Why Manchester United need a change in formation

For years United have been the team attacking from the flanks with the likes of Giggs, Ronaldo and more recently Valencia. And it has fetched them success more often than not with their typical 4-4-2 formation. They had players like Ruud van Nistelrooy, Ronaldo and the recently departed Berbatov to head the ball towards the back of the net.

Enter 2012, and the world has witnessed Spain’s dominance. It’s evident their style is similar to Barcelona and it’s no surprise because their attacking play is orchestrated by the two maestros, Xavi and Iniesta. The most overlooked fact is that both Spain and Barcelona play without a typical winger. For Xavi and Iniesta, it doesn’t make a huge difference whether they feed the ball to Messi or Cesc or even Silva. The second most successful team in Euro ’12 were the Italians who had a very different approach compared to the La Roja. But even they proved the same point that the typical wingers contribute lesser than the wide players who can do much more than just cross the ball or sprint through the flanks. The team that won the UCL 2011-12 was criticized for being defensive and their style harshly remarked as anti-football. But even Chelsea showed why the lack of a winger is not a big concern.

So the debate is will Sir Alex ever change the 4-4-2 formation that he has used countless times in his tenure at Old Trafford. Well, what is certain is that even he is willing to change with the times. Atleast, that is what it looks like with the arrival of Van Persie and Kagawa. These are players who like to keep the ball at their feet. They are simply not adept at receiving crosses to head the ball in. So does that mean United should leave their best player (going by current form – Valencia) out, who is what we call a classic wide player? The answer is a yes and no. Last season, there were two positions in midfield that needed attention. The center and left side of midfield. Bringing in Scholes out of retirement has solved the problem in the center for now, but will that work out in the long run for United? The other weak position which is occupied by Young or Nani is a more immediate problem that needs an early solution.

Moussa Dembele of Tottenham has shown why shifting him to a more central role wasn’t such a bad idea after all. Can Sir Alex do the same with Valencia? Valencia is right-footed so it is difficult to imagine him playing on the left side of the pitch. Valencia has the potential to be the box-to-box midfielder that United has lacked in recent times. The term “box-to-box” is often used to refer to the most complete midfielders, who provide both defensive and attacking prowess. They are the most versatile of players who typically possess exceptional stamina and are usually skilled at tackling, passing, shooting and also good at keeping possession. These are skills that defines Valencia as a player.

Changing to a 4-3-3 formation would mean United no longer need a left midfielder or winger. With Cleverley and Valencia most likely to start when available the other midfielder can be Anderson, Carrick, Scholes or even Phil Jones. The next question is, who will be the front three? There has been a lot of debate about axing Rooney for Robin van Persie. In Rooney, we are talking about a player who has been the driving force in attack for the Old Trafford outfit. Robin van Persie was brought in to increase the goal tally. The point was to have arguably the two best strikers in the league in the same XI. Leaving Rooney out for van Persie seems silly. With Van Persie at his best as the lone striker, Rooney and Kagawa can play behind him forming an inverted pyramid.

In the defense, keeping Rio and Vidic in the same space makes the defense look weak against the agile and quick players. Vidic missed almost an entire season last term and Evans took that opportunity with both hands. Buttner is not exactly known for his defensive skills but Evra has done very little to keep his place. Rafael is a defensive frailty but he more than makes up for it by contributing in the team’s attacking play.

My preferred line-up : De Gea(GK), Rafael(RB), Vidic(CB), Evans(CB), Buttner(LB), Jones(DMF), Valencia(CM), Cleverley(CM), Kagawa(SS/AMF), Rooney(SS/AMF), van Persie(CF).

What do you think? Share your opinions on the comment section below.