LONG thread about midfield coming up:

This is the drum I've been beating for the past two years when it comes to evaluating midfielders. The standard is far too lax.

Fred and VDB weren't bad at all! But not bad ≠ good
#MUFC

(CONT)
For midfielders being good or bad is not black & white There's levels
Good - help your team win
Bad - cause your team to lose
In between - prevent your team from losing, but also hold your team back and make it more difficult to win

#MUFC often live in that third category
There's also the issue in how we define 'bad'
It's not just made a defensive error that resulted in a goal or give the ball away/bad passes

There are also plenty of things you can do that don't look bad but aren't in fact good
#MUFC
The prime example of this is being too safe in possession. Playing safe passes and recycling possession doesn't look bad, but against a low block its not helping you win either. You need to take some risks, don't be afraid to miss a pass. If you can't you're not good enough #MUFC
That's all just when you're on the ball, but for 99% of the match you're not on the ball. Not being good off the ball can have major repercussions for the team. EX: Taking a bad position can block a passing lane forcing a square ball and another recycle
#MUFC
In possession, the primary job of United's midfielders is get the ball to the dangerous players in spaces where they can be dangerous. You can do that via passing it to them, or taking up good positions to open up angles so other players can pass to them
#MUFC
For example in 2019-20 Nemanja Matic had the worst individual numbers among United's midfielders in several (attacking + defensive) areas. But United's attack AND defense were better when he was on the pitch. Something he was doing (or wasn't doing) made the team better
#MUFC
Another example. Against SOU Fred and Matic were perceived as BAD - mainly because they kept giving the ball away (and an OG)
But they weren't bad. When they were on the pitch they snuffed out SOU attacks, holding them to 7 shots for an xG of 0.5 (0.07 xG per shot)
#MUFC
United had 65% possession, were outshooting SOU 14-7 with an xG over 2. When Fred came off United's possession dominance fell from 65 to 50, and they only managed one more shot while the tide of the game turned towards the Saints
#MUFC
Fred and Matic weren't bad. Clearly they were doing SOMETHING right. But they weren't by any means good either (the bad passes etc). United had created less than 0.4 xG from open play. They weren't getting the ball to the good players. They were only doing half the job! #MUFC
That brings us to yesterday. When the game was 11v11 Fred and VDB weren't bad but they weren't good either. They were ~ok~ defensively and were doing a good job stopping attacks before they started. They weren't giving the ball away, but they weren't moving it either
#MUFC
The numbers tell the whole story. United had 65% possession but couldn't get the ball to the feet of their good players. Way too many of their touches were coming from their defenders, who were the ones trying to push the ball forward, that's an indictment on the midfield
#MUFC Image
The other player getting on the ball a lot was Bruno, a result of him dropping deeper to push the ball forward. This happens a lot when United's midfield aren't progressing the ball and the end result is never good
#MUFC
The red card certainly changed things, but it wasn't good before that to begin with. United were on pace to have all the possession but be outshot 12-5. Since they weren't getting the ball forward, they weren't putting BSC YB under pressure either, so not wearing them down
#MUFC
When playing a team happy to give you the ball you need to take the game from them. Your midfield simply can't be 'not bad,' they need to actually be good and help take the game to your opponent. If they don't, you won't lose but you probably won't win

Not bad ≠ good
#MUFC

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More from @pkwestel

2 Sep
Tactical Analysis thread: Besides the midfield, the one thing that was glaringly obvious in Sunday's match was the need for the forward line to do their part and help the midfield out.
That goes for both helping to progress the ball, and defensively (CONT)
#MUFC
Let's take a look at some HORRIBLE defense where United leave Harry Maguire completely exposed and let Trincao have a free run at him.
A defensive midfielder alone doesn't fix this because there are so many breakdowns, especially from the forwards
#MUFC
(Pics are annotated so I can save words here). The play starts fairly innocently on the wing. Pogba and James have swapped roles (due to prior positioning) but James tucks in as the second CM. United look pretty well set up, except Bruno and James are both in no mans land
#MUFC Image
Read 9 tweets
31 Aug
It's very clear Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had a plan for Manchester United. It's just that signing Ronaldo may have blown that plan up.

Regardless of the plan, they still don't have a midfield that is capable of playing the way OGS wants to play, and it all starts there!
#MUFC
Like we really can't overstate how not 'Premier League champions' quality Fred, Matic, and McTominay are. And Pogba/VDB aren't midfielders either. United have the defenders/attackers to play the style OGS wants, but the midfielders are simply incapable
#MUFC
I always laugh at the notion that someone else 'gets more out of this team' because that someone else would still have to deal with McTominay & Fred who can't pass, and Matic who can't move
#MUFC
Read 4 tweets
17 Aug
Little Tactical Analysis thread here: I still can't get over this goal from Saturday.

Everything about it, the movements, rotations, etc is the PERFECT way to combat Leeds man-marking strategy, and United carve them apart
#MUFC
It starts with Greenwood telling McTominay exactly where he wants the ball. Greenwood is going to have to drop about three steps deeper to make this work. Three steps doesn't seem like much, but if he doesn't do it, none of this happens
#MUFC
As soon as McTominay plays this ball, Fred starts running forward. Greenwood is going to drag the CB into midfield, leaving all that space open, someone needs to fill it. Fred spots this and immediately moves to fill it (while Bruno drags his man wide)
#MUFC
Read 9 tweets
16 Aug
"I'd like to see Pogba do that 10 games in a row"

Well that would be 40 assists which would just about double the Premier League record for assists in a season so, no, I don't really think that's a reasonable expectation
#MUFC
The thing about using assists to judge people is it relies on your teammates to finish the chances. This is an incredible ball from Pogba but we're remembering it b/c Greenwood finished this chance. Not many people besides Greenwood are capable of doing this #MUFC
The xG on that Greenwood shot was about 0.08. Greenwood one of the few in the world who you fancy to actually maybe score it, but 9/10 times it doesn't go in.

That doesn't - and shouldn't - take away from how beautiful and perfect that ball was from Pogba
#MUFC
Read 5 tweets
31 Jan 20
Thread:
Wednesday night against City, there was a fantastic example of exactly this happening (United's determination to play out from the back, no matter what). It starts with a poor back pass from Maguire to Shaw, leaving Shaw in trouble #MUFC @utdarena @timlongsports
@utdarena @timlongsports Under pressure, you wouldn't fault shaw for just booting this out, or kicking it out for a corner. Instead, he plays it wide into space so that Brandon Williams can take possession and start over #MUFC
@utdarena @timlongsports Williams, a young fullback playing in his first away derby, looks up to see what passing options he has. There are none, so he pulls the ball back, almost trapping himself and putting him under pressure #MUFC
Read 9 tweets

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