Surprise in Manchester… or not!

One must be really missing a lot of matches from Manchester United to struggle to understand performances as the ones we’ve seen recently, from the constant rollercoaster, to the good starts and/or ends but the hollow in the middle…

And this match versus Fulham FC was another sample.

A good start, a few good build-ups and chances but… no goal! 

And the team is getting to a point where the goal in the right moments will trigger performances (and results) in a better way.

This has been happening in the last few matches, where they cannot capitalize the good start and then, due to the quality of the opponents and the mistakes of their own, end up conceding a goal.

Again, we’ve seen these stages developing with time at Sporting CP, where the team was able to score in the right moments and then to sustain their performances with an advantage scoring in hands.

United, on the contrary is still not at that level.

Just yet.

But it’s important for us to understand the stages that the team is going through.

The team is clearly showing improvements and that is clear when we look at what is being done with the limitations that the team has currently.

When Fulham FC got on the field players as William and Sessegnon, you clearly see a difference in the team’s moments and resources.

The team played significant time with players that aren’t first choices.

That is clear.

But that’s what it has to be done now.

Survive.

Ruben’s strategy of turning the team into a GK+4+4+2 when defending, I believe due to the lack of pressing ability from Højlund and, mainly, Zirkzee, is creating confusion at times, specially on the sides.

If it can work to protect the team from Zirkzee’s inability to press consistently, or Højlund’s single-movement pressing, their incapacity to cover the holding midfielder is also clear, leaving the midfielders always outnumbered in the middle.

Secondly, on the sides the confusion is even greater. 

If on one side (ie. Left) the pressure was done by Eriksen or Garnacho, having Dalot behind as a Left-back, on the right side it was confusing, sometimes by Bruno or others by Mazraoui, leaving De Ligt as a Righ-back… which may not be the best Strategy… and it was confusing with players pointing (and expecting) others to press.

Football is a Game of the mouse and the cat, where you try to cover one side, ending uncover the other.

However, these strategies are yet to get more clear when the team is fully fit and we can understand if the GK+4+4+2 in a low-medium block is permanent, or not.

The team is struggling, 10 players were out yesterday – between injuries and suspension – and from those, at least 4 (Martinez, Amad, Mainoo and Dorgu) are potentially strong contesters for the starting XI.

In a team that originally struggles with quality, specially offensively, having these players out makes the task nearly impossible.

The first half was bad, again with lack of consistent offensive power, after the first minutes where they were able to create some dangerous situations.

The second half was even worse, with the team dropping on the field due to incapacity to press and the feeling of being completely dominated reigned.

Some Data to clear our minds about performances:
. Eriksen made an OK performance, playing on the left side of the attack during the majority of the time and then in the middle, in the double holding midfielders, but had 0 duels registered, even if playing for almost 70 minutes (!)
. Zirkzee played 120 minutes, was again able to find some spaces in between the lines, but won less than 22% of his duels and shot to the goal 1 time alone… off target!

. Højlund played for 68 minutes, had 50% of pass accuracy, won 20% of his duels and made 1 shot… off target as well!
. Garnacho played for 67 minutes, had 33% success on dribbling attempts, 0 successful crosses (out of 5 attempts), 20% of duels won, 4 shots (being 2 on target and 2 off target) and missed 2 big chances…

When this is the Data of the offensive players, it really says a lot.

(Disclaimer: I’m not getting Obi’s Data here simply because it doesn’t seem fair to me to be pointing fingers to a kid that is still yet to fully develop to be ready for these stages.

He’s doing his job, and needs to keep doing it the way he’s been working, but his level of responsibility cannot be the same as the others here mentioned.)

Yes, the team is not producing enough.

Yes, the processes are yet to be perfected.

But we cannot take the individual factor of this equation.

Never.

Because, if you read my posts, you already know my opinion about Coaches and Players and how a great Coach can be perform miserable if the players aren’t good, just as an average Coach can have a great performance if the players are exceptional.

This doesn’t mean Coaches have no influence on overall Performances and outcomes.

Coaches are super important!

But players can have a greater impact on the outcome, because they are the ones playing and, even when they don’t agree (or believe) the Coach’s choices or tactics, they have their pride, their career, their families, their friends, their agents, that they cannot let them down and still look out for the best performance.

In most cases.

A Coach, at top level, just like Carlo Ancelotti said (super successful at Real Madrid and AC Milan, but way less productive at Everton or Napoli) is “all about the relationship with the players”.

In United’s case, is not only about the relationship with the Players, or they belief in the System, Tactics or Style of Play, or the Staff being dismissed, or the Academy needing improvements, or all the other problems that become bigger when the 1st team isn’t Performing.

It is also about the Club’s Structure, from the Financials, Medical Staff up to the Recruitment Department.

Again, it will take a lot of time, patience and money.

One trophy is still ahead of United, that got one of the hardest opponents possible.

A Spanish side that will create many, many challenges to Ruben’s team.

Full of Possession, aggressiveness and movements, I can foresee a big challenge ahead.

Therefore, as mentioned before, my hopes on a trophy in his first months at Manchester are very low for Ruben.

But, now it’s survival mode and understanding who belongs to the future of the Club.

If Amad, Mainoo and some other players are fit soon enough and make the team more competitive.. maybe they can try to win a few more matches.

But, it will be a hard end of Season.

No different than the past months.

Let’s see!

For now, 3 days to the Game in Spain!

The data presented here is from the sofascore website.