Manchester United v Wolves
Today, 3pm
How United can win Fellaini as No 6
Fortunately for Manchester United, they have found exactly the player to do such a job.
Mourinho has taken a while to get the balance right in midfield and the solution is not £52 million signing Fred. Marouane Fellaini has been exceptional as the pivot in United’s midfield three since Mourinho decided to field him there alongside Nemanja Matic and Pogba.
Against Watford, Fellaini (right) dropped into a position between midfield and defence. When the defensive line is pushed even further back, he becomes a third central defender, adding height to the back line. United’s defenders tend to react to situations rather than anticipate them and if one of Ashley Young, or Victor Lindelof in particular, were dragged out wide to track a winger in the win over Watford, Fellaini would fluidly drop into the space left vacant. Far tidier on the ball than in earlier seasons, once in possession, Fellaini is happy to play a short pass and then sit deep. This gives Matic, suspended today, licence to act as more of a box-to-box midfielder – his best role – and grants freedom to Pogba to get forward. With Fellaini providing a defensive shield, additional height at the back and a nuisance in attacking set-pieces, Mourinho appears to have solidified his defence and solved the “Pogba problem” at the same time.
How Wolves can win Neves controls the game
Wolves’ star player last season has continued his brilliant form in the Premier League, forming an intelligent, cultured and tenacious midfield partnership alongside Joao Moutinho.
Neves and Moutinho dovetail in the two central midfield positions, taking turns to drop deep and help in the build-up or attempt to create from advanced positions in attacking phases.
Neves (right) has made more passes (343) than any United player in the league this season and only Paul Pogba has had more touches (421 compared to Pogba’s 425), illustrating just how influential he is for Wolves. Crucially, Neves has also made 71 passes into the final third – the most of any player in the Premier League this season. United absolutely must keep track of him to disrupt Wolves’ possession game and avoid killer passes unlocking their defence. Another problem for United could be that Wolves focus 43 per cent of their attacking play down the right side of the pitch, which is where Helder Costa and Matt Doherty operate.
Costa plays on the right of a forward three in Nuno Santos’s 3-4-3 system and regularly drifts out to the touchline to become a right winger. When he does this it opens up a channel inside the pitch for Doherty, the right wing-back, to exploit.