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Debate on formations for next season

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posted on 23/6/13

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posted on 23/6/13

De Gea
Rafael Rio Vidic Evra
Valencia (Zaha) Carrick Thiago Kagawa (Young)
Rooney
RVP

Assuming Nani goes and Rooney stays of course.
You could argue the above is 4-2-3-1 also. If Rooney stays Kagawa will play that narrow inside left role.

posted on 23/6/13

Dea Gea

Rafael Rio Vidic Evra

Ando Clev

Nani Rooney Kagawa

RVP

posted on 23/6/13

4-1-3-2


DDG

Rafael. Vidic. Evans. Evra


Carrick

New cm. new cm. kagawa

Rvp. Rooney

posted on 23/6/13

I've been a big advocate of 4-2-3-1 for a while now however as I said earlier, the formation I don't think is as important as the players in it.

I'd just like to see a formation which enables us to play a quicker and more fluid brand of exciting attacking football and a formation which possesses the proper balance in defence and attack.

Is this too much to ask for?

posted on 23/6/13

De Gea

Rafael Evans Smalling Fabio


NEW CM Carrick


Nani Kagawa Rooney


RVP

posted on 23/6/13

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

posted on 23/6/13

Am I the only one who believes that Evans and Smalling should be given a long run in the side starting from this season. Afterall, they are 25 and 24 respectively.

posted on 23/6/13

I don't want a set formation. I want us to adapt to whoever we play and accept that one set formation can be predictable and easy to play against.

Despite what people on here think, towards the end of Sir Alex's reign he was being more and more tactically adventurous and knew exactly what tactics would beat what opponent we played.

Unfortunately players form and injuries made these tactics look more boring than was intended.

As for next season, bring in one or two players and just hope that Moyes is smart enough to adapt his teams for who we play (which I believe he is smart enough as he showed with Everton - his tactical masterclass against City in March/April time was brilliant to behold)

posted on 23/6/13

This article is more about formations Jay Jay rather than players.

However to respond to your question, I think Evans will probably play more than both Vidic and Rio next year. Not convinced on Smalling just yet. I think he looks a bit clumsy in possession at times. I reckon Jones is the better player between those two.

posted on 23/6/13

i think Evans should be starting every game. After rio and vidic he is our next best centre back. he has improved massively in the last 12 months. Rio cant play more than a game a week anyway now.

posted on 23/6/13

De Gea

Rafael Vidic Evans Evra

Jones Carrick New CM

Kagawa

RVP Rooney

Jone can drop into a back three when Rafael and Evra bomb forward. Rooney gets to play number 9 with Kagawa at number 10

posted on 23/6/13

Despite what people on here think, towards the end of Sir Alex's reign he was being more and more tactically adventurous and knew exactly what tactics would beat what opponent we played.

-------------------------------------------

With all due respect Robb, if he knew then surely we would have won the quadruple

However to respond to your question, I think Evans will probably play more than both Vidic and Rio next year. Not convinced on Smalling just yet. I think he looks a bit clumsy in possession at times. I reckon Jones is the better player between those two.

---------------------------------------------

You think?

I believe that in the 50+ games he has played for us he has looked calm and assured, although raw, which can be expected due to not being played consistently in his best position.

Jones on the other hand has been the clumsy one for me.

posted on 23/6/13

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posted on 23/6/13

Keeping the thread on topic however...

Stretford Ender

We would have to completely alter the way that we play in order to accommodate the lack of width that our wingers have provided for donkey's years.

We certainly have the talent in the final third to play keep ball and I for one would be open to the idea of change. <thumbs up>

posted on 23/6/13

Would anybody like to see 3 at the back so Rooney is up front with van persie? Just wondering as united have the players to do this, with good back up to

Something like this:

De gea
Vidic. Jones. Evans
Rafa/Valencia Evra/maybe baines?
Carrick
New CM. new CM/kagawa
Rooney. Van persie


posted on 23/6/13

Hippo

posted on 23/6/13

Everyone seems to have different ideas. A lot of them interesting ones.

You just know that 4-4-2 will be the one we see though. The one that has held us back against top class opponents since 1999.

I'm sick of watching Young. I'm not being funny here but a lot of you guys don't fork out over a grand per season to watch this team like I do. I want to watch players that are fit to wear the shirt. And Young in particular and 1 or 2 others simply shouldn't be at the club.

posted on 23/6/13

Similar player to Rafael? Really cant think of anyone

posted on 23/6/13

Agreed Stretford Ender...

When I was a season ticket holder between 2007-2010 when I lived in Stoke-on-Trent I was constantly wowed time after time watching us tear teams a new one.

Now, as much as I love United, I'm not so sure that if given the chance to live up North again if I would buy a season ticket.

Respect to you though.

posted on 23/6/13

You wouldn't believe the amount of people last season who were complaining about the standard of football.

We won the league at a canter but we did it with very little style. It was more our never give up attitude that did it for us.

posted on 23/6/13

Next season the effectiveness of the tactics we use will be dependent on whether Rooney stays or not.

For me Rooney works best in a 4-4-2. if we wanna play a true 4-2-3-1 Rooney is better out as the inside left. Hopefully he wants to do that as he seems pretty sure he wants to play through the middle.

posted on 23/6/13

You just know that 4-4-2 will be the one we see though. The one that has held us back against top class opponents since 1999.

••••••••••••-•------

Yea, all those pots won since 99 is being held back. Wonder what has been holding arsenal, Liverpool and every other team who have nit come close to what we have won. Arsenal has been playing 4-3-3 for donkey years and it has not led them over us.

Do not confuse fergies poor management The last few years through his massive underutilisation of the squad to dismiss the only thing we do with any success.

posted on 23/6/13

I said against top class opponents, ie Europe.

We've not won nearly enough BIG matches and European Cups as we should have done under Fergie. The players we've had and teams we've had, he should have won more than just the two.

Two many times have we persisted with a 2 man midfield against a 3 man and paid the price.

it's been our friend in the PL but our enemy in Europe.

comment by kinsang (U3346)

posted on 23/6/13

I agree that we haven't won as much in Europe under Fergie as we should have, although I'm not sure it's all down to playing 4-4-2.

After '99, with a midfield 4 of Scholes, Keane, Giggs and Beckham, we should have won at least one or two more CLs, I don't think we will have a better midfield than that one. I think it was the departure of Schmeichel and then Stam (and bringing in Blanc) which exposed our defensive frailties during the next few years and our attacking prowess couldn't overcome those defensive weaknesses.

In recent years, with Scholes past his best, the absence of Hargreaves and more recenlty Fletcher, the experiments of playing Giggs and Rooney in midfield, Anderson and Cleverley not quite up to the mark, then our midfield has been short of quality, leaving Carrick exposed as our one quality midfielder. In both finals lost to Barca, we were overexposed in midfield, and definitely required the extra man in there, although I'm not sure if we would have won even then, but it would have been tighter for sure.

I think we became more defensive in the CL, which doesn't necessarily mean we became more tactically astute - we no longer had the midfield to play an attacking game similar to '99, but we seemed to just cram the midfield rather than put some real thought into it.

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