Nah it just doesn’t suit our players. In theory and in practice when we’ve used it. We don’t have good ball players at the back, and they look so confused positionally with it because it’s alien to them. We don’t have the wing backs to effectively get up and down the pitch in transition. And we don’t have the players for a two man midfield to work effectively. It’d only suit our forwards. But then they’d get isolated like we’ve seen so often when we play with a three (which always becomes a five) so the defensive freedom they are alotted becomes fairly redundant.

We’d need a massive squad overhaul for it to really work effectively. That said, you could argue we need that anyway. But as things stand with this squad it’s a really bad fit.

Young and Valencia are better wing backs than Shaw. He doesn’t have the engine or stamina for it. Shaw would be better suited to playing in the back three if anything.

comment by SWTN - Judas is number 1 (U7916)
posted 7 minutes ago
I agree with Darren.....

Well Shaw could do the wing back role well, not sure they have a wing back on the other side of the pitch.

But Pogba and Matic in a central midfield 2? I think not. United would need to sign Kante at a minimum.

The front 3 works ok in that formation though.

But who would be the 3CB's?
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I dont think Shaw and Young would get the goals of Alonso and Moses tbf.

I wouldnt play Pogba and Matic, I was thinking more Herrera and Fred.

Cbs would be Bailly, Lindelof and Jones I guess. I think Lindelof in particular would do well in a three, he has a good skill set.

The defence is low on quality imo.

I dunno, I reckon it could work but maybe not then.

Moses can't score goals....he is useless in attack, he was actually a revelation defending in the wingback role for us.

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Comment deleted by Site Moderator

Need wing backs as well. And more cb’s. The transfer budget would probably be there, however.

Im not a huge fan of the use of formations in text really. It about zones and it doesnt have to be a carbon copy of Chelsea. The zones that players operate in change with and without the ball too but maybe I havent thought it through enough.

Good shout on the fbs and Shaw in the three though.

comment by Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo (U11781)
posted 52 minutes ago
comment by Nickasaurus (U9257)
posted 45 seconds ago
comment by Ed The King Woodward (U10026)
posted 44 seconds ago
to my surprise.
———
You are surprised Man United fans don’t want another defensive manager?
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did you see his first season for us? scored 85 goals (only second behind 86). Only went more defensive when wasn't really backed in the window and morata was found out to be a mess.
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Mourinho to date has the record for most goals scored in La Liga, does that mean he's attacking?
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conte has scored lots of goals a lot more times in his career though.

Conte has proven many times he can make average look good within his system which made his temper tantrum over not being handed a blank cheque all the harder to accept.

comment by Nickasaurus (U9257)
posted 3 minutes ago
comment by Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo (U11781)
posted 52 minutes ago
comment by Nickasaurus (U9257)
posted 45 seconds ago
comment by Ed The King Woodward (U10026)
posted 44 seconds ago
to my surprise.
———
You are surprised Man United fans don’t want another defensive manager?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
did you see his first season for us? scored 85 goals (only second behind 86). Only went more defensive when wasn't really backed in the window and morata was found out to be a mess.
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Mourinho to date has the record for most goals scored in La Liga, does that mean he's attacking?
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conte has scored lots of goals a lot more times in his career though.
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Same as Jose

Of course it doesn’t have to be a carbon copy of Chelsea’s. But I’m not seeing much within the squad to see the practicality of it. Obviously the coaching is a little different, but the positions are often the same on the pitch. And it’s something they’ve struggled with badly. It’s been used numerous times to try and mitigate weaknesses in the squad and all it’s done is expose them more.

comment by Ed The King Woodward (U10026)
posted 21 seconds ago
Of course it doesn’t have to be a carbon copy of Chelsea’s. But I’m not seeing much within the squad to see the practicality of it. Obviously the coaching is a little different, but the positions are often the same on the pitch. And it’s something they’ve struggled with badly. It’s been used numerous times to try and mitigate weaknesses in the squad and all it’s done is expose them more.
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I hear ya but has it a manager who plays it as the norm? I dont regard Moyes and Mourinho as tactically flexible and the defence was pretty tight under LVG I think. Not sure how much he played it actually.

As said I do think it would bring the best out of Lindelof too whom Ithink could have a high ceiling if things go well for him.

comment by Ed The King Woodward (U10026)
posted 50 seconds ago
Of course it doesn’t have to be a carbon copy of Chelsea’s. But I’m not seeing much within the squad to see the practicality of it. Obviously the coaching is a little different, but the positions are often the same on the pitch. And it’s something they’ve struggled with badly. It’s been used numerous times to try and mitigate weaknesses in the squad and all it’s done is expose them more.
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United lack pace/power in in midfield with Matic and Pogba.

Pogba shd offer both but I have only ever seen him do it in glimpses and Matic is very slow.

I don't know the other options but they must be worth a look. Mata should be playing more in this current United set up..

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

comment by Sideshow (U11809)
posted 15 seconds ago
Dalot and Young are both acceptable fullbacks. You also have Valencia, Shaw and Darmian, with the latter having played under Conte before.

Bailey and Lindelof are okay options to get you started with three at the back. You’d need to sign at least one good CB to hold it altogether though. Valencia or Shaw could even be converted there.

You’d need to sign another CM to partner Fred or Pogba.

Sanchez, Martial and Rashford are some pretty great options for your front three. Then you have Lukaku and Lingard as well.
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Yeah that's how I see it. Maybe we'll find out.

Conte too negative for United ala Mourinho mk ii

Comment deleted by Site Moderator

No more Chelsea cast offs please, I’ve had enough.

It wasn’t a regular thing, granted, but I think you can see where players are struggling with the fundanentals. They are issues regardless of formation and they’ve often been shown up with this one.

I also find the formation to be flawed against a team that presses high without some top quality footballers in the cb positions, we don’t have this, they all struggle bringing the ball out or passing it.

I dunno what you are seeing in Lindelof, he’s had a few good games but in the main looks a very poor defender.

Back four formation is far better suited to this squad.

Great article

I think in hindsight more and more people will come to realise how brilliant he was for us.

He did not revolutionise the league in the same way Mourinho or Pep have done with their ideas and style - but in many areas he is on-par tactically with both managers.

The previous season teams countered and exploited our team badly. Opponents could easily sit back to negate our attacking players, and exploit our slow midfield and fullbacks on the counter attack.

I might be in the minority, but for me this was the biggest issue during Mourinho's final season. Fitness was also important, but the team was so poorly put together, that we were always destined to fail eventually once teams worked out how to play against us.

Mourinho and Hiddink failed to find a solution, and even under Conte at the start we were almost as vulnerable as the season before.

The change in system and the development of the players tactical awareness, was the driving force for our league title. He did not force players to adapt, he built a system around the players he inherited.

People seem to forget that our style was actually great during his first season - I would go as far as to say we played more attractive football under Conte than we have done under Sarri so far.

Much of his style actually was pretty progressive - we played from the back, we attacked the opposition in numbers and could counter extremely swiftly and devastatingly. He even gave freedom to our attacking players like Hazard and Willian, by using defensive cover of players like Matic and Kante.

The 2nd season was more conservative in approach, but the squad was lacking goals, and the loss of competent midfield partner for Kante had a huge toll on the team.

I only have good feelings for Conte, he was not perfect, but did an incredible job in revitalising the club.

He probably is not the right man for Manchester United, because he would have to be dealing with bigger egos there, than he ever had to deal with at Chelsea. However, I do agree with the OP that he is unfairly looked upon, by both rival fans and our own supporters too.

If not United, it’ll be interesting to see where he goes. His volatile nature leading to his exits will have been noted elsewhere - and unlike Mourinho he doesn’t have CL wins to fall back on when considering this. It appears to have scuppered him getting the Madrid job.

Marrotta isn’t at Juve anymore and with that their transfer policy is becoming far less frugal, which could potentially lessen the probability of conflict, if they could come to an agreement for his return.

I think Bayern could be the best fit right now of all the top European clubs.

Another top team that needs major work.

I can only think of City and Juve who are in a really good place in that regard. Barca and PSG to a lesser extent.

Bayern could be a good shout then. Not Europe’s top clubs anymore but Inter or Milan could be an option. Though I don’t know how he’d feel about working under their financial restrictions. FFP has hamstrung both of them.

Yeah long term for sure. You think no chance as Utd interim? I've no idea tbh.