An assessment of Manchester United’s season so far

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Jose Mourinho and Manchester United have had a fruitful 3 weeks so far. They have got the maximum possible points, have outscored others in the league and have managed to get 3 clean sheets in the process. Manchester United will look to continue in this vein of form and gain some early season momentum, having already established a 2-point lead at the top. They face relatively easy fixtures before their trip to Liverpool on 14th October.
Let’s assess their performance in the league so far.

Formation:

Manchester United have turned up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, but their heat maps and average positions suggest the usage of a 4-3-3 system.

Manchester United

 

Looking at the heat maps of the players in the games so far; it can help us draw a few conclusions.

  • Manchester United’s dominance in attack can be explained with the high positioning of most of the attacking players on the pitch. Matic, a defensive midfielder by trade has featured heavily in the opposition half. Clearly, Mourinho’s tactical game plan for when it comes to attack is coming to fruition.

 

  • Mata and Mkhitaryan, as has been discussed before, enjoy freedom to play anywhere within their given heatmaps. They switch in accordance with the situation and combine well in the midfield; operating just behind Romelu Lukaku.

 

  • Antonio Valencia can be seen playing higher up the pitch than his counterpart, Daley Blind. This may be a result of both Mkhitaryan and Mata playing in central positions, freeing up the right channel for Valencia to utilize. While this may help the attack, he will not do his fellow defenders any favours if they are caught on the break as United’s right side looks to be an avenue that could be used by the opposition to launch attacks.

 

  • Rashford’s positioning points to the obvious fact that he’s been advised to run down the channels, hug the touchlines and give in crosses. Contrary to the job given to Mata and Mkhitaryan. Mourinho has set up his wide-men to do different jobs. What this does lead to is confusion among the opposition back-line and could open up spaces for Romelu Lukaku to exploit up front.

 

  • Pogba’s positioning higher up the pitch also speaks a lot from how different United are set up this season. He is enjoying the attacking role, being freed from his defensive duties thanks to the arrival of Matic.

 

Style of Play:

Manchester United have retained their superiority on the ball from last season, however, there seems to be a lot more purpose about their play. With the strength of Lukaku, and the fluidity of Mata, Mkhitaryan and Rashford; the success rate for forward passes has increased drastically. Mourinho’s setup against the bigger teams will no doubt be different; he might start with Fellaini in midfield as an extra defensive option who can also be used as a second striker if need be.

 

Squad Players:

Apart from the first teamers, there are adept squad players at disposal for Mourinho. Matteo Darmian can be used as a full back on both the flanks, and can also contribute as a central defender due to his superior defensive ability. Chris Smalling too, will find games hard to come by; given how far below the pecking order he stands. Michael Carrick’s name will come as a surprise for many, but given his age; he will be a bit-part player this season. His situation seems eerily similar to what Wayne faced after continuing as captain under Jose Mourinho.

 

With still most of the season left to play for, Manchester United look well set-up, tactically and in terms of squad strength and depth. How Mourinho uses them, will go a long way in determining how successful United will be this season.