Manchester United formation tweak could be more important than any January signing
The January transfer window is open and Man Utd need to look at ways to try and improve their squad.
by Richard Fay · Manchester Evening NewsIt’s a new year and the opportunity for Manchester United to move on from the same old that has cost them so many times already this season.
The weekend defeat to Nottingham Forest was another painful reminder of the huge issues that have been at play this campaign and a timely one too, with the January transfer window opening today.
United will be hoping to turn a leaf at the earliest stage possible and supporters will no doubt be excited by the prospect of adding more players to their squad this month.
TRANSFERS: What United need to do in January
It is easier said than done, though. Selling will take priority over buying this month and United’s recent transfer track record is enough to suggest that throwing more money at the situation is not a guaranteed formula for success.
Erik ten Hag believes the biggest boost for United this month will come in the form of those returning from injury, with Lisandro Martinez, Harry Maguire, Casemiro, Mason Mount and Tyrell Malacia all expected to be available in the coming weeks.
United’s injury issues have certainly been a contributing factor to their struggles so far this season, though they have not always been relevant and are sometimes used as a convenient excuse to overlook harder home truths.
There will be even more pressure on Ten Hag once he has a fully fit squad to choose from and far less room for error on his part without such a caveat to their continued struggles.
United not only need their best players back and available regularly to build momentum, but they also need to adjust the way they play if they are to have any hopes of salvaging the season.
They were tactically inept against Nottingham Forest at the weekend and conceded two similar goals as the home side twice cut the ball back across goal to expose the space between defence and midfield and get shots at goal.
It has been a running theme all season. A viral clip showed United have conceded from nine different cutbacks so far this season, starting with Martin Odegaard’s for Arsenal back in August. There were another two at home to Brighton, one each in Champions League defeats to Bayern, Galatasaray, and Copenhagen, and another at home to Bournemouth.
United’s lack of organisation has regularly been exposed by opponents playing on the break and it has become a common sight to see central midfielders jogging back in vain to try and prevent the inevitable effort on the goal that awaits.
Casemiro has certainly been missed at the base of the midfield, but it's Casemiro from last season as opposed to the one who was so poor before his injury. It is far too simplistic to suggest putting him back on the side will be an instant solution, but he could be a contributing factor in the remedy.
United need more defensive protection in their side and that could come from tweaking their formation to a double pivot with Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo sitting at the base of the midfield.
Not only would it allow Ten Hag to field his best defensive midfielder, but it would also give them two excellent ball players in deeper positions, allowing them to keep possession better while also having the cutting edge to break line and hurt their opponents.
There might be an element of caution about giving Mainoo so much responsibility in the side, but he has already proven he can handle it, and his age shouldn’t be used against him when so many other midfielders are so poor in possession compared with him. An argument that is further boosted by the fact Forest's two goals at the weekend came after the teenager had oddly been taken off at halftime.
While most of the talk this month will be about massive overhauls, United’s solution could be just a tweak away.