THE Manchester Derby didn’t live up to its usual hype on Sunday as Man Utd and Man City played our a goalless bore draw.
Despite excitement over what could have been a feisty clash, as it has been over the years, fans found themselves struggling to stay awake during the weekend’s big game.
14
Ruben Amorim‘s United side failed to take advantage of their underachieving neighbours with issues all over the pitch.
In the latest episode of SunSport’s Tactics Exposed, our expert DEAN SCOGGINS reveals what is broken about the Man Utd system.
GARNACHO DRIVING ME AMAD
You can’t help but think what Amad Diallo – and possibly even Anthony Elanga – would be doing in Alejandro Garnacho‘s role in this Man Utd team.
Unselfish runs are so important in football these days and opening up passing lanes too, but Garnacho does the opposite.
Just 25 seconds in to the game Garnacho had a fantastic opportunity to tee up Bruno Fernandes with a simple pass, but chose not to play the ball.
Garnacho’s run-direction is often the wrong way. It’s not that he always goes left or always goes right, it’s that he doesn’t seem to have the awareness of what’s around him to make the right run.
In Ruben Amorim‘s 3-4-2-1 shape, Garnacho should be making runs to occupy defenders or make himself an option whenever Patrick Dorgu gets the ball.
Instead, Garncho and Rasmus Hojlund seem to always make runs into the same central positions.
It might be time to start to question whether the Argentine is understanding what is being asked of him by the new manager.
Join SUN CLUB for the Man Utd Files every Thursday plus
in-depth coverage and exclusives from Old Trafford
14
14
14
OPEN THE DORGU
Dorgu worked really hard and he did fantastically well to get up and down the pitch to try and implement Amorim’s system.
Amorim’s system means that overloading one side of the pitch can often leave a wing-back wide open on the other flank – a position Dorgu found himself in multiple times.
However, his barnstorming runs were either not being spotted quick enough by his midfield teammates or Garnacho was getting in his way in the wide areas.
United need to release Dorgu earlier so he can be the one to put the crosses in the box.
Amorim’s side didn’t take advantage of Pep Guardiola‘s narrow system.
Had they defended narrow and then spread the ball wide when they attacked, United could have had more joy against their neighbours.
14
14
14
14
14
TRUST ISSUES
Man Utd players don’t seem to be trusting the players behind them, causing trust issues that are hampering their performances.
The attackers leading the press seem to not trust the midfielders behind them to do their job when it comes to marking the opposition.
That makes them drop back and try to help out, subsequently seeing the midfielders drop back to mark the deeper men and meaning United’s back three are left marking nobody and very little pressure being put on the ball.
Being pushed so far back means that when United win the ball back they aren’t high enough up the pitch and they are no longer 1v1 with their opposite numbers.
It also stops United from being able to transition quick enough from defence into attack.
The system doesn’t seem to be an issue, it could be more of a personnel problem.
14
14
14
BRUNO… IT MAKES SENSE
Bruno Fernandes was really good against City, he was at the heart of every good move that United had.
By playing him as one of the attacking three, you have his game intelligence to help them create opportunities and utilise the system.
At the moment he doesn’t look like he wants to pass to Rasmus Hojlund and doesn’t have the runs off the ball from elsewhere to feed the passes.
There were multiple occasions where Fernandes had the ball in central areas and everyone else was narrow too.
If players move into wide areas then Fernandes could definitely be the key to unlocking more and finding the right passes.
STRIKER LIGHT
Both Manchester clubs were light up top during the derby, but Man City had an excuse with their superstar striker Erling Haaland missing through injury.
Meanwhile United had both Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee available to them and still didn’t manage to find the back of the net.
Hojlund has scored just one goal in his last 24 games in all competitions, while Zirkzee only has a marginally better record with two goals in his last 22 appearances for United.
Hojlund hasn’t been getting the service that he should be, given the ssues that have already been highlighted, but his average position is baffling.
The striker’s average position at half-time was deeper than Manuel Ugarte‘s.
The Dane doesn’t push the defender back as much as he should and it seems like he has a lack of confidence when it comes to beating a defender 1v1.
Zirkzee offered much more in terms of stretching the City defence, but he just isn’t fast enough to make his runs effective.
14
14