Persie has done little to solve the problem.

At Goodison on the opening day they struggled to create any real chances of note and continued to look vulnerable in defence. The result, a battering at the hands of a Mourane Fellaini inspired Everton.

They got lucky at Southampton, with a combination of factors, including a second-half switch to 4-4-2, the introduction of Paul Scholes and clinical Robin Van Persie finishing coupled with naive defending on the part of the hosts helping to avert disaster.

Galatasaray out-passed and outplayed them in the Champions League, denied only by errant finishing and dubious refereeing. Then just over a week ago United were second best for long periods against a Liverpool side that played 51 of 90 minutes with ten-men following the sending off of Jonjo Shelvey.

So what exactly is going wrong? Sitting in the press box before the home-game against Fulham (another far from convincing display) one journalist told me that United could not afford to be caught using two forwards or playing 4-4-2 against any of Europe’s or the Premier League’s top sides. His view was and still remains that playing two up front would leave United’s midfield over-run and undermanned.

After watching two distinctly different 45 minutes of football over the weekend I would contend that United can ill afford not to return to what they know best.

Playing with a five-man midfield produced just one 20-yard shot via the boot of Nani in a miserable first period and with Carrick and Scholes drawn ever further forward to support a light-weight Kagawa, isolated Van Persie and a wastefully lethargic Giggs, Tottenham were able to capitalise and use the pace and power of Dembele and Bale to great effect and lay the foundations to their success.

Around ten years ago Sir Alex broke with tradition and opted for a midfield quintet in a bid to shore up his defence and make them more unpredictable in Europe.

Back then the Keane-Scholes axis was supplemented by the mercurial Juan Sebastian Veron, however despite the undoubted talents of that particular triumvirate it failed to necessitate the spark and solidity that Ferguson had hoped for.

A ten point title winning margin in 2000-01 turned to a ten point deficit in 01-02, with United trailing home behind Arsenal and Liverpool. The same season they also suffered the ignominy of an away goals defeat to an average Bayer Leverkusen side at the semi-final stage of the Champions League.

And 02-03 looked to be running along the same lines, that is until Laurent Blanc and Veron both picked up injuries that tellingly ruled them out for a significant chunk of the title run-in post Christmas. Without that duo, Ferguson switched back to a tried and tested team and formation. Paul Scholes and Ole Gunnar Solksjaer were used as foils to Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Ferguson’s men collected 51 points from a possible 57 to storm past Chelsea, Newcastle and Arsenal to yet another title.

Of course it’s easy to blame tactics, formations and individuals for poor performances but while Sir Alex would likely not admit it, but for those injuries United wouldn’t have come anywhere near winning the league that year. Many fans believe that but for those timely (or untimely – I suppose it depends on your particular allegiance) crocks Veron and Blanc would have continued to have been picked partly out of blind faith and due to the stubbornness of the manager to admit a failing on his part – i.e. in tactics and team selection.

So fast forward just over a decade and here we are again, except the midfield line-up is nowhere near as impressive. The consistent failing of this season has been predictability and defensive insecurity, the exact issues playing five across midfield is meant to eradicate.

The predictability of:

• Scholes, Carrick et al having to try and force the ball through congested areas of the pitch to try and find Kagawa or Van Persie.
• Van Persie & Kagawa being hopelessly outnumbered and isolated when they receive the ball in the final third.
• United being unable to stretch and get in behind teams.
• The central midfielders pushing on to try and add their weight & other options to the outnumbered Van Persie & Kagawa.
• Having redundant wingers who often pick up possession in dead areas or once their opponents are set behind the ball.
• The restrictions it places upon United to counter quickly by effectively only having one forward option to play through.
• The open spaces it leaves behind the central midfielders for players to run into and get at the back-four.

Time will tell if tradition or Wayne Rooney come riding into the rescue but most fans will hope that it doesn’t take too many more inept performances or any injuries before Sir Alex considers, that it might just be time for a change.

Five things we learned from watching Everton vs Manchester Utd

1.   Everton remain a tough proposition at Goodison Park.

Last night’s opening day fixture was always going to be a stern test for both sides but it was Everton, notoriously slow Premier League starters that came out of the blocks with all guns blazing. Last season the Toffees opened up their campaign with a 1-0 home reverse to QPR but David Moyes’ decision to bring them back for pre-season earlier than any other top flight side seems to have done the trick. Last night the Merseysiders were first to every loose ball and at their harrowing best in midfield.

In Marouane Fellaini they had the games outstanding player. He battered and bullied Manchester United's makeshift defence before towering above Michael Carrick to head the winning goal in the 57^th minute.

Last year Everton lost six games at home but crucially only one of those defeats came after they had scored first and that was in a wind affected game against Bolton Wanderers. In the other five home defeats to QPR, Liverpool, United, Stoke and Arsenal, Moyes’ side failed to get on the score-sheet, proving just how hard they are to beat once they have edged ahead.

2.   Crosses can win games

Despite Gary Neville’s pre-match assertions that goals from crosses are becoming a thing of the past, Everton in particular, looked a threat to the United back-four every time a ball was delivered from a wide area. With the menacing Nikica Jelavic and giant Belgian Fellaini in attendance the Blues were able to create several goal scoring opportunities, the best of which, apart from the goal, saw Leon Osman smash a shot against the visitors bar from close range.

While it’s true that not every Premier League side will be able to call upon the towering presence of a Fellaini, United in contrast looked impotent with a distinct lack of width to their play. Sir Alex Ferguson’s team all too often tried to force the ball through the highly congested central areas of the pitch. When that didn’t work and the ball finally arrived out wide Everton’s defence was set and the Blues were able to maintain their compact shape and frustrate their opponents.

3.   United need to develop a regular back-four

When you’ve got the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Jonny Evans, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones to choose from it really is criminal to be starting the new season with only one recognised central defender. The biggest irony was that it was fit again skipper Vidic who started the game for the Red Devils, his first competitive match for 9 months. United’s injury problems at the back need to be resolved quickly though, while team selection as ever remains a contentious issue amongst the clubs supporters. Michael Carrick stepped in to the centre-half breach last night but struggled to contain the rampant Fellaini - who all too often imposed his physicality on the stop-gap solution United’s central defensive crisis. Elsewhere winger Antonio Valencia was employed at right-back instead of the more natural selection of Rafael Da Silva.

Sir Alex’s thinking no doubt swayed by Rafael’s Old Trafford horror show against the home team back in April. Unfortunately for Ferguson, Valencia too suffered a rough time of things against the Toffees often giving away possession cheaply and struggling to get forward to support United’s listless attack. Last season United’s defensive frailties were spectacularly highlighted by a crippling injury list that saw seventeen back-four combinations used in the first twenty-four fixtures. By the time any consistency came the Red Devils had already been dumped out of the Champions League, embarrassed by Crystal Palace in a League Cup Quarter-final and hammered by Manchester City at home.

The type of defensive frugality that the presence of Rio Ferdinand and Vidic once guaranteed was last seen during the 2007 - 08 season (United conceded just 22 League goals – when each played well over 30 league games). Sir Alex will hope that two of his five central defenders will be fit enough to strike up that sort of partnership once again to allow his side to mount a serious challenge at home and abroad during 2012-13.

4.   4-3-3 doesn’t always beat 4-4-2

While the national press and most commentators have derided England’s use of 4-4-2 claiming the system to be archaic, rigid, one dimensional and no match for 4-3-3 that isn’t always the case as last night’s fixture proved. In essence formations are only ever as good as the personnel employed within them. In England’s case a lack of quality players and football intelligence have more often than not proved to be the decisive factor at major championships. Last night Everton’s 4-4-1-1 deviation from the traditional 4-4-2 was perfectly executed to strangle the life out of United and give them the width necessary to put their more celebrated opponents under pressure.

Sir Alex will know all about that. He once used the system with great success when his own midfield was built around the trickery and pace of Ryan Giggs, the vision and darting runs of Paul Scholes, Roy Keane’s commanding presence and David Beckham’s unerring crossing and passing ability. Those players didn’t attack in straight lines or lump balls forward, they pressurised opponents into mistakes, skilfully played round them and used the likes of Teddy Sheringham and Dwight Yorke as links. While Everton’s personnel might not be at that level they still have a number of players that can pose the best of sides problems.

Steven Pienaar and Leon Osman are both capable playmakers operating from wide areas that look to join in when attacking and pop up in central positions. Crucially they both also know their role when defending, helping to make Everton as narrow as possible. Phil Neville steadies the ship with Darron Gibson in the centre of the park while in Fellaini they have a player they can play through on the deck and in the air.

To beat a side like this you have to be able to move the ball quickly and accurately. Attack weak points like the full-back positions (where Tony Hibbert and Leighton Baines are known to have issues dealing with genuine pace and trickery) and be prepared to shoot on sight.

5.   Desire, hard work and spirit can triumph over skill alone

The sight of Phil Jagielka chasing back and tackling fellow Mancunian Danny Wellbeck as he was honing in on goal epitomised Everton’s performance last night. Jagielka was on the half turn when the ball was played beyond him and into Wellbeck’s path. He was a clear second favourite. Yet somehow the defender put on the after-burners to make an important interception.

He crucially also made a goal-line clearance to deny Tom Cleverley in an outstanding display. But it would be wrong to single out Jagielka for special praise. All of his team-mates replicated his gargantuan effort, once again proving that while players may come and go at Everton the dressing room spirit created by David Moyes will always bring its rewards.   

Almost everyone I know in the football will agree with the sentiment that ‘when you go out on the pitch you have to earn the right to play’. That was none so more evident than at Goodison Park last night.