Thread by @guillaume_0823

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.