Rewatching from yesterday, this is a clip where we won the ball to score the first goal. This is sort of a microcosm of what's wrong with our press. Super intense, but lacking organization. Bruno should be pressing the man in the bottom of the frame who just took the throw in... 
instead Rashford pulls over to do it, which is ultimately effective, but just as easily couldve been played out of if he'd just found the man Rashford abandons
Goal #3 from Martial. Two huge differences yet simple differences from earlier in the year: 1) When the striker vacates (Martial here) midfielders and wingers attacking the space vacated 2) classic inside forward--> fb overlap that you lack w James+AWB or Rash+Williams
Simple, yet super important improvements if you want to break down a low block. Martial probably should've found Shaw here to set up a cut back oppo tbh
This one is super simple but also really encouraging: Martial drops, Greenwood makes an angled run into his space dragging the FB, AWB gets space on the right to deliver a cross for Rashford making another angled run on the far side. If we do this more often it would be great
v. Brighton, not sure if Pogba was instructed not to attack the box here to cover for a counter attack, but ideally you'd have him running at the penalty spot waiting for cut back. 8 defenders with their eyes on the byline, City score a lot of goals this way (sorry @thirtyfeet)
Another subtle difference from earlier in the year: AWB would've been stranded with the ball in this position because James would've made the run Lindelof is making, rather than that which Greenwood makes. This forced him to play down the line to James into a corner too often
which ultimately made his creative game seem more one dimensional + limited than it otherwise was
More of that classic overlapping movement here creating cutback opportunities. Something Shaw offers that Williams doesn't. He totally misses Martial here, again all eyes on the byline and he's in the blindspot of the defenders. Leads to a goal anyway though!
this is technically an underlap
Continuation of a point on both James + Williams: James is far more functional at LW because he more naturally takes up interior positions that make him more dangerous, and Williams can be problematic on the left for the same reasons as a fullback (doesn't want to go to byline)
More great interplay between Shaw and Rash vs. Sheffield: Shaw underlaps pulling the fullback away from Rashford, allowing him to deliver a beautiful ball that ultimately results in a dangerous freekick. Player quality+comfort+ complementing profiles leading to goalscoring opps
Another instance of Greenwood naturally trending centrally benefitting AWB: fullback pulls narrow, allowing him 1v1 opportunities. What happens? Beats his man to the byline (with a very nice bit of misdirection) and crosses to the six yard box for Martial
Later on in the match we see the benefits of G'wood as an inside fw in place of James again: Sheffield's LB learns from his mistake with AWB and marks him tighter, leaving the halfspace gaping. Greenwood's inexperience actually showing here, he misses Pogba on the 1-2, who was in
Later on in the same passage of play, AWB holds the FB again, opening the halfspace for Greenwood. James would've held the width where AWB is, making him redundant. Instead, Greenwood gets a shot in his favored shooting position.
Rashford - Shaw underlap again! Rashford holds width pulling out the RB, flicks it back to Shaw who's free in the halfspace to play for AWB. Final ball is behind him unfortunately
Different pattern this time w AWB: Greenwood drops deep, pulling the LB, Wan Bissaka makes a run wide, dragging the LCB and opening the halfspace for Bruno, who drags the other cb. Martial's marker pulls deep, 1-2 into the huge gap behind the defensive line and it's a hattrick
A lot of you won't like this next one as much, but it's what I'm seeing so I'm gonna share my thoughts nonetheless:
James comes on as a sub at LEFT wing, and takes up naturally inverted positions, opening passing angles he doesn't have on the right and allowing him to play off Mata...
The pass is poor but because AWB is complemented w an inside forward/false winger in Mata on the right...
The ball is played quickly across the top of the box for a 1v1 with the left back and a dangerous crossing opportunity
Illustrating the negative case with James and McT on the right in place of Greenwood and Pogba: AWB receives wide, but there's immediately a problem. McTominay isn't in the gaping interior space to the left offering himself as an option
This coupled with James' natural tendency to make runs onto his right foot means AWB's only option are to play down the line or engage in a 1v2, which he ultimately chooses
Because he's actually an excellent dribbler __he wins the 1v2__ and Fred, being far more positionally intelligent than McTominay, arrives from halfway across the pitch to offer a passing option
Let's do this pattern one more time before I conclude this lengthy thread: Greenwood comes on as a sub. Drags in the fullback inside. AWB is left in space wide. FB comes out to mark him again, and he plays Gwood in the half space
Good defending from Alderweireld turns Greenwood back out to AWB. But here we see what a talented RCM offers: Pogba makes himself available to recycle the ball.
Do you recognize this possession yet? Pogba receives the ball, squares up Dier, and does him in. Penalty. Goal. And we see how Greenwood, AWB, and Pogba working together as a unit once again drove our attack
Thread end, for now. Basically, Rashford + Shaw on one wing have formed a great relationship, Greenwood + AWB have on the other, and Pogba and Bruno have linked the two together to provide for Martial
This should say Martial not AWB
