Three and easy could release strike partners
THERE was one question on everyone’s lips after United’s penalty shootout win against AC Milan – where has Alexis Sanchez been hiding?
Sanchez, who claimed he was ‘mentally and emotionally exhausted’ just three months after his move from Arsenal, looks full of energy and menace – and that is a dangerous combination.
You can tell the 29-year-old has been desperate to put those disappointing first few months of his United career right; it did not take Sanchez long to start sprinting on the beach while on holiday in Brazil after a rare summer off from playing in an international tournament.
And following his visa mishap, when things could have worked out very differently – imagine if Sanchez had not played until August 5? – he is making his presence felt on tour in the US.
The confidence and swagger are back, and Sanchez has not held back when rebuking a team-mate he feels is not pulling his weight. Even in a pre-season game.
While that alienated him at Arsenal, so many of that United squad share his mentality. It was telling how Juan Mata and Ander Herrera had a singsong with their fellow Spanish speaker on the bus journey back to their hotel after the Milan win.
So how can Jose Mourinho get the best out of him and improve Sanchez’s measly three-goal return in his first full season at Old Trafford?
Sanchez loves playing out on the left but his best return, 30 goals, came while playing through the middle for Arsenal two years ago.
On the rare occasion Sanchez played there for United last season, he did not look all that effective. Anyone unfortunate enough to watch that goalless draw with West Ham at the London Stadium could tell you that.
But he did not have Romelu Lukaku up alongside him then and that burgeoning partnership is going to go a long way to deciding how serious United’s title challenge is going to be this season.
Back in February, Ashley Young’s eyes lit up in the mixed zone recalling the combinations he could see between the pair in training at Carrington.
It makes you wonder – could three at the back return as a Plan B with those two up front? United’s slickest away performances last season, against CSKA Moscow, Watford and Arsenal, used the formation before Mourinho abandoned the experiment in the winter.
Mourinho reverted back to his trusted 4-2-3-1 formation before then using 4-3-3 in the business end of the season, but one of the things United lacked at times was natural width and creativity on the flanks.
Pushing Luke Shaw and Antonio Valencia into wing-back roles could yet offer United that and having three central defenders would give David de Gea some much-needed protection.
The Spaniard had to deal with 147 shots on target in league games last season and only six teams had a busier goalkeeper in the Premier League.
One of the reasons why de Gea looked so good was because he was called into action so much given how United rarely had a settled back line. The way United have approached the season suggests that will not change. Indeed, it is hard to see Eric Bailly and Chris Smalling being paired together for 50+ games. Mourinho, after all, is keen on bringing in another centre-back for the third summer in a row. Someone like Harry Maguire who is comfortable with the ball at his feet and proved his worth in a three-man defence for England at the World Cup. Another centre-back would leave United with eight – yes eight – players who can play in that position. You would imagine Timothy FosuMensah and Axel Tuanzebe will secure loan moves before August 31, but what of the others? Guys like Marcos Rojo, who only signed a new three-year deal in March? We will soon find out. Ciaran Kelly