So close, yet so far. A phrase which almost perfectly, in just five words, sums up the 2011/12 season for Manchester United. The campaign opened with several successive displays of stunning attacking football, with the Reds making light of a supposedly tough start to earn impressive wins over Tottenham Hotspur (3-0) and Arsenal (8-2) in the opening three matches of their season. However, an injury to Tom Cleverley against Bolton at the Reebok Stadium- which appeared insignificant when the match ended 5-0 to United- was the start of a tumultuous few months, with disappointing performances (while largely managing to scrape results) becoming almost the norm.
While domestically appearing to suffice, United’s 4-4-2 formation looked outdated at the top level of European football, with the club making hard work of a supposedly easy Champions League group stage, from which the club, finalists the previous season, exited in disgrace. Even domestically there were issues against teams such as Blackburn- 3-2 victors at Old Trafford when Sir Alex forced players such as Park and Rafael into midfield due to a stubborn refusal to move away from 4-4-2- and main rivals Manchester City- who infamously ripped United apart in the Old Trafford derby.
This, combined with the personnel at United’s disposal and the signs from the end of 2011/12, have led me to think about the possibility that United could implement a Barcelona-style 4-3-3 formation in 2012/13, an idea that I will attempt to explain here.
A Barcelona-style 4-3-3?
So, could United implement a Barcelona-style 4-3-3 formation next season? Before I explore this idea further, I should make two things clear:
1. By “Barcelona-style” I mean the shape of the team, I do not mean the possession-based tactics that Barcelona employ.
2. I am assuming that the United squad when the season begins will be composed of the players at the club currently. In short, I am assuming that there will be no more signings, however unlikely that may seem, because this piece of writing would be fifty-six pages long if I were to explore every possible transfer into the club and how they may fit into the idea I am presenting.
I believe that United not only could but, in fact, should employ a 4-3-3 formation next season. Although, of course, this is merely speculation at the moment, I could see United lining up in the formation- and with the personnel- shown below:
In this team, Michael Carrick would sit deep, shielding the back four of Evra, Vidic, Ferdinand and Rafael. When David De Gea has the ball, Ferdinand and Vidic will split, as shown by the two arrows, providing a gap between the two centre-backs that would allow Carrick to drop back and receive a short pass from the goalkeeper. This was a feature of United’s play during 2011/12, with both Scholes and Carrick alternating in dropping deep to receive the ball from De Gea. Carrick would, in the team shown above, be employed in the “Busquets” position from the Barcelona 4-3-3.
Further forward in midfield, in the positions occupied in Barcelona’s team by Iniesta and Xavi, would be Tom Cleverley and new arrival Shinji Kagawa. Rather than holding possession in the style of their Barcelona counterparts, these bright and inventive footballers would launch United attacks in a style built around rapid, pacey attacking play. Both Cleverley and Kagawa are capable of lightning, one touch football; rather than keeping the ball, the aim would be rapid counter-attacks. When United do not have the ball, Kagawa and Cleverley would press the ball high up the pitch, with Rooney dropping in to create an extra man and place real pressure on the opposition’s midfield and defence high up the pitch. This is a style more reminiscent of the United of last August/September than the patient, sit back and watch approach of later in the season. In this formation Rooney and Kagawa could, potentially, interchange.
Rooney, Valencia and Young/Nani is a front three also built around pace and rapid counter-attacks. Rooney’s tendency to drop deep when played as a lone frontman could be seen as a positive rather than a problem; in doing so, Rooney would place increased pressure on the opponent’s midfield and leave the centre-backs who were detailed to mark him with no option but to be dragged out of position by the problems Rooney will inevitably pose. The width- a United trademark under Ferguson- would come not only from the wingers but from the two attacking full-backs. However, it could be argued that both Evra and Rafael may have to curb their attacking instincts to an extent.
This 4-3-3 also provides options for tactical flexibility; Cleverley could drop deeper alongside Carrick in a 4-2-3-1, while there is also potential for a 4-4-1-1 and even a 4-1-2-1-2, with United’s options from the bench- Scholes and Giggs for example- providing the option of a 4-5-1.
For the reasons presented and explored above, I believe that United’s best option in 2012/13 could be to employ a 4-3-3 formation which would provide both exciting attacking options and a solid defence, with the potential for tactical flexibility.
For more football related tweets follow me on twitter @UnitedJosh
Credit it to http://this11.com/boards/editor for the graphic.
No chance. Formation wise, fine, it might match Barca but Utd don’t have anywhere near the same level of technical ability in midfield to even attempt to play like Barca.
Read it again, the article never says we will attempt to play like Barcelona.
Umm, I don’t think you read the guy’s post properly or you chose to ignore it. He spoke of formation, not matching Barca in tactics or technique. No one can. He stated that quite clearly.
football works in cycles, ure not even the biggest club in gangchester anymore, wankers wont win a trophy for 20 years , hahahaha, wankers
yeh because citeh r a massive club with their 20 thousand empty seats and as many titles as huddersfield town, wish united were as big a club as that haha
You have to be a liver fool fan thats why u r trying to make a Suarez(fool) out of yourself.
I doubt Valencia will be successful in a 4-3-3.
Too predictable, finishing kinda poor except for the few odd goals.
The guy above is a cunt.
Utd will only play this formation if they can’t buy the players they want. The best ever Fergie teams are essentially 4-4-2. This is the system that is coached into everyone and the one that Fergie understands best.
But hey-ho. This not about choice, the Glazers have long given up trying to run Utd as a football club and exist as an entity purely to service the debt with more debt. Crises point was five months ago after an early exit of the Champions League, the knock on effect was there wasn’t enough money generated to offer Fryers and Pogba full time contracts. There is no money – Leighton Baines will be purchased on a split payment deal. The floatation in New York is purely to service LATE interest payments. So in answer to the question: we just have to see who is left and figure it out from there.
In fairness during glazer ownership there has not been a more successful english club. City spend billions and still needed a last minute goal to nick the title on G.D. but we’ll see how the noisey neighbours deal with second season syndrome.
The success came about because of the pieces already in place and because the team has seen surprisingly long service from the likes of Giggs and Scholes. The likes of Ferdinand, Carrick, Evra and Vidic, as well as the aforementioned pair, will be gone in the next few years, and there’s nothing like the money available on hand to replace that kind of quality (well, maybe Carrick!)
As for the 4-4-2 argument, it’s worked successfully for Fergie because it’s been implemented in the English football system, which is extremely antiquated by European standards. It’s bash and barge football, low on technique and possession football and high on physicality and speed. It’s football’s equivalent of wrestling, all brawn and totally lacking in finesse and conviction. A pragmatic Scot like Fergie understands the British system well, but is hopelessly at sea in Europe with 4-4-2, which he finds hard to tear away from, no matter the variations he tries to use. Sure he’s won in Europe twice, but with the kind of money and talent on hand the odds had to work in his favour occasionally – yet look how many times United have not only lost, but been embarrassingly sent packing in the early stages despite all the pricy players. Two CL trophies in 25 odd years is actually a pretty poor return for a club of United’s stature, especially for a team that has dominated on the home front to the extent it has during that time. That, more than anything, shows the realities of how poor British football is technically and tactically these days compared to the rest of the world.
Sad to say, especially for a fan of over forty years standing, but one can either deal with reality and try to take the positives, or simply indulge in hopeless dreaming and denial. Unless some kind of Arab sugar daddy comes along to take pot shots at City’s owners by acquiring the club, I think we’re about to see the downhill slide to the Glazer’s ownership of United.
Good to see the sensible, thought out contribution to the tactical debate from Rich G (not). It’s a shame that so many fans still think 4-4-2 is such an attacking system. 4-3-3 is much more flexible, exciting and likely to succeed in Europe.
So why is story on Newsnow Tottenham?
we played 433 in the big games last year alos but the addtion of kagawa will let us play it at a much higher level. 442 is still important to break down the smaller teams who park the bus as they cant live with the width it provides us
I agree with this entirely. 442 is outdated and has never delivered success for us on the European stage. Our recent successes in Europe came playing 433. But we don’t have top midfielders. We need one creative and one defensive midfielder. Kagawa would play behind Rooney and next to Nani.
The problem with 442 is that it plays to our weakness which is midfield. To play 442 with 2 wingers, you need 2 very good hard midfielders. Best example is Keane and Ince in their pomp. We don’t have them.