When Cristiano Ronaldo and Sancho joined Manchester United, I believe that no fan will doubt the ambitions of the club's management this season. Last season's Premier League runner-up and Europa League runner-up, although slightly regrettable, also proves that the overall strength of the Red Devils has now recovered, and the arrival of C Ronaldo and Sancho is like a shot in the arm, which seems to be an opportunity for Manchester United to rise strongly in the new season.
However, ideals and reality are always far apart. Ronaldo's horrific goalscoring strength guaranteed United's "lower limit", but in the midst of a bullish situation, the Red Devils did not show their due competitive state - so far, Manchester United has won 9, drawn 6 and lost 31 points in the 19 Premier League games in which they have participated, and in the case of one round of less matches, they are four points behind Fourth-placed Arsenal. Even after beating Aston Villa 1-0 in the FA Cup to advance, the chaotic performance of the game still could not satisfy the fans.
There is no doubt that compared to the huge investment and good staffing of the team, Manchester United is now in a position that cannot satisfy fans and the media.
In a way, Manchester United is an "outlier" among many lonely giants – unlike AC Milan and Arsenal in the past, United's decline does not come from the lack of funding for the club. On the contrary, even in the lowest period of the team's record, they do not lack elite players in the squad, and the funds invested by the club in reinforcements every season can be in the european first line.
Even looking at world football, the total value of Manchester United's entire team is still in the first line. As shown in the chart above, Manchester United's total value of the team has reached 865 million euros, ranking fourth in world football – second only to Manchester City with 992 million euros, Paris with 915 million euros and Chelsea with 878 million euros. Even higher than Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and other teams that have performed prominently in their respective leagues.
The results are bad, and naturally some people have to come to the back of the pot. Even if the Manchester United executives have repeatedly expressed their support for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, in the face of the huge pressure of the record, the Manchester United executives have to choose to back down, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will eventually be unable to escape the fate of being overshadowed. After Carrick's brief takeover, United welcomed their new manager, German Ronnick. Although the German coach, who is known as a master tactician, does not have a brilliant coaching resume, his understanding of tactics and the promotion of young players, especially in high-level pressing tactics, have long made him famous in German football. Liverpool's Klopp, Chelsea's Tuchel and Bayern Munich's Nagelsmann were all influenced by Lonnick.
It is also in this context that Manchester United seems to have signs of a future after the arrival of Lonnick.
However, reality once again hit the Manchester United generals hard - although leading the team to score 10 points in five league rounds, after the home upset 0-1 defeat to Wolves, the poor offensive performance, the unchanged 4222 and even the tactical attack and defense system made fans and the media question Lonnick for the first time. But in any case, Lonnick has only just joined the team, and there are all kinds of complicated problems in the Wannian locker room. Therefore, it is not realistic to want to improve the team's tactics through tactical changes in a short period of time.
In this way, reinforcements are still an effective way to quickly improve the performance of the team in a short period of time. In the background environment of Rashford, Pogba, Martial and other stars performing poorly and the back line is constantly flawed, Manchester United need to carry out a certain degree of personnel reinforcement in all positions.
[Lonnick's 4222, is it joy or worry? 】
Manchester United 0-1 Wolves starting line-up
During Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's time, Manchester United played in a 4231 formation. After Ronnick took office, the most distinctive feature was the adjustment of Manchester United's main formation, and the 4222 formation began to be regarded as the first choice. Similar to the 4231 formation, Lonnick also has two backs in the back of midfield to intercept and sweep, mainly in The McTominay, Fred and Nemanja Matic. Although Van de Beek has been actively transforming and can once play a back position in the Manchester United squad, overall, Lonnick is also reluctant to give him too much playing time.
Considering that United's tactics today are biased towards the high-level pressing advocated by Lonnick, the position of the two backs on the field is not limited to protecting the defenders in front of the line, but will be further inserted during the game, and alleviate the defensive pressure of the two former midfielders by ensuring the space behind the two forwards.
At the same time, in order to make up for the gap in the side defense, the number of offensive midfielders represented by B fees to participate in the attack has been greatly reduced, and sometimes even the side will be greatly pulled to participate in the defense, so as to reduce the team's defensive pressure on the side. However, from another point of view, this tactical design is only to alleviate the lack of defensive ability on the flanks and adopt a compromise strategy, and the overall effect is not good.
Now Wanbisaka is being questioned
When full-backs need to plug in assists, both backs are placed at the back, sometimes taking advantage of Fred's broader coverage to fill in the wing. But from the overall effect, Manchester United's adaptation to high pressing is relatively poor - on the one hand, the team's full-back offensive ability is insufficient, and the full-backs represented by Wan Bisaka can create breakthrough opportunities on the flanks, but the overall threat ball creation ability is insufficient; on the other hand, the excessive dependence on the two backs for the protection of the flanks also emptys the midfield defense. Considering that B Fee's ability to protect and intercept is already very effective, the two backs often present an embarrassing situation that is difficult to balance at the end and end, and the 0:1 defeat to Wolves is a direct reflection of the overall confusion of United's defensive system in the midfield.
In addition, we can't ignore the reality that Ronaldo is struggling in the high-level pressing system.
Throughout the Portuguese career, although his initial position as a winger, is an obvious center run position during a specific competition. In other words, today's C Ronaldo has no wing breakthrough ability compared to the "Manchester United Phase I" period, but the Portuguese, who are not good at high pressing tactics, have no way to provide too much defensive interception support for the team's forward line, and the 36-year-old age is not enough to support it to maintain high-intensity pressing strength in 90 minutes. In this context, Manchester United's high pressing often presents an embarrassing situation of disconnection between the midfield and the front, coupled with the overall poor performance of the team's backline in the recent past, the midfield once again shows a phenomenon that is difficult to balance between the beginning and the end.
These are the main problems that manchester United have at the moment. The problem is based on Lonnick's 4222 formation, which will continue to plague United's attack and defense system until the Red Devils' high-level pressing tactical concept is fully formed. If Lonnick chooses to continue to adhere to this set of tactics, the existing staffing cannot completely improve the team's offensive and defensive system in a short period of time. Therefore, moderate reinforcements seem to be a necessary path.
【Midfielder】
In a way, United's midfield is actually a lot of talent – there's B fees that have already been in the Premier League, and World Cup winner Paul Pogba. Although Van de Beek has never been reused at Manchester United, he is diligent and diligent, and has shown his outstanding talent during his Ajax era, and has also shined in the team's attack in a few playing hours. Although Fred was once criticized as a parallel cargo, he has "saved success" in the past 2-3 seasons, and has now become a stable environment for United's midfield defense. Nemanja Matic and Scott McTominay have their own strengths, and together with Lingard, they ensure the lower limit of United's midfield configuration.
However, there are still serious problems in such a seemingly talented midfield.
Speaking of the back position, Fred is now more stable on the defensive end of Manchester United, and Scott McTominay's control of the high ball can also be effectively complementary to Fred. But the problem is that the rest of The Manchester United players are slightly insufficient to supplement the back, and Van de Beek is difficult to get the opportunity to play because of the overlap with Bruno's tactical position, and then takes the initiative to transform and play the back. Although its ability is comprehensive, it is not particularly prominent in all aspects, so it is difficult to meet Ronnick's needs for a back.
Against this backdrop, United can complement the midfield position, especially the backside position. Sufficient reserves at the back will not only ensure that the team will respond to the situation on the field in different tactical environments, but also make United more comfortable in facing the high-intensity schedule. In Lonnick's tactical system, the back is the "middle axis" that undertakes the high-level pressing link - they are not only the last barrier in front of the defender line, but also the key people who pull the wing to assist the defense of the full-back, insert the front waist position in time and even the forward position to participate in the pressing.
For Lonnick, United's back requires not only energy, but also high-intensity tactical execution. Taking United's 0-1 defeat to Wolves as an example, Luke Shaw's attacking and defensive system of Wan Bissaka needs to take on a heavy up and down task, so that the gap left behind the full-backs after pressing forward needs to be filled by two backs. However, when the back came to the side, the first interception line of the front line composed of B Fei and others was insufficient, resulting in the loss of the barrier in front of the defender line, and the middle road became the focus of Wolves' breakthrough.
In this case, the tactical position of the two backs in the midfield seems to be a little too heavy - Rao fred,000 backs, who are known for their outstanding interception area, tend to be overwhelmed, not to mention that McTominay and Nemanja Matic, whose coverage area is not as good as Fred's back.
So, if you really want to strengthen at the back, what are the suitable candidates for Manchester United in the current world football?
For Manchester United, the reinforcement of personnel can not be waited for. But given that the Premier League has always been known for its difficulty adapting, the back position is the core link of United's tactical system. Therefore, if you want to reinforce people in this position, the ideal choice should be to find objects directly from other teams in the Premier League.
Ndidi, who currently plays for Leicester City, seems to be a good choice. The Nigeria international, who is only 25 years old this year, joined Leicester City from Genk in the 16th to 17th seasons and has been working in the Premier League for 6 seasons so far. In these 6 seasons, Ndidi has always played a key role in Leicester City's midfield, and so far, he has made 196 appearances for Leicester City in all competitions, and is one of the heroes of Fox City's ability to frequently squeeze into the top 6 in the past two seasons.
From the data point of view, although Ndidi has not played for the so-called giant team, his performances in the back position have reached world-class standards. At present, Ndidi's value in the German transfer market has reached 60 million euros, which is the fourth most expensive back in the world football, second only to Kimmich (85 million euros) in Bayern Munich, Rice (75 million euros) in West Ham United, Rodri in Manchester City (70 million euros), and even higher than Casemiro, Kante and other top backs that have long been famous in the world.
From the data point of view, Ndidi is not worthy of the reputation of the world's top back. He has contributed 31 successful interceptions this season, ranking 12th in the Premier League, while at the same time contributing up to 47 successful steals, ranking 6th among all players in the Premier League. Ndidi's advantage is even more pronounced when compared among all the players in the same position – he averaged 3.3 steals per game, ranking first among all players in the same position. In addition, Ndidi's average number of interceptions per game can also be ranked first among all players in the same position.
You know, this season's Ndidi's data on the defensive end has even declined compared to the previous season. In the 20-21 season, the Nigeria international can rank in the top 10 of the Premier League in all statistics on the defensive end. The average number of steals per game, the average number of interceptions per game and the average number of fouls per game can be ranked first among all players in the same position. Compared to other backs, Ndidi's involvement in attack has also shown a clear upward trend - he completed 4 assists in 20-21 seasons, ranking first among all backs. The number of great chances created, the average number of passes per game, and the success rate of the frontcourt pass can be ranked in the top 10 of all players in the same position.
Ndidi's peak season should be in the 19th and 20th season, when nigerians averaged a staggering 4 steals per game in the league, with Yaoyao ahead of the rest of the Back in the Premier League. It was also thanks to Ndidi's steady play at the back that Leicester City showed a strong competitiveness far beyond paper strength that season, and even occupied the second place in the table at one point. Had it not been for the team's poor performance in the final stages of the league and the consecutive loss of points, perhaps Leicester City could have reached the Champions League again after many years.
However, considering Ndidi's important position in leicester City, coupled with its high value, the Foxes City, which has a poor record now, does not want to give up the top back easily. Against this backdrop, it will not be easy for Manle to win top players like Ndidi in the middle of the season. Therefore, it may also be a good choice to lower the requirements appropriately and find some good young players who are capable and willing to spend some time on the bench.
Gallagher, who is also currently playing in the Premier League, may also be a good choice. The England midfielder currently belongs to Chelsea, but Gallagher's career is mostly on loan due to the Blues' mastery of the squad.
Despite the delay in getting reused by the Blues, Gallagher has also gained a wealth of experience in the fray between the major clubs, and now only 21 years old he has played for Charlton, Swansea, West Brom and Crystal Palace, and his career is on a clear upward trend. It has now become an absolute workhorse at Crystal Palace, starting all 19 games this season, scoring six goals and four assists.
Although Gallagher has already made a name for himself in the Premier League, he is still young and has no experience in top-flight competitions, so he is worth only 22 million euros, which may be a first chance for United to get started. From the technical characteristics, Gallagher inherited the excellent characteristics of The English players who have a solid foundation and can quickly adapt to the rhythm of the Premier League, and firmly occupy the main position with their outstanding performance in the process of playing for Crystal Palace on loan this season. Now he has a high position in the tactical system of Crystal Palace, and it seems that he has the tendency to become the core of the transformation of attack and defense in the midfield.
Of course, although Gallagher's current position in world football is far lower than that of Ndidi, I think it is quite difficult for Manle to recruit this young player. First of all, Gallagher's loan contract is not completely over, and it is not realistic for United to think of him as a firefighter. In addition, it can also be seen from Chelsea's use of it in recent years that although it is temporarily unable to obtain a main position in the first team, Chelsea still regards it as a key training object in the future and will not easily sell it. Therefore, the difficulty of Gallagher's struggle is conceivable.
For the wealthy Manchester United, instead of seeking young players by scraping the lottery, it is better to sacrifice huge sums of money to win superstars again. In this context, another England player, Bellingham, will surely become the object of reverie in the hearts of many Manchester United fans. After all, compared to other players in the same position, Bellingham is definitely the most shining presence in world football today.
Bellingham came from birmingham's youth training but was brought to Germany in July 2020 by Borussia Dortmund as a key signing. In Dortmund, known as Europe's black shop, the English youngster's abilities have improved rapidly, and now at the age of 18, he is worth as much as 70 million euros. This season he made 25 appearances (all starts) for Borussia Dortmund in all competitions, scoring four goals and nine assists.
Bellingham has a very rich position on the pitch, making three appearances at right-back this season with 1 goal and two assists; 15 appearances at centre-back with two goals and six assists; and five appearances at the back. The high coverage of the field and the overall performance of attacking and defending allow Bellingham to deliver world-class performances in all positions in the midfield, which is also an important reason why he can attract the continuous attention of many top giants.
At the same time, for Manchester United today, One of Bellingham's skills can effectively revitalize the team's midfield system - passing. This season he has averaged 42.8 passes per game, an 84% pass success rate and a 73% pass success rate in front of the field. The average number of times the ball was regained reached 5.5 times per game, which can effectively adapt to Ronnick's requirements for midfield high pressing + ball holding control.
But the difficulty of Manchester United to win Bellingham is also conceivable, and many teams that are currently giants and far better than the Red Devils have long shown strong interest in him. Coupled with the fact that the Manchester United dressing room is now a little chaotic, it is still unknown whether a young player like Bellingham, who is in the golden ascending stage, is willing to take such a big risk to join Manchester United.
【Right Defender】
This season's Manchester United in the midfield offensive system in the key personnel reinforcement, the arrival of C Ronaldo for the team's offensive quality laid a lower limit, close to the average goal per game of the super high goal efficiency makes Manchester United's attacking system although slightly chaotic, but the good can guarantee the minimum number of goals. However, compared to the forward line, United's reinforcement at the back line is somewhat lackluster.
In the summer window of the 2019-2020 season, Manchester United spent up to 55 million euros to bring in 10,000-thansaka from Crystal Palace. Since then, the English full-back who has performed well at Crystal Palace has become the main member of Manchester United's right-back, making great contributions to the team in attack and defense.
But now, Wanbisaka's shortcomings have also been fully exposed - as a defensive player, his basic skills and sense of prejudgment are still prominent, but the problem of lack of ability in the offensive process has become very obvious. More importantly, Wan bissaka's ball-holding advancement and passing accuracy have great room for improvement, laying an unknown shadow for Manchester United, which is already more dependent on the side of the attack.
Overall, Wanbisaka's performance today is difficult to meet Ronnick's requirements. United's other right-back, Darot, is naturally not to mention his ability, and he also has a certain amount of playing time in the background environment of Wan Bissaka's poor performance, but it is still unrealistic to rely on Dalot's so-called support for the Red Devils to recover. As a result, United are desperate for some degree of reinforcement at right-back.
Ashraf, who currently plays for Paris Saint-Germain, is one of the most suitable right-backs for United. Only 23 years old this year, he debuted at Real Madrid, but did not have many opportunities to play in the White Army, and then played for Borussia Dortmund and Inter Milan, gradually growing into a world-class wing-back. At the end of last season, Ashraf joined Greater Paris for a hefty transfer fee of 60 million euros, quickly becoming The Greater Paris' first choice in the full-back position.
Ashraf is currently worth €70 million, and his numbers on the offensive end are impressive, far better than United's current squad in Wan bissaka. This season, Ashraf completed three assists, ranking 2nd among all players in the same position. He has created 5 excellent scoring opportunities and is at the top of all players in the same position. In addition, Ashraf's average number of key passes per game, the average number of passes per game, the pass success rate, and the frontcourt pass success rate can be ranked in the top two of all players in the same position.
Such a prominent performance has made Ashraf one of the world's top right-backs, but as we said earlier, Manchester United need a world-class player like Ashraf, but the difficulty of winning such a world-class player can also be imagined.
【Conclusion】
In addition to the midfield and right-back, United's other positions are still well-stocked and fully equipped to deal with complex multi-line operations. If the shortage of personnel in some positions can be effectively solved, Manchester United is now fully capable of launching a top 4 attack.