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Manchester United travel to Kyocera Stadium in The Hague, Netherlands on Thursday for their Europa League clash against AZ Alkmaar with their season slipping dangerously out of hand. The Red Devils are currently 10th in the Premier League table after the first seven games and are 12 points behind league leaders Liverpool. United have managed just two wins in those seven games and have scored just nine goals, while also conceding seven.
In the Europa League though, the start has been a little better. The Red Devils managed a narrow 1-0 victory over Astana in the opening game of group L and are currently top of the group. However, the performance was far from convincing and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be aware that he needs massive improvement on Thursday.
This Monday, United could only manage another uneventful draw at home against Arsenal and the cracks are beginning to surface all of a sudden. As such, the game against Alkmaar represents an opportunity for Solskjaer to make amends and try out a few things. Today, we discuss 3 tactical changes the Norwegian should implement against Alkmaar in the Europa League on Thursday.
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#3 Aim for a clean sheet
United’s biggest problem from last season has traveled beyond the summer and has failed to subside despite the fact that Solskjaer has invested heavily in defense. The Red Devils brought Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Harry Maguire in the summer transfer window, but the leak at the back is yet to stop. Because a good team is built on a stellar defense, this is where Solskjaer must put all his efforts on in the training ground.
The Red Devils have looked a better defensive unit after the arrival of Wan-Bissaka and Maguire, but still, look vulnerable at set-pieces and with long balls. David de Gea has shown glimpses of brilliance this season and now it is up to the Norwegian to tighten the defense and cut out the gaps that have been hurting them on the field.
United have already paid the price for some individual errors in their defensive areas and the team now need to defend as a unit to prize out clean sheets on a continuous basis. Alkmaar will test them at the back; the Dutch side has already scored 18 goals from eight games in the Eredivisie. Solskjaer, as such, should target a clean sheet against Alkmaar and build on that to get United’s season back on track.
#2 Trust in youth
Solskjaer promised a massive rebuilding exercise at Old Trafford when he took over as full-time boss. What really enticed the United faithful was the Norwegian’s desire to build around youth. After United’s continued failure to impress since the start of the new season, it is time for Solskjaer to go back to the drawing board and show renewed faith in the young talents at his disposal.
The very first change has to be the use of Mason Greenwood. The youngster has recently turned 18 and deserved to lead the line, especially since Marcus Rashford has been continuously poor through the middle. With United’s midfield failing to gel so far, James Garner deserves a chance as well. And Tahith Chong and Angel Gomes could be alternatives to Andreas Pereira in the right-forward role. Gomes, incidentally, could also do justice to the No. 10 position.
As such, it is time for Solskjaer to take a risk and put his trust in his immensely talented youth players. It could well turn out to be one of his better decisions.
#1 Switch to a 4-3-3
When Solskjaer took over as the caretaker manager of Manchester United, the first change he implemented in the team was a switch in formation. Manchester United was struggling in a 4-2-3-1 system, and the Norwegian changed it his favored 4-3-3 system. The impact was instantaneous – United played some swashbuckling football, scored goals galore and even stayed compact at the back. While the effect could not stretch till the end of the season, it was expected that with the right reinforcements in the summer, the form could return.
However, the Norwegian shocked the world by reverting back to the 4-2-3-1 system over the summer. And that has been United’s bane so far this season. Deploying Paul Pogba in a double pivot has not worked, due to the lack of creativity in the final third. And it has also restricted the Frenchman’s impact on the team. There’s a lack of proper No. 10 in the squad and as such, Solskjaer should immediately revert to the tried and tested 4-3-3 system.
A three-man midfield with Scott McTominay sitting deep and Fred and Pogba operating on either side would be just what the doctor ordered for United. It would allow both the Brazilian and the Frenchman to play their natural game and could very well turn United’s season around.
