Tactical analysis: Erik ten Hag needs to defuse Newcastle United’s midfield overload – Man United News & Transfer News

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Manchester United this afternoon understanding {that a} win in opposition to Newcastle can be an enormous step ahead to safe Champions League soccer subsequent season. He’ll James Park.

With solely 11 video games left, it could open a six-point hole between the 2 sides.

However the absence of Casemiro, Christian Eriksen and probably Marcel Sabitzer in a win-win midfield recreation leaves United boss Erik ten Hag with few choices.

Newcastle’s success this time period has been constructed on strong protection, and supervisor Eddie Howe has labored wonders in that space. Their objectives in opposition to simply 19 in 26 video games are the very best within the Premier League – eight higher than the following finest (Metropolis).

Howe normally drives 4-3-3 with right-back Kieran Trippier, CB’s Fabian Schär and Sven Botman, and left-back Dan Burn. They may get better shortly on passes and you will notice gamers abandon the ball to straighten the road.

So United will wrestle to push them again with fast counterattacks. Alternatively, they normally get 8 and even 9 males behind the ball, so a extra restrained construct also can result in disappointment.

One strategy to defeat one of these protection is affected person accumulation and deep high quality distribution. This is able to favor the deep-playing likes of Marcel Sabitzer (if applicable) or Bruno Fernandes, somewhat than extra skilful stars like McTominay and Fred.

Trippier is the extra allowed defender to hitch the offense, however the Magpies are likely to shift the remainder of the protection to the proper, considered one of them backing out from midfield, filling the hole to the left.

This intuitively signifies that it’s extra environment friendly to assault their left flank after a turnover. Fast breakouts from United’s proper could due to this fact favor the inclusion of Diogo Dalot forward of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, as he’ll extra naturally front-foot to assist the quick Portuguese winger.

Howe can also be encouraging his forwards to return to the midfield, which might imply a two-man United midfield might be invaded. We noticed this within the Carabao Cup closing, the place Newcastle dominated for a lot of the first half and solely fought correctly within the second half when Ten Hag added an additional man to that space and introduced in Marcel Sabitzer and Scott McTominay. Backs may also be anticipated to step in to supply extra assist on this a part of the pitch.

Newcastle do not use a excessive block so extra strikers will get extra probabilities as a result of they know the protection will keep comparatively deep and steady. It additionally permits them to sort out extra in their very own half than some other staff, so United needs to be cautious of sending too many males to the striker in case the ball goes lacking.

Right now’s match will begin at 16:30.

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