After losing to Wolves in the first game in 2022, Manchester United manager Ronnick was criticized by the media and industry insiders. Arsenal star Martin Keion pointed to problems with Lonnick's tactics and believed he should abandon the 4222 formation and the 70-year-old forward combination. Below is a full text translation.
Lonnick was named Fire Manager by United, but he didn't settle United's problems quickly enough.
On Monday, during a 1-0 win at Old Trafford, I was struck by the way Wolves easily launched an attack from the back. It was the first time United had faced a three-centre-back formation since Rangnick took charge, and it seemed that The United players did not know when and how to put pressure.
Lonnick was a very clever tactician, but it also showed his lack of preparation. When Wolves first got away from United's push, the game was less than a minute away.
During this push,Sancho pressed forward for right-back Kilman, leaving Luke Shaw to face two of the opposing players: Semedo and Trincon.
Kilman passed the ball to Semedo, who chose to cut inside, with Luke Shaw following suit, leaving Trincon in an unguarded position. Semedo passed the ball to Moutinho, who then made a big foot to create a one-handed chance for Trincon.
It was Wolves' first shot on goal, followed by as many as 18. In this way, Wolves are constantly getting rid of Manchester United's pressing, and such offensive lines continue to appear on both wings of the pitch.
Luke Shaw believes United lack strength, aggression and motivation, but the biggest concern is that a manager like Lonnick, who has 20 years of coaching experience, has not arranged targeted tactics, and he must have played against opponents who played in the center three before.
At half-time, Lonnick adjusted the formation to have Phil Jones, Varane and Luka Shaw form a three-centre-back, with Wan Bissaka playing right-wing-back, Sancho switching to left-wing-back and, most importantly, Greenwood in the forward position.
Such a change allowed United to stand firm, and in the first 10 minutes after the start of the second half, Manchester United had 76% possession.
However, with Ronnick's experience and wisdom, he should have adjusted earlier. The poor performance in the first half had a huge impact on the performance and confidence of Manchester United players. In the end, United lost.
What Lonnick now has to think about is how to handle his formation. He has learned that he will not be protected in the same way as his predecessor, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. After all, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is the club's legendary player.
As soon as anything goes wrong, he is criticized from all sides.
However, he deserves more time before class. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had three years to go, while Lonnick had only been in charge for two months.
United could still finish fourth, but mistakes like those made against Wolves should be reduced to a minimum.
Lonnick may be wondering if he can continue to use the forward combination of Ronaldo and Cavani. It gives the impression that he has been trying to adapt to the two, but not many managers will play as a double striker right now. This is rare in modern competitions, and the age of this pair is 70 years old.
On both wings, Lonnick has been using two young and exciting wingers, but they lack efficiency, both on and without the ball. Sancho needs to play more directly, and so does Greenwood.
I love playing as a three-striker, Cristiano Ronaldo can play as a single centre-forward, he has done well against Wolves, but he has been ignored by his midfield teammates.
No matter what formation you play, players' decisions need to be improved, and if United want to get Champions League tickets, then Lonnick's decision must also be improved.