Style & Tactical Evloution at Manchester United. By @BusbyMUFC

Last season (yes I have now put it behind me), was a curious one for me. We witnessed a stylish, exciting United team start the season in outstanding form before hitting a mid season wobble & finally finishing steadily if not emphatically. There are a number of contributing factors to the varying form we saw from the greatest club in the land but one that I thought I would look at is the tactical evolution that was beginning at United before injuries, illness & individuals’ poor form halted the progression.

The great form at the start of the season coincided with the returns of Danny Welbeck & Tom Cleverley from loan deals at Sunderland & Wigan respectively. Throughout pre-season both looked sharp & ready for first team action. Their return coincided with a vibrant, quick tempo style of football, which was to characterise our best performances in some time.

Not since the days of Ronaldo, Rooney & Tevez had we seen such interplay & fleet footed attacking at United; and the fans loved it. This was epitomised by Nani’s first goal in the Community Shield (video below) being voted Goal of the Season in the recent poll held by the excellent blog, Beautifully Red (Link & twitter: @BeautifullyRed). The introduction of Tom Cleverley in the second half of that game gave us something we’d been missing for a few years: dynamism & energy in the attacking midfield area.

His understanding with Welbeck was also clear to see. His enthusiasm, one touch football & energy seemed to drive the team on & inspired a stunning comeback against the eventual Premier League winners (their classlessness after winning stops me from calling them champions). This was also aided by a return to form of Anderson & Nani as well as excellent form from Carrick playing deep in United’s midfield.

This was further added to by the drive and attacking play shown by our full backs. Evra, Rafael, Smalling & Jones all played excellent football going forward and their energy, no doubt, transmitted through the team. Again, they played a fluid, high tempo & high energy game that was in keeping wih the new Manchester United.

It was a taste of things to come as United went on to convincingly beat Spurs 3-0 and annihilate an, admittedly poor, Arsenal side 8-2 at Old Trafford. This was followed by an excellent 0-5 win away to Bolton. We were playing high tempo, attacking football with a lot of fluididty that opposition teams couldn’t cope with. The team had played a consistent pre-season together, working on the movement, passing & penetration that would allow us to dominate teams & control possession.

This was Ferguson’s vision. A move away from the controlled, slightly slow-paced game that had served United well in previous season; partly through necessity after the retirement of Paul Scholes but also partly due to the realisation that, despite our success, the form of the team hadn’t been great. With Scholes retiring our rigid, controlled game in the middle of the park wasn’t natural & the long-term vision was for quick paced, high pressure, fluid football. And it worked for the first few months of the season.

Unfortunately, Cleverley suffered an ankle injury in the game against Bolton that would see his season almost entirely cut short as he was restricted to ineffectual substitute appearances after his return.

I’m not suggesting that Cleverley is that influential to the team; far from it. He still has a lot to learn but the potential was clear to see. His injury did, however, interrupt the rhythm of the team especially as Darren Fletcher was only just returning to the first team fold. After a further 2 months Fletcher announced he was taking an extended break from the first team due to illness & at around the same time Anderson was sidelined with a long term Knee injury.

By mid-November United had lost three first team midfielders, two of whom were integral to our excellent early season form & the third integral to our first team for the last 5 years. All three are high tempo footballers who bring energy & drive to the midfield when fully fit. Their injuries brought about a dip in form as the likes of Giggs & Rafael were drafted into central midfield as Paul Pgba watched on from the sidelines, apparently deemed not ready.

Scholes’ return from retirement was a welcome boost and his assured, calm performances helped United to get their season back on track. With a series of excellent displays in the middle of the park Scholes reminded us of his undoubted class. But with his return, came a return to the style of play that has become familiar over the last few years. It was a step back to the way we played previously borne out of necessity. Despite making the Champions League final & finishing as champions few will say we were on top form. Through a combination of great management & the opposition not progressing we were able to have a very good season. But the deficiencies were obvious to me then & were surely in Sir Alex's mind too. 

I don't think there was anything wrong with the way we played, it served us well; but i do think that the 442 system had become predictable against the top sides. It's too rigid and leaves us exposed in midfield when we're not in possession of the ball. Fergie has said we have never played with a destroyer but we HAVE always played with energy & dynamism; something you don't associate with a central midfield of Scholes & Carrick. 

The whole of the pre-season was geared towards the new, high tempo, high pressure football system that United played in the early months of the season but due to injury & illness we were unable to carry it through. With the likes of Young, Cleverley, Welbeck, Nani, Rooney & Anderson we have exciting, versatile footballers playing in a fluid system; I saw this as move away from a rigid 442 and I saw it as a positive move.

It’s also one of the reasons, in my opinion, that Berbatov has not been used so much this season. I’m not saying it’s the ONLY reason but I think it contributed. While embarrassingly talented, Berbatov doesn’t play high energy, high tempo football. He plays the game at his pace, enjoying a languid style that can still dominate teams in its own way. It just never quite suited United. The likes of Welbeck, Chicharito & even Owen are more suited to the type of game United play when they're at their best.

But it’s not just about running about at pace; the right technique & footballing nous have to be present in order to play this type of game against the top sides. This is why, I believe, Park Ji Sung has been phased out this season. Save for an inexplicable inclusion in the derby at Eastlands, Park’s big game appearances have been almost non-existent. His technique, distribution & ball retention are simply not good enough for the big games, especially when players like Tevez & Ronaldo are no longer in the side. In addition, having not played for a long time his match sharpness & match fitness were clearly lacking. An unfit Park is literally as effective as a headless chicken running around the pitch. 

Conversely, Ryan Giggs has the technique & execution to still be a valued member of the squad but his best days are certainly behind him. He doesn’t have the legs to play the type of game Fergie wants to for sustained periods over the course of the season and he certainly can't play in central midfield alongside Scholes &/or Carrick. He's still very mobile but lacks the energy & drive to play against the best central midfielders in the game. 

What does all this mean?

I think we’re headed for a change in the way we play next season. Not necessarily a change in formation but maybe in the style of play. I touched on the formations that we could play (considering who we have been linked with and what positions they play) in an earlier post (Click here) but those players also have other things in common (other than position).

The likes of Hazard, Kagawa, Gaitan, Lucas, Ganso, Goetze, Rodriguez etc. all have certain similar qualities. They’re all intelligent footballers with quick ‘footballing brains’; they all play high tempo football; they all have a very good turn of pace; they all have excellent technical ability. Importantly, they’re all young & still have the ability to learn and adapt to a new system. They’re also versatile players, able to play in a number of different, albeit attacking positions.

Verstaility, understanding, technique, pace are all attributes that help to create a fluid system. I can see United moving away from a traditional 442 to a more fluid system that the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid & AC Milan have used over the years. This won’t be a revolution but an evolution. More a tweak to the style of play as opposed to a fundamental change in philosophy at the club. 442 is still Fergie’s preferred system & I'm sure it will form the basis of what we will play next year but it will be a more versatile & fluid 442 that can change into a 4411 or a 4231. Even simply visualising the formations above (click on picture to enlarge), it's easy to see how (with the right personnel) a rigid 442 can become a more fluid formation. You may lose an out & out striker but you gain mobility, creativity, fluidity & versatility. The 4231 formation in particular allows the likes of Young, Hazard (or whoever comes in), Nani & Cleverley to switch positions & link up with one another adding a different dimension to our play that we saw early on in the season. However, as I mentioned earlier, a shift in formation isn't what a foresee, more an evolution in our formation & tactical fluidity.

Carrick will be key to the way we play next season. He has the ability to sit deep, break up play & control possession. Fergie has already said we won't be signing a 'destroyer' so it will be up to the central midfield to control possession like we try to do now with Scholes & Carrick. The difference is that, as a pair, they lack the dynamism or energy to suddenly change pace and they certainly won'r press the opposition when we don't have the ball. However, with Carrick sitting deep & the likes of Cleverley, Anderson, Nani, Young, Rooney, Valencia (and any one of the players linked) playing ahead of him we have the basis for a team that can as readily control possession as it can play a counter attacking system. In this type of system, if we control possession we don't need a destroyer.

So I am not suggesting that there will be an overhaul of tactics or a fundamental change in our formation, just that there are exciting times ahead. I really do believe that this United squad is not far away from being world class & with the right additions in terms of personnel I’m sure we will see my vision for a fluid, adaptable system come into play. Also, before I leave you, remember that these are my OPINIONS so please do not be offended if you do not agree! I'm here to generate original content that will hopefully spark debate so, as always, leave comments & feedback below or, alternatively, get in touch via twitter (@BusbyMUFC). I look forward to your response.