5 tactical changes Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should implement at Manchester United

#3 Manchester United should depend less on crosses

Manchester United rely too much on crosses under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

One of the major issues for Manchester United under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been the identity of the style of play. It is really hard to define the type of approach United have on the pitch.

It is true that there is an attacking mindset but to pinpoint it in a specific way is difficult. Manchester United have more than often tried to create space on the wings to make crosses and thereby score goals. While it is effective sometimes, it makes their game very predictive.

With that approach, it has been easier for the opposition to restrict and defend Manchester United. Also, the Red Devils haven't been great with their crosses this season. Out of the 125 crosses made by them in six Premier League matches, only 22 per cent have turned out to be accurate, making the approach less effective.

With the players Ole Gunnar Solskjaer possesses, attacking centrally is more feasible. Their star summer signing Jadon Sancho loves to play the little one-twos and come centrally to create and score goals. The presence of Bruno Fernandes, Paul Pogba and Cristiano Ronaldo is all the more reason why Manchester United can be deadly when attacking, not just from the wings.

The discipline of opposition is more tested when players link up centrally and at a quicker pace. It will certainly help Manchester United against teams defending deep, bringing unpredictability to their game. More than anything, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer needs his players to have better chemistry on the pitch and play as a unit.

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#2 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer must stop using Pogba on the left wing

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer needs to play Paul Pogba centrally

Recently, Paul Pogba has been seen starting on the left wing. It looked like an interesting idea at first but it has only constrained the Frenchman from the liberty to express.

Pogba's best performances have come as a left-central midfielder. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer likes the former Juventus midfielder to operate on the left hand side of the pitch but it hasn't effectively helped Manchester United's cause. Pogba has been easy to mark and contain on the left wing and it is only when he comes centrally that things look different.

The 2018 World Cup winner has seven assists in the Premier League right now and the majority came when he was positioned centrally. Even for the French national team, Pogba has been successful when playing as a central midfielder.

It is important that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer takes this into account and uses one of the best players at Manchester United smartly. Pogba and Bruno Fernandes seem to have a good understanding, which is another reason why the French midfielder should not be playing on the left wing.

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#1 Stick to just a single defensive midfielder

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer needs to adopt a 4-3-3 formation at Manchester United

Despite having a very good summer transfer window, it did feel that Manchester United lacked a defensive midfielder in the squad. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has preferred using Scott McTominay and Fred as a double pivot to offer more protection to his defense.

While the two have done well defensively, they do struggle to offer more on the attacking side. The passing and vision aspect is deeply missed when playing this combination as a double pivot in midfield. And it has so happened that despite playing them, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team have leaked goals.

The Red Devils have always been known for being a fearless and attacking team. It is time for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to make a bold decision and go with a 4-3-3 formation, using one defensive midfielder and two attacking central midfielders. This will allow Manchester United to have more fluidity in attack and with quality players available, there should be a lot more chances created.

Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes can play in tandem as two attacking midfielders, with Donny van de Beek and Jesse Lingard being two good alternatives. Nemanja Matic can also play as a back-up defensive midfielder.

The winger's position can be sorted out with Jadon Sancho and Mason Greenwood as options on the right and Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial similarly on the left. With experienced strikers Cristiano Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani, the two can be efficiently used and rotated considering their age.