Results to Spur change in tactics
OLE Gunnar Solskjaer says United are considering a tactical change to arrest their dreadful run of form.
United have lost three of their last four Premier League games and were hammered 5-0 by Liverpool at Old Trafford last week in what was their worst ever defeat to their biggest rivals.
Solskjaer has favoured a midfield axis in a 4-2-3-1 formation since the 2019-20 season restarted 16 months ago but the system has been exposed time and again this season following the attacking additions of Jadon Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo.
United were in the market for a midfielder in the summer transfer window and Solskjaer was unhappy at the club’s failure to address an area that teams have targeted.
Paul Pogba is suspended for today’s game at Tottenham and
Solskjaer must decide whether to retain Scott McTominay and Fred, who have started together six times this term.
“Of course, you think about it all the time, you think about tactical tweaks,” Solskjaer said. “We’ve gone the last two seasons with a way and tried to develop and get better at it.
“You get criticised when you play two defensive midfielders we’re criticised quite a bit doing that – and this year we’ve tried to release one of the midfielders forward and maybe leave the full-backs further back.
“And, with more players behind the ball, we’ve got more counter-attacked and we’ve been more open.
“That’s something we played in a few games and you think maybe we’re too open, so we went back to Scott and Fred on Sunday and still we were too open.
“There’s no hiding, we have been too open, but part of that reason was some of these games we’ve had to go for it because we’ve had poor starts, we’ve started off and been chasing the game and that’s not easy.
“We’ve been a boxer trying to make up from being knocked down in the first round.
“Short answer is yes, we’ve looked at different options of course.
“Nothing went to plan [against Liverpool].
“I think the first chance we get, Fred has won the ball high up and plays a good pass through, great vision by Mason [Greenwood] to put Bruno [Fernandes] through.
“I think Fred had about seven or eight recoveries up there and it’s been very seldom that we’ve won the ball back against Liverpool as high up as we did.
“But, of course, being 2-0 down when they get the third goal because we’ve had to go for it at 2-0 and we were too open so... nothing went to plan.”
afternoon. Sport is invariably an incredible rollercoaster of great deeds, mediocrity, high days, low days, and loads in between – a bit like life really.
Show us what you’re made of today lads – do your best, that’s all anyone can ever ask.
Betting for the match is interesting – we’ve presently got Spurs at 19/10, the draw is 5/2, and United can be backed at around 11/8.
Could be the odd fluctuation between now and kick-off – please check in with the shops, or online at betfred.com, for the very latest.
Might end up watching from behind the sofa again, but I’ve got everything crossed that we can find a performance of character, personality, and above all the kind of quality we know they possess in spades.
Once again we’ve seen this week that sport, and football in particular, is just about the most compelling soap opera on the planet. City’s proud recent League Cup record came to a halt at West Ham on Wednesday, but it’s time to celebrate manager Pep Guardiola’s 200th Premier League match in charge this afternoon, at home to Palace today.
Whatever your allegiance, it’s surely fair to say he’s absolutely graced the English game, and left an unforgettable, indelible mark.