Thread by @guillaume_0823

I'm going through United's PL opener and there's *a lot more* to unpack than you might think. #MUFC were second-best on Sunday due to an overflow of factors:

A thread on my perspective of United's defeat at the hands of Brighton & Hove Albion.

During the live watch, I noticed United looked quite uncertain on the ball. Even before #BHA's goals, players looked nervous and did not wholly execute the game plan - or at least not the game plans they stuck to during pre-season.

This possibly has its stems in multiple roots:
-the players didn't take well to the atmosphere of OT
-the coaching & playing staff did not expect Brighton to set up the way they did
-the players were not used to the "false 9" dynamics they were introduced to only Thursday (MD-3)

United started the first minutes risk-averse. The baseline principles of Dalot inverting were still present and remained throughout the 90. This attracts pressure to the centre and isolates the winger further up the pitch - a common theme in the game model.

As ETH mentioned, Brighton played the long ball - a feat he didn't expect. They aimed for #MUFC's left side to win duels over Martinez and looked for the space behind our CBs since De Gea does not sweep often enough.

Cherry-picking examples here but Fred made some strange decisions on the ball. Notice here how the #6 plays the ball back to Martinez while Maguire is open to carry the ball forwards - this switch is also something we did v well in pre-season.

A thing we did well in pre-season and also in this game was isolating our wingers 1v1. Notice Eriksen's decoy run, which gives Rashford time to receive and run at the defense.

Getting the ball to our wingers is no problem - the problem is that #10 and #25 are no 1v1 wingers.

Marcus has since 2018 consistently played on the left wing, but still desperately needs to expand his locker. A skill that would be very valuable to United's play is the possibility to go round the outside of his FB and create danger from there.

ETH is an expert in attacking with "minimum width" - but I believe he wouldn't be happy with this play. #20 stays central in every attack similar to this to counter-press more effectively. #25 should be more on the outside providing an outlet - part of a broader problem we saw:

Now and later in the first half, #MUFC players would not really get a grip of #BHA's surprising set-up and would subsequently fall back on old habits. Players try to run the show themselves, and as we go further in the half, we keep driving away from the game plan.

Another example of a strange decision by Fred. He moves well to receive, open and play - but tries an erratic through ball to Bruno who primarily made a decoy run to again, isolate the wing 1v1.

Here's a broader technical point you can keep an eye on this whole season: Fred can play his first-timers well when played to his left side and at a low speed.

Notice in #MUFC's next games how his passes are erratic when he has to take the speed out of the ball.

After our improved throw-ins, we lose possession and hunt aggressively for 2nd balls (this *important* aspect just evaporates later in the game). On Tour #MUFC played out well after regaining the ball, especially by switching play.

Notice the + of Martinez's LF angles.

#MUFC's first chance comes when they isolate the winger and McTom makes a very good channel run (again a common theme). Bruno should score and doesn't strike it right + leans back too much.

Martial's injury news came out on Thursday and #MUFC barely were ready to play with a false nine. Players were not used to the dynamics:

Look at the lack of presence which facilitated Brighton's play substantially.

Overall, it led to United reverting to old habits: dwelling on the ball, not moving effectively and due to the unusual dynamics - they looked out of place

The following is another reason we missed a striker and especially Martial - who is generally good at reading counter-movements and advancing play through it.

Notice how without him, Eriksen and Rashford move to the ball together, compress play and deny progress.

#MUFC struggled to play through Brighton's narrow block with the midfielders available (even with FBs inverted) but perhaps didn't look to do so. Again, the progression priority is to get the wingers in 1v1 situations - which both did not capitalize on during the game.

Here's one of many "no scanning" moments by a volatile player like Bruno. On Tour we were good at switching out of tight spaces, but we don't communicate (Fred) and scan (Bruno).

Hence the players stay in a horizontal line with no angles, and can't retain possession. Strange.

#MUFC pressed in a 4-2-3-1 as they have done on Tour. In pre-season though, we saw pressing traps designed to recover the ball in the midfield - we didn't see this vs Brighton.

This could, however, be a deliberate choice as we change vs different opposition.

In deep build-ups, United adjusted to Brighton's press by dropping the full-backs lower in order to aid ball circulation.

McTominay, Bruno and Eriksen would also drop to receive for the same reason - but this prohibited our attacks in the second & third phases.

Brighton deceived some kicks (to go short) and went long, with United's compartments further apart. This, and overall more intensity meant that throughout the first half Brighton would dominate most 2nd balls and therefore keep control of the game.

#MUFC struggled to retain the ball and then sustain pressure for other reasons too: one being their GK's ability on the ball:

Brighton again target United's left side from goal-kicks. Maguire and McTominay both play on our right. Let's keep an eye out and see if other teams start doing this too.

To conclude: United had a tough day because
-BHA's unexpected game plan
-untrained F9 game plan
-lack of striker that pinned Brighton's backline

It proved hard to sustain pressure when 2nd balls were being lost and possession was counterproductive with our GK. The lack of technicality from our MF also prohibited playing through their block.

We progressed the ball well to our wingers, but #25 and #10 are no 1v1 experts.

With Martial's movement and presence, versus less tough/smart opponents (we won't face this quality every week) United will be much better. Problems (as mentioned in the article linked here) will emerge with ups and downs, but we'll be better than this.
manchesterutdtactics.wordpress.com/2022/08/07/how…

UItimately United did not do what they did in pre-season, yet they *will* do so this season - and they'll be a good team because of that. We lack depth in midfield and offense, which is our current concern.

In my opinion, the Brighton game was a freak performance.

I notice the clip is missing:

(I ended the thread here because I felt the problems I highlighted + our defensive transitions all contributed to the fact we could not control the game). My point was not to analyse the whole game, but to coin the idea of United getting it wrong and crumbling in the first 45'