Tactical blog: United heading in the right direction
Ahead of tonight's heavyweight clash between Liverpool and Manchester United, football writer Paul Wilkes takes a tactical look at the Red Devils under Jose Mourinho.
The arrival of Jose Mourinho and a number of expensive acquisitions has raised expectation at Manchester United once again. There's still a realism that they are far from the finished product, but the general consensus is that they are heading in the right direction.
Mourinho has kept the 4-2-3-1 formation which was used by predecessors Louis van Gaal and David Moyes, however, his team are much more vertical in possession. The increase in tenacity has seen the team improve their successful pass rate by 3 per cent.
Daley Blind started the season as the defensive partner to Eric Bailly, but after he struggled against Manchester City, he has been switched to left-back. This has enabled him to continue his understanding with Chris Smalling, who now takes up the left-sided centre-back role.
Blind's delivery and United's height throughout the team means that they are a real danger from set-pieces. Antonio Valencia is at right-back and is better defensively than many people credit him for, with an average of three tackles per game.
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Ander Herrera appears to have finally found his vocation at Old Trafford, with Mourinho utilising him as a deep-lying playmaker since half-time of the Manchester derby. The Spaniard is not only proficient in linking the defence with attack, but his positional sense enables him to make a number of interceptions and he's much more mobile than Marouane Felliani.
Paul Pogba is the complete midfielder, although he has so far only shown glimpses of why United paid a world record fee for him. His strength and dribbling ability make him a threat in the final third, whilst his passing range from deep means he can launch counter-attacks into the forwards.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has improved the attack immensely, as his sheer presence and amazing first touch causes rival defenders immediate concern. He likes to peel into the left channel, which allows Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford to cut into the area.
Behind the enigmatic Swede, Mourinho is still trying to discover his chosen trio. Juan Mata has replaced Wayne Rooney as the No.10 and Jesse Lingard has started the last three matches on the right wing.
The Portuguese coach appears to favour the pace of either Martial or Rashford on the wide left, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Memphis Depay failing to establish themselves at present.