MANCHESTER UNITED hit a new rock bottom on Sunday as Ruben Amorim labelled this current team the worst in the club’s history.
A harrowing, humiliating 3-1 home defeat at the hands of Brighton sees the Red Devils slumped down in 13th in the Premier League table.
And this is also the worst home start to a campaign for more than 130 YEARS.
But exactly what went wrong against the Seagulls as United suffered their tenth league defeat of the season?
SunSport’s tactical guru Dean Scoggins broke down the game in the latest episode of Tactics Exposed…
1. DE LIGT AND YORO WEL BEATEN
At 34 years old, United could do with Danny Welbeck back at Old Trafford. How many strikers over a consistent period have done a good a job as him since he left in 2014?
It was a great performance up front but it was also the way he and Joao Pedro absolutely led Matthijs de Ligt and Leny Yoro on a merry dance.
This is not the first time we've talked about defenders getting dragged out by a striker on a rope but this is the longest rope I've ever seen.
It was absolutely ludicrous where they were going.
Because both strikers dropped in, both defenders just decided to go with them which then left space for the really dangerous wingers Yankuba Minteh and Kaoru Mitoma to run into.
As soon as you’ve got those two running in behind, then good luck.
It was 4-4-2 demolishing 3-4-3.
It happened all day, not just once.
Harry Maguire must have been absolutely doing his nut, ‘Just stay with me.’
We’ve talked previously about the positives of a centre-back coming out of the line to meet the ball but that's when you're defending on the edge of the box and you go three or four yards to nick it when you've got cover behind you, not when you've got 50 yards of pitch behind you.
The backline was not even a zigzag - that would be a compliment - it was just this higgledy-piggledy line. De Ligt and Yoro, Yoro particularly, didn't know whether to stick or twist.
He looked confused and as though the message of what they’re doing hasn’t got through.
For the first goal, De Ligt, where are you going? If he sits, it’s a back pedal and header or a turn and hook clear over his shoulder. It was horrible.
2. WING-BACKS PINNED BACK
But we also have to give enormous credit to Brighton and Fabian Hurzeler.
It really was virtually an old-school 4-4-2, albeit with the centre-backs dropping so that the wingers could go on.
The United wing-backs don't trust the centre-backs because they couldn’t afford to push on in case they lost possession as De Ligt and Yoro could not cover as they were occupied by the strikers.
So Harry Maguire was kind of like not doing anything - and that's not a criticism of Maguire - because there was no passing on of players to pick up.
Consistently throughout the game, the wing-backs were deeper than the three centre-backs which is mad.
Maybe Maguire is being told not to leave that central square and not dragged out of position whatsoever - but they’ve got to be more intelligent.
There are two solutions.
Either the wing-backs are the ones who actually push on a little bit and invert to cover the space that those strikers are dropping into.
The other option is Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo split out and pass the strikers on to them so the defenders can pick up the wingers flying forward.
It wasn't pretty, they were all over the place, and they didn't solve it at half-time because it kept happening again in the second half.
3. I’M A BALEBA
Yes he gave away the penalty for United after Joshua Zirkzee did very well with his pressing but that was his only mistake because Carlos Baleba was excellent.
He was the consistent one, the single pivot who Brighton played off.
With the ball, he can drop in between the two centre-backs then without it, he sat in front and just mopped everything up.
It was 2v1 - Ugarte and Mainoo against Baleba - but he bossed it.
What I liked most was he knew when to go with that direct ball to the wingers and when to put his foot on the ball.
It was a top-class performance and how Manchester United fans wish he was in a red shirt.
Would he make them better? Yes, I think he’s better than Ugarte but maybe not quite as technical a footballer as Mainoo but has other things.
Plus United haven’t got many players in that position that Amorim trusts.
Brighton have got a big job keeping hold of him.
4. ONANA, OH-NO-NO!
The horrible, horrible error was woeful and let’s not forget at that stage United were still in the game.
The set-up looks good with one centre-back going into midfield with one of the two midfielders, usually Ugarte, while the other two centre-backs split and Mainoo can join Bruno Fernandes in the No10s with the wing-backs high and the centre forward.
They get into a good position, Onana was brought in because he is good with his feet, but he doesn’t play it and I think it’s because he doesn’t trust the centre-backs to play the pass back.
He looks a bit static and doesn’t seem to want to play those ten-yard passes to receive it back to draw the opposition out of position.
It's like he's a bit spooked by the whole scenario and feels like the ball-playing goalkeeper has been stifled by the way that they want to play out.
Maybe it's time for Altay Bayindir to have a go because they’ve got to sort it out very, very quickly.
United have done well when they can be a low block, they’ve done okay against teams with a very low block but have struggled against a mid-block.
5. MISSING IN ACTION
There's a very, very high-end nerdy statistic about player positions under certain managers which is effectively worked out by if a player is a striker, where he goes other than that striker position - or how much he deviates from his position.
Amorim’s teams - especially Sporting - are very focused and do not deviate much from a rigid structure of what he wants.
It is different from average positions but is more similar to heat maps and how concentrated they are.
This Manchester United team are all over the place.
There was a moment against Southampton where there were seven players in shot and five of them are out of position.
It's just wild that they're that far out of position and that comes from earlier on in a move where you've been sucked out.
Mainoo is not unfit or slow but sometimes makes these half-sprints, these jogs out, to the No10 position, doesn’t get there and is played around, leaving Ugarte on his own and he presses and the ball goes around him too then centre-backs are sucked out.
They are just not in their positions at all.
It just wasn't very good and it looks like, from the shape, that they aren't trying very hard.
I think they are trying hard. They're just getting sucked out of positions that they shouldn't be in.
One mistake breeds the second one, then the dominoes go and then you've got five people out of seven out of position.
The solution could be as simple as what a coach does with an Under-11s, Under-12s team and puts the cones out on the pitch and says, ‘You don't leave your square.’
hecbntuz
0
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hecbntuz
1
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himdirsuy
1
Amorim don’t waste your time at this club I’m sure ten hag warned you
Cahabdilsz
0
MANCHESTER UNITED hit a new rock bottom on Sunday as Ruben Amorim labelled this current team the worst in the club’s history.
Hatersmyass
0
It's a matter of time.
Good luck
fuwackortu
0
MU players made not trust Amorin and each other because of the 3-4-2-1 system. Otherwise, he has to change the system.
fuwackortu
0
MU players made not trust Amorin and each other because of the 3-4-2-1 system.
Beadiklrsz
0
useless news for useless players
Jeclprsz
0
people are complaining about players but ten hag bought his players but still worked out so the problem is both the coach , players and people involved in the operation of the team so the whole team is a mess
meekmage
0
We as united fans trust Amorim at the helm of affairs, we don't trust those cowards we call players who are earning big every day yet they fail to show up.. It's not about 3-4-3 or 4-4-2 or 4-3-3, it's about these players.. all the coaches that were sacked before Amorim said the same about these players.. Why are we trying to overlook the real culprits and put the blame on the coach.. Most of these players won't play for top teams across Europe except for Man united.. I. Amorim we trust.. either they turn up as players or walk out that's all..
teoacirt
1
I dearl agree with police and procedures
Vowdelmptu
0
The main problem of Man Utd is not a manager Truthly speaking the main problem of Man Utd is Bruno Fernandes and garnacho.sell this two players and bring new talented midfielder and winger like florian wirtz and vinicius.
Kehdkmnot
0
Why don't you apply for the job then!!.
It's a matter of time.
Dotabcilm
0
Maorim style of play is not fitting United currently and as such we are losing great players. It's a big mistake trying to buy new unknown and untested players from other leagues instead of buying players known and tested from the English premier league.
muhceilrst
1
Amorim need to get a super speed experience defenders and high class midfielders like Bruno and not a low speed boys like mainoo yet he shouldn't use zarkzee as a playmaker instead of striker
Wasciktz
1
Sell everybody’s please . Agree zero trust
Wasciktz
1
This team have been destroy by ETH .
kukdknoyz
0
How can you trust the chief of the RED DEVILS?
podinptuyz
0
Don't blame the manager we all have eyes and see where the problem is does it mean all these managers past and present aren't good enough, no it's now time to look at the main actors the players,many of them are too average meaning those people responsible for player recruitment aren't doing a good job the recently recruited players attest to that Delit Yoro Hojlund Onana malacia just to mention a few
But Yoro was wanted by Madrid
solsamlah-3
0
Onana is making us proud... Thank you ONANA.
Colito
0
A real utd fan would or can see this guy is a good coach! yes Ten hag played three finals and won two out of the two one was by luck after spending over 600£ on flops he ETH failed to introduce a game plan for over 3yrs at utd used arrogance and here is a man who have got the flops who can't run but you can see he has inflicted what he wants his team to be and a game plan is there all we need is to finish wherever we shall and start to sort things from the goalkeeper! one you can't lie me that onana is going to improve he's almost 30 and a squad needs a revamp only 5 to 6 players can be left there looked the over hyped minoo he's nowhere yet asking for heavy bucks so i go with Amirom coz he's using Ten hags flops and where we're? it's all for ten hag if u say RVN is better than Amirom what has he changed at Leicester let's be realistic this guy will make apart from there many plastic fans and children who don't understand football and though u bring fetgie and pep plus Mourinho together in the squad we have currently nothing they can do it's a championship squad note at the other point ten hag wanted to sell Amad as he did to Ziden Fernandez to benfica taking off cr7 for weighorst that guy was a traitor u want to count the damage caused by Ten hag he's the reason to where utd is now!
even ten hag was and still a good coach Man United has been dead and toxic long time ago so don't try pointing fingers
MogomotsiNlebgwa
1
Which manager have Manchester United players trusted?
AmedokpoKossi
1
this is Man United
vuaabdipu
2
Man U is finished they should've taken the Qatar 🇶🇦 offer when they had the chance
Hatersmyass
1
This is not a coach who can deliver Man U.
Why don't you apply for the job then!!.
Arnold06
2
I wish if this can happen each and every week they deserve this pain
laknopruz
6
his tactics is good but he need the real RWB and LWB .
rafaeljoel
2
A real utd fan would or can see this guy is a good coach! yes Ten hag played three finals and won two out of the two one was by luck after spending over 600£ on flops he ETH failed to introduce a game plan for over 3yrs at utd used arrogance and here is a man who have got the flops who can't run but you can see he has inflicted what he wants his team to be and a game plan is there all we need is to finish wherever we shall and start to sort things from the goalkeeper! one you can't lie me that onana is going to improve he's almost 30 and a squad needs a revamp only 5 to 6 players can be left there looked the over hyped minoo he's nowhere yet asking for heavy bucks so i go with Amirom coz he's using Ten hags flops and where we're? it's all for ten hag if u say RVN is better than Amirom what has he changed at Leicester let's be realistic this guy will make apart from there many plastic fans and children who don't understand football and though u bring fetgie and pep plus Mourinho together in the squad we have currently nothing they can do it's a championship squad note at the other point ten hag wanted to sell Amad as he did to Ziden Fernandez to benfica taking off cr7 for weighorst that guy was a traitor u want to count the damage caused by Ten hag he's the reason to where utd is now!
Tapblmo
1
stupid fans why can't you talk about onana, he is the error man every game
Tapblmo
1
I will be happy when Onana leaves Manchester united
Tapblmo
0
we don't want you onanan
Tapblmo
0
get out onana
Tapblmo
0
onana gogogo
Kehdkmnot
0
we have talked about coach being a problem. he is number one problem at old Trafford. fights with players is bad. English premier league is different from other leagues. old players in defense are a disgrace. have younger defenders who are swift and aggressive. have hungry goal strikers who are wise when executing a goal. win back players confidence by sweet talking to the. accept advice by working with others.
Every league is different.
Tapblmo
0
onana must go
Tapblmo
1
Onana is the only player making Manchester united lose games
Kehdkmnot
1
This is not a coach who can deliver Man U.
Butekmntu
1
I don't trust Amorim's tactics anymore
Sutadkmuyz
1
Sell Ganarcho and Gittens from Dortmund with the amount Anthony cost,and next transfer, he will be sold again. What business is that?
yidbcnortz
0
Can’t change managers every day dont say nonsense.
cadbdlmoz
0
Don't blame the manager we all have eyes and see where the problem is does it mean all these managers past and present aren't good enough, no it's now time to look at the main actors the players,many of them are too average meaning those people responsible for player recruitment aren't doing a good job the recently recruited players attest to that Delit Yoro Hojlund Onana malacia just to mention a few
you are on point
cadbdlmoz
0
Don't blame the manager we all have eyes and see where the problem is does it mean all these managers past and present aren't good enough, no it's now time to look at the main actors the players,many of them are too average meaning those people responsible for player recruitment aren't doing a good job the recently recruited players attest to that Delit Yoro Hojlund Onana malacia just to mention a few
very true
Deccdknstz
0
mount stay hhhh
pacaeikluz
2
so now which coach again
Zawdilmnpz
2
formation play big role in the game and i think team like MU are not yet ready to defend with 3 defenders since you are under pressure you wil always left with 1 centre back which vulnerable anytime n no back up
cadbdlmoz
1
whom are they going to trust then ?
Idintcareatall
2
The clown must be sacked, that's all.
rozabcdnpt
0
we have talked about coach being a problem. he is number one problem at old Trafford. fights with players is bad. English premier league is different from other leagues. old players in defense are a disgrace. have younger defenders who are swift and aggressive. have hungry goal strikers who are wise when executing a goal. win back players confidence by sweet talking to the. accept advice by working with others.
Reddeoy
0
bull shit
faubcloyz
0
true ...even we also NVR trust this crap