Guillaume Profile picture
Feb 19, 2023 18 tweets 11 min read Read on X
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.
Collectively, MUN struggled in the first half to keep up with LEI's intensity - their pressing was slow-paced and lacked proactivity.

Ten Hag mentioned that #MUFC didn't follow their principles of play - they indeed didn't switch play enough and made bad decisions on the ball.
Lack of proactivity and intensity:

Rashford at CF did not press the CBs intensively which allowed LEI to progress the ball to their midfield. Our players did not anticipate LEI's attacks well - they timed their presses too late and lost a lot of duels.

LEI created chances.
Rest defense:

United's rest defense left a lot of gaps which LEI didn't manage to score from. Many individuals made wrong decisions in this phase:

• Positioning
• Ball-watching
Rest defense (2):

Ball-watching from individuals also granted Leicester chances to transition easily. United missed Varane and Casemiro in this phase - players who organize the high defense and communicate well.

Casemiro's reading of the game was also missed.
In possession, United's attacks were stifled by the selection of Weghorst in the #10 position ahead of Fred-Sabitzer who struggled to progress centrally.

Fred-Sabitzer did not progress well and in the 2nd phase they didn't combine to disrupt LEI's shape.

Stale.
Midfield play:

Midfielders Fred and Sabitzer often rushed passes in behind LEI, or did not progress at all due to receiving the ball at unfavorable angles and coming short in the technical department.

It stifled progression play in the first half.
Switching play:

As ten Hag mentioned, MUN did not follow "the rules" and "principles" of their game. Part of that were their sub-principles: switches of play.

United did not attempt enough of them in the first half and often kept their final third attacks on the same side.
Switching play (2):

Another example of United's first-half proclivity to stay on the same side and not switch play *right* before entering the final third:
Half-time:

As Erik ten Hag and I mentioned though, the space was there between Leicester's DEF and MID units - and in behind too.

The weakness of LEI had been identified, United only had to find a way of hurting them.
Jadon Sancho at 10:

This key substitution solved a lot of United's collective problems directly and indirectly:

• Space left by LEI could be exploited with a ball-demanding #10
•Weghorst at #9 intensified our pressing play
• Sancho 10 and Bruno RW encourages more switches
Playing between the lines:

With the addition of Sancho and Bruno moving to the right, United had much more of a presence between the lines which sustained their attacks better and gave them control of the game.
Playing between the lines (2):

The gaps that were there in the first half, could now fully be exploited. Sancho and Bruno had a field day asking for the day, receiving, and playing out the 3v3 or 4v4 situations United created vs Leicester's last line.
Playing between the lines (3):

This presence between the lines also created United's third goal:
Switching play:

In stark contrast to the 1st half, United switched the play as their game model demands. It allowed free-flowing attacks that bombarded Leicester during the second half.
Full-time:

The Sancho substitution and the demand for more energy (in pressing and attacking) during HT were 🔑to United's second half performance in #MUNLEI.

A brilliant in-game adaptation by Erik ten Hag and his staff to tip the balance of the game in United's favour.

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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
Jan 14, 2023
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
Read 11 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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