Guillaume Profile picture
Jan 14, 2023 11 tweets 6 min read Read on X
THREAD: How Erik ten Hag's Manchester United planned to beat Manchester City at Old Trafford

Key points of the GAMEPLAN of #MUFC in GW 18 of their Premier League season.
Starting XI choices:

-Malacia at LB gave extra intensity to wide 1v1s and security in deep build-up (1st phase)
-Fred-Casemiro pivot gave 2nd ball prowess & intensity in duels
-Rashford & Bruno wide gave transitional threat
-Martial offered technical security up front
Proactive Pressing in mid-block:

-Medium block with proactive pressing
-Martial & Eriksen cover shadow Rodri
-Wingers Rashford & Bruno closed central access to #MCI's #8's
-Ball forced wide to FBs
-Fred man-marking KDB's runs into the channel
-Ball-near CB follows CF
Proactive Pressing in high block:

-From goal-kicks, #MUFC pressed high to keep ball in opposite half
-Casemiro and Fred man-mark the #8s
-Eriksen marks #6 if Martial jumps to press
Building attacks long:

-Attack starts with GK
-Long ball to either find combination with supportive structure around the targeted area
-Long ball to win 2nd ball and transition
Creating attacks:

To create attacks, #MUFC aimed to win 2nd balls and transition from higher up. In the second phase, ETH has emphasized the importance to switch play to CREATE THE ATTACK (game model principle!):
Creating attacks:

Key to #MUFC's transitioning threat is the passing range of Casemiro in his deep positioning. United aimed to get Casemiro in possession after the 2nd ball and transition rapidly in behind.

Watch Casemiro's scan before receiving it!
Building and creating the attack:

When (rarely) building short in this game, #MUFC overloads a side and controls tempo to speed it up by SWITCHING PLAY in the second phase.

Controlling the flow "la pausa" by Eriksen and wall passes is vital to this buildup.
Creating and finishing the attack:

On the second goal, the same principles are followed: Build short, increase tempo by switching play and attack the box.

Note the importance of Garnacho's left foot which creates a second chance for the goal!
Box Defending:

To defend #MCI's notorious cut-back, a few sub-principles were coached:
-CBs and back post FB stay on 6-yard line
-tracking CM (Fred) closes ball down: "blocking hole" is created
-other CM covers cut-back opportunity around penalty spot
These were some of the notable, coached, and game-specific principles of Erik ten Hag's game plan.

Relative to the personnel available in 22-23, it was the correct choice of strategy for the Manchester United manager. What a win!

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More from @guillaume_0823

May 8, 2023
Tactics are the transfer of coach-to-player knowledge to inform decision-making on the pitch.
Technique is the sport-specific execution of a skill, and ball mastery in general.
Physique is the athletic dimension of the game in speed, strength and endurance.
Read 5 tweets
Feb 22, 2023
Liverpool's defensive set-up on wide free-kick

•Expecting inswinger towards far post: staggering first bank + Van Dijk back post
•Zonal defending of 6-yard box and blocking of 3 runners ImageImage
Collective issues within this set-up:

Wary of a Modric shot or far-post cross, Liverpool overload the far post zonally and bring their bank close to their GK.

The central zone is completely undefended, and their full-backs are on opposite sides - a negative for their counters. Image
Individual issues in the set-up:

#43 and #18's body shape is close enough to 45° - they can see the ball, their opponent and can move to block. TAA's body shape is all over the place. He does not see the ball, and can only block Militao if he moves to the far post. ImageImage
Read 5 tweets
Feb 21, 2023
This pressing shape can work - but it requires more communication than usual.

A sub-principle of our press is for the CBs to "step out" of their line and follow the striker when they drop (we have done this since pre-season).
To have the ball-near CB engage the CF when dropping, you need to have the ball on that side.

United usually force this by having their wingers curve their press runs from "out-to-in". It forces the ball inside, where the midfield is compact and the CB can step out.
Leicester picked up on a weakness in this shape.

If the winger (LW in this case) doesn't screen the pass from CB➡️RB well, it allows the opposition down the outside.
As @TalkinTactics points out, the FB following the opposition FB causes problems when play is built outside.
Read 5 tweets
Feb 19, 2023
THREAD: Analysis of Manchester United's gameplan versus Leicester City and the half-time changes made by Erik ten Hag and his analysts that won the game:
TEAM SELECTION:

• Martinez-Lindelof CB partnership (ball progression + carrying + high line)
• Fred-Sabitzer-Weghorst midfield (intensity + long ball target)
• Rashford #9 (scoring threat and creation of depth)
• Weghorst #10 (long ball target + hold-up play)
FIRST HALF:

In the words of Erik ten Hag, a rubbish half, which entailed plenty of individual, group-related and collective mistakes on the technical and tactical levels.

I'll delve into the many mistakes of the 1st half before explaining the in-game changes that fixed them.
Read 18 tweets
Aug 20, 2022
(Long) Thread: Analysis of every goal conceded by Manchester United in the 2022/23 season.

I'm going to pick apart every detail of the goals #MUFC concede below. I will try to offer my insight and highlight/sample systemic faults on a team-tactical or individual level.
Some considerations before we dig deeper:
-My aim is to deliver my insight into what happens and for what reason
-My aim is not to single out players positively or negatively
-The process of analysis is one where POVs come together to find a solution - feel free to argue!
1) #BHA (H) 29'19"

The goal starts from United's goal-kick. De Gea signals Maguire to open the pitch but then opts for the long ball - which doesn't follow Ten Hag's principles as Maguire is open to progress down the right.
Read 37 tweets
Aug 8, 2022
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)
Read 30 tweets

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