Bring your blueprint but fail to tackle old issues can see very little development. This is the risk Erik ten Hag faces and couldn’t be highlighted better by a brutal Brighton display. The work of an ex-United striker ran the center-backs ragged, whilst a familiar face provided the finishing blows. Tactical analysis and match report […]
A clash that ought to have taken top billing at the end of the campaign revealed why neither club fulfilled expectations. Where one outfit could not turn their dominance into hegemony, the other was too frail in all aspects of the game to be their equal anywhere but on the scoreline. Tactical analysis and match […]
Behold the Premier League’s greatest rivalry. Football is nothing like it was twenty years ago and neither are these two teams. But chaotic defending, errors and refereeing decisions always offer fun. Though not on top form, Arsenal was still superior to their opponents in turmoil. Tactical analysis and match report by Joel Parker. Ambitions between one […]
In a tumultuous campaign, breaking through a window of opportunity into fourth place offers Manchester United the chance to salvage some pride. But the gulf in class to their rivals was too much to close on away turf in this derby. A masterclass in midfield and clinical counterpressing strangled the guests in a clash that […]
Everton picked up three huge points at home to Manchester United, with Anthony Gordon’s deflected strike the only goal of the game. This was a game devoid of quality, with Manchester United falling even further back in the race for a top-four finish, whilst Everton opened up a four-point gap between themselves and Burnley. Tactical […]
After a 1-1 draw in a first leg where Atlético Madrid seemed to be the better side overall, they visited Old Trafford to face Manchester United with a spot in the Champions League quarter-finals on the line. As was the case in their previous meeting, the team with less of the ball looked more in […]
Pep Guardiola’s side were difficult to deal with in this match thanks to their structural advantages in midfield, plus their incredibly strong combinations on the left side of their attack. United carried some threat in transition in the first half but could not get to grips with City’s ball circulation. City’s dominance was reflected in […]
After ten minutes, Ralph Hasenhüttl changed his team’s shape to not only close the defensive holes but be the launchpad for adaptive buildups too. Against his coaching graduate, Ralf Rangnick struggled to find solutions as Southampton produced another impressive away display, to keep United tied. Tactical analysis and match report by Joel Parker. The reunion […]
Marcus Rashford came off the bench to score a last-gasp winner at Old Trafford against West Ham United, which propelled Manchester United into the top four. This was the best performance defensively since Ralf Rangnick’s arrival, while there are some patterns of play beginning to emerge on the ball as well. West Ham were disciplined […]
Manchester United progressed to the fourth round of the FA Cup with a 1-0 win at Old Trafford against Aston Villa. Scott McTominay scored the only goal of the game for United, who were sent out in a shape reminiscent of what was frequently seen under Ole Gunnar Solskjær. Villa had a number of chances […]