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da betano casino： How long does a media narrative take to turn? In the last five premier league matches Manchester United have managed just one win, courtesy of a 3-1 scoreline away to struggling Swansea City.
So where does that leave Jose Mourinho? For much of his successful coaching career it almost seemed written in the stars that one day Mourinho would end up at Old Trafford, his respect for the club and for legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson was evident through countless interviews over the years.
That he was overlooked as the successor to Ferguson in favour of David Moyes was a bitter disappointment to Mourinho, who had lobbied for the position. Now, having finally been appointed at the start of this season, we have yet to see a significant turn round in form at United.
[ffc_insert title=”Cantona: The Iconic and the Ironic” name=”Golden Goal” image=”https://www.footballfancast.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/1997-04-23T000000Z_1_MT1ACI148037_RTRMADP_3_ENGLAND-SOCCER-MNU.jpg?admin” link=”https://www.footballfancast.com/premier-league/manchester-united/golden-goal-king-eric-and-a-story-of-delicious-irony” link_text=”Cantona’s greatest moment” ]
Spurs, on the other hand, are a side working from a more settled platform. Under Argentinean coach Mauricio Pochettino Spurs have become one of the most progressive tactical sides in the league with a fluid structure and a rotating squad.
The London side have alternated this season between three at the back and four at the back systems, with different personnel fulfilling roles throughout the side. Contrast this with a United side that is still struggling to fit their best players in to a cohesive tactical structure.
For United to emerge from this match with a victory, their abilities to access the wide areas in the final third will be key. On the other hand, Spurs will look to utilise the space in front of the United defensive structure to come away with the win…
United width on the final third
Part of the problem with playing Zlatan Ibrahimovic up front is that there is a tendency for teams to play vertical balls centrally to bring the Swedish forward in to play. This vertical attacking style, however, would play directly in to the defensive strength of Spurs with their defensive core being one of the strongest in the league, whether they play with two or three centre backs.
Instead, United will have to concentrate their build up in the wide areas to try to overload the Spurs defence and create openings to be exploited. The recent reintroduction of Armenian midfielder Henrik Mkhitaryan should help in this regard, with his ability to play in tight spaces and tendency to move off the wing in to the half spaces.
This inside movement combined with the attacking threat of Antonio Valencia from right back and the support play of Ander Herrera from midfield should offer United an axis around, which they can play in an advanced area of the field.
On the other flank the pace of Frenchman Anthony Martial should be utilised in order to provide a different problem for the Spurs defensive structure to absorb. With Martial providing width it should offer space centrally for Paul Pogba to get forward and connect with Ibrahimovic in and around the Spurs penalty area.
Spurs look to build centrally
It remains to be seen whether Spurs line up with a three or four man defence. The choice will have an effect on how they look to attack and access the final third of the pitch.
With a four man back line we will most likely see a one man attack, whilst if it is three at the back, we will see two strikers. Each offer different options but it is the supporting structure in behind that is most important.
With a lone striker we will see a player stationed in the attacking midfield strata who will serve as the platform for the build up play. As he gets space in front of the United defence we will see Eriksen move in from the left flank to provide the opportunity for a central overload, as the two fullbacks push on and engage the United fullbacks in the wide areas.
At the same time, Moussa Dembele (arguably Spurs’ best player) will join in and move beyond the overload to threaten the United defence. The presence of Dembele and his ability to take possession and play in tight areas could be one of the keys for Spurs in unlocking the United defensive structure.
With a two man attacking unit, the attacking midfield strata is likely to start empty with both wide players looking to make inverted runs to occupy the central space at various times. With both United centre backs effectively pinned back by the two strikers the wingers and midfielders would be able to create an advanced central platform in order to facilitate the attacking movement.
Conclusion
If I was a betting man then I would have my money on Spurs in this match. The media narrative is definitely turning against Mourinho now, with the Portuguese coach having seemingly lost his sophisticated charm that punctuated his initial spell in English football.
He still has not found a way to get the best out of all of his star players whilst ensuring that the team still operates as a unit. Not taking Mkhitaryan in to the team until two weeks ago may well be unforgivable given that he already looks like United’s best player.
Spurs, on the other hand, have suffered failure in their attempts to qualify from the group stages of the Champions League. They are now looking to bounce back and establish a strong run in the Premier League in order to qualify again for next season. I would not be at all surprised to see Spurs start with either a back three of back four and then switch to the other as the game progresses.
The lack of tactical flexibility from Mourinho will be his undoing here.
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