Given they are the most successful club in the history of the Premier League, it is little wonder that everything which happens at Manchester United is analysed to death.
The overbearing nature of the scrutiny creates a landscape where common sense often goes out of the window and false narratives are peddled as the truth.
For instance, a quick look at the league table shows United are just three points behind Chelsea and Newcastle United, who are fifth and sixth in the standings.
They are categorised as having made a positive start to the new season, while the Red Devils are being widely criticised for underperforming.
While their start to the campaign has not quite lived up to expectations, the negative hyperbole surrounding their current status is a little unfair.
After winning their opening game against Fulham, who have gone unbeaten since then, United were defeated by a stoppage-time winner at Brighton & Hove Albion.
They produced a dismal performance at home to title hopefuls Liverpool, before bouncing back with a polished performance to triumph comfortably at Southampton.
But for goalkeeper Dean Henderson playing like a man possessed, United would have returned from Crystal Palace last weekend with more than one point.
Ifs, buts and maybes count for nothing in football, meaning Erik ten Hag’s side head into their home game against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday needing to win.
From United’s perspective, the fixture presents a golden opportunity to pick up three points and edge closer to the top four in the Premier League.
Spurs manger Ange Postecoglou is renowned for his risky tactical system, which the Red Devils can exploit to their advantage if they use their heads.
Much like players who use a stud poker strategy to master the iconic casino game, United can tip the odds in their favour by targeting Tottenham’s weak spots.
Postecoglou encourages his players to try and create numerical advantages against the opposition’s defensive unit, which they then try to exploit with swift passing.
Inverted full-backs are a feature of Postecoglou’s tactics and help create 2v1 situations if everything falls into place when they are pushing forward.
However, while his methods allow Tottenham to play an entertaining brand of football, they also leave his team extremely susceptible to counter-attacks.
Playing with inverted full-backs creates space outside the centre-backs, which United’s wingers could exploit if the players behind them pick the right passes.
Tottenham are often guilty of completely losing their defensive shape, thus allowing opponents to find players in open spaces between the lines.
All of this should be music to Ten Hag’s ears, who showed he was capable of exploiting a similar system when United beat Manchester City in last season’s FA Cup final.
Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho caused City problems on the flanks and this contributed massively to United’s victory over their local rivals.
The result was made more noteworthy by the fact United did not have a natural striker on the pitch – a factor which will not be in play against Tottenham.
Joshua Zirkzee or Rasmus Hojlund can be employed to give United an outlet on the counter-attack and keep the centre-backs occupied when Tottenham are in possession.
If Ten Hag implements the correct tactical formula this weekend, the Red Devils should be looking at a scenario where they have ten points from six games.
That would set them up nicely for subsequent fixtures against Aston Villa (A), Brentford (H) and West Ham United (A), all of which are winnable if they produce their best form.
Be the first to comment