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May

2024

What has gone wrong with Manchester United’s tactics this season?

Manchester United take on Manchester City on Saturday in the FA Cup final in a game that could help them end the season on a high. But will that be enough to put some gloss on what has otherwise been the worst season in recent memory?

By Kaustubh Pandey

The way United’s Premier League season ended was rather fitting. Despite a rather desolate performance during the game against Brighton, Erik ten Hag’s side scored twice and picked up all three points. While there was no late drama that has been a defining feature of the season, United managed to get a win despite obvious issues.

And those are issues that have existed through the entire season and they have persisted in pretty much every game, prompting a change that hasn’t quite come about.

There is a certain sense of randomness to United’s matches, as they often turn into basketball games. That randomness has led to them winning some games or picking up points they probably shouldn’t and that might well help them win in the FA Cup final. But that will not change how the entire season has paned out and a trophy would only be a thin papering over the cracks.

The Red Devils, after all, ended the season at tenth when it comes xG generated and finished below the likes of Brentford and Brighton. They scored 57 times from an xG of 56.9, which is a rather fair account of their struggles and performances too. But it doesn’t end there.

Ten Hag’s side finished a shocking fifth bottom for xG conceded, which was worse than Wolves and Fulham, and close to relegated Burnley.

Having said that, those numbers are simply an after affect of other issues that have existed in the side and at the club this season. As United prepare to take on City in the final, we look at what has held them back this season.

Injuries

As per BBC figures, Man Utd picked up the most number of injuries in the Premier League this season (45) and those injuries affected multiple key players too. Be it Luke Shaw, Lisandro Martínez, Harry Maguire, Raphael Varane, Rasmus Højlund, Marcus Rashford, or the much-troubled Mason Mount, the campaign was a walking injury crisis in itself.

As a result, United could never really field a consistent XI in consecutive games and even if they did, players that were key for Ten Hag’s approach last season were sorely missing. This also made sure that the Dutchman could not take forward the foundations that were laid last season into something better, even though a signing such as that of André Onana was expected to make United better in possession.

Poor defensive structure

Ten Hag’s side had the second-best defensive record in the Premier League last season as they conceded as many goals as second-placed Arsenal and there was a point when they were actually in a potential title race.

They played in a deeper block and while they did press, it was controlled and limited. This season, things have changed, but only for the worse.

A constant problem has been a dysfunctional press with a higher line. There is generally a huge gap between the pressing four or five and the backline, which recedes and offers the opposition a lot of space on the transition. As a result, it isn’t a surprise that United concede a lot of goals from cut-backs and find themselves outnumbered during transitional moments.

Because of that, United concede a huge number of shots in every game. Brighton had 17 shots on goal and Newcastle, who lost 3-2 at Old Trafford, managed to have 21 shots.

It is a structural flaw which has repeated itself and to many, defending in transitions was also a problem for Ten Hag during his time at Ajax. With the time at United seemingly of the essence, the issue has risen to the fore once again.

Ten Hag’s failure to adapt

Ten Hag showed last season that he is great at adapting to problems in the side and he was constantly creative with positional and tactical changes. This season, that hasn’t quite been the case, as despite obvious problems in the setup have existed for the entire season.

Instead of making changes that addressed the issues, Ten Hag has doubled down on a flawed approach and that has complicated things for everyone on the pitch. Even though players do not suit the setup, he has persisted with it.

As a result of the flawed setup, United have had only the 8th most touches in the opposition’s box this season.

There have been times when Ten Hag has made some changes to the side to accommodate the strengths of individual players, but it has negatively impacted the side. Scott McTominay’s usage is an example.

The Scotsman has seven goals in the league but that doesn’t mean that he has had a great season.

Due to McTominay’s general guarantee of goals and good form, there were times when he was used higher up in the final third. While that might actually turn out to be his best position because he does have a very good ball-striking ability, it has pushed Bruno Fernandes back in midfield.

It essentially came at the cost of reducing the strengths of arguably United’s best player and one of the best on-the-ball creators in the game. Goals were, for United, much needed at that point but the plan was actually used over a large number of games and it negatively impacted Rasmus Højlund’s goal scoring tally.

Drop-off for individual players

A strong case can be made of the fact that even though Ten Hag had laid down some foundations of a playing style last season, some impressive individual performances helped United quite a bit. Marcus Rashford had hit supreme form and Casemiro was extremely vital in winning the ball in midfield.

Both players have witnessed a drop-off this season and while the setup has had a role to play in that drop-off, it has impacted the team’s general output.

For Casemiro, it seems like a case of him turning into a much more cautious player than he was last season due to the number of bookings he picked up. Even towards the end of last season, his performances had dipped and it seems as if he has never recovered, with the poor transitional defending setup making sure that he has had to cover an impossible amount of space.

The above infographic is a representation of Casemiro’s defensive numbers from this season and a comparison with the infographic from last season below shows the extent of the defensive fall-off.

As for Rashford, it can be argued that while he himself has been at fault, United’s attacking plan is riddled with uncertainty, making sure that the Englishman has to rely on extreme precision to make things happen.

He has had to dribble more this season (1.9 dribbles per 90) than he had to last season (1.5 dribbles per 90 minutes) because the system has relied on individual ability more often than not. But the end product has been missing and even though a part of it is Rashford’s problem, there has been no certainty in movement in the United attack.

If one compares how inside forwards operate at other clubs and how they have the certainty of movement from specific players, it paints an even darker picture for the lack of an attacking plan at United under Ten Hag.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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May

2024

Atalanta’s rise back to European prominence

Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta take on the unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League Final and it is clear that La Dea are once again, back to European prominence after some years away.

By Kaustubh Pandey

For many, the 2023/24 season would be Atalanta’s best season under Gian Piero Gasperini. With the side having returned to the Champions League, they also made it to the final of the Coppa Italia, and they created history by reaching the club’s first European final (tonight!). Arguably, this season has allowed them more chances at winning silverware than any other season in recent memory.

While the Coppa Italia final loss to Max Allegri’s Juventus was quite disappointing, they have another chance at creating history and winning silverware this week. Besides, context is also vital, especially when it comes to La Dea’s identity and recent history.

Atalanta are no strangers to losing players constantly and that is exactly what happened last summer and beyond. Rasmus Højlund, who was catching fire, left for Manchester United and Duván Zapata, who had become a fans’ favourite at Bergamo, departed for Torino late in the window. Later in January, Luis Muriel also left for the MLS and Jeremie Boga had also departed for Ligue 1 in the summer. The Bergamo-based club had to simply reform an attack with the resources they had and the players they were able to sign.

Having said that, Atalanta are no strangers to this process. The club’s strong identity in playing style, tactical approach, and recruitment has made them one of the more prominent European faces from Italy. That sense of identity is something multiple Italian sides have struggled for and while Inter have started to create one, Milan, Napoli and Juventus have failed to have a consistent one. That is where Atalanta flourish and that makes them a very sustainable club. This time around too, La Dea’s recruitment helped them come through a difficult transition.

Charles de Ketelaere, who had suffered a terrible first season at Milan, was roped in on an initial loan deal. Gianluca Scamacca was signed from West Ham after a frustrating and injury-laden spell at West Ham, as Atalanta beat Inter to his signature. Teun Koopmeiners, who had played a much deeper role last season, has been used in the final third and that transition has brought the best out of the Dutchman.

Koopmeiners has shown himself to be a multifaceted force in the middle of the park, showing that he has a keen eye for a pass and even has the ability to dictate play in midfield when dropping deep. He has 12 goals and five assists and it is largely his range of abilities that have caught attention from the likes of Juventus and Liverpool.

While Scamacca and De Ketelaere have witnessed impressive resurgences and have scored a total of 21 goals in the Serie A combined, the Italian’s performance against Liverpool at Anfield caught the eyes of many. While De Ketelaere thrives on taking defenders on and acting as a fox in the box, Scamacca is more of a complete centre-forward. The ex-Sassuolo man has a delightful touch on him, holds up the ball really well, and can also supply the final ball.

At the same time, Brazilian midfielder Ederson has gone up a level and he too, has thrived in a dual role in the heart of the park.

The 24-year-old has six goals but he acts as the crucial link between midfield and attack and that is why he ranks 69 percentile for defensive actions. He has more than effectively replaced Remo Freuler, who departed for Nottingham Forest in the summer of 2022 and is now thriving at Bologna himself.

Ederson – like Koopmeiners, has been linked with Premier League clubs and he is another accurate example of how La Dea operate. He had joined from Salernitana in the summer of 2022 and they seem set to make a profit on the Brazilian.

Another exit from Atalanta in 2023 was that of Merih Demiral, who headed to Saudi Arabia. While it took Atalanta six months to replace him, they seem to have done that perfectly. Centre-back Isak Hien arrived from Verona in January even though Atalanta tried to sign him in the summer until attempts failed. The Swede cost only €9 million and has proved to be one of their best players in the second half of the season.

It wasn’t just a signing made for the sake of it. That isn’t just because he was trailed by Gasperini for months before he was signed, but because he suits the high line setup perfectly.

Like Demiral, Hien has a very good turn of pace during recoveries and boasts a very good reading of the game, helping him be one of the best defenders in the Serie A. He is proactive and also offers good upside on the ball. It is the sort of move one would expect the Bergamischi to make – one that is cheap, suits Gasperini’s approach, and is young enough to generate a future profit.

In a way, it is Atalanta’s consistent playing style which is key to their identity. After all, multiple Italian clubs recruit well owing to the financial constraints upon them. But none of them have a tactical identity which defines them and Gasperini’s constant presence at the Gewiss Stadium has helped in that for Atalanta.

On Wednesday, they come against a side that is arguably the most fearsome in Europe right now and regardless of what Atalanta’s context is, it would be their biggest challenge of the season.

At the same time, it would be another test of whether Atalanta can adapt to situations when it truly matters. The performance against Juve in the Coppa Italia final was rather drab and they created nothing of note, which is quite rare. That makes the Europa League final in Dublin an even bigger test for Gasperini, who is rooted in his ways and there have always been question marks about whether he can adapt when it is truly needed.

Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen have shown that they adapt – constantly. That makes the task even more complex for Atalanta, who could yet bid farewell to Gasperini in the summer. But with Atalanta, there is always this assurance that they will respond and they will always come back and their identity will always allow them to do just that, even if they suffer another Cup final defeat.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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May

2024

Bayer Leverkusen stand on the edge of history

In football, ‘Unprecedented’ has become a synonym for things that are, well, prececented. Not everything is remarkable, but every now and again, a team or a manager come along and change everything. That’s exactly what Bayer Leverkusen and Xabi Alonso have done.

By Alex Roberts

Not since the unification of Germany has a club gone an entire Bundesliga campaign unbeaten, not even the great Bayern Munich sides of yore, led by Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Müller.

This season was meant to be the same. Munich would win the title at a canter, with all opponents rolling over to show plump underbellies, ready to be torn open by Leroy Sané, Jamal Musiala, and new star man Harry Kane.

No one could have predicted what Leverkusen were going to do. Instead of rolling over they bore their teeth and Bayern shirked away, tails between their legs squealing, falling into third place as Stuttgart took their advantage.

On Saturday, May 18^th, the referee blew his whistle and Bayer Leverkusen’s invincible season was confirmed, beating Augsburg 2-1. The stadium rightfully erupted. They had just won their first ever Bundesliga title without losing a single game.

For football fans across the globe, it’s hard to imagine it getting any better than that. Surely this is the pinnacle? How could this ever be topped? Well, with 51 games and zero defeats, Leverkusen are on the precipice of something truly unprecedented… an unbeaten treble.

The last club to get close was Louis van Gaal’s Ajax in 1994/95, winning the Eredivisie and Champions League unbeaten but ultimately failing after getting knocked out by rivals Feyenoord in the KNVB Cup quarter final.

Many beers will have been sunk after the win against Augsburg by fans, players, and staff alike, now they need to shake off any lingering hangovers and get their game faces back on. Atalanta await in tonight’s Europa League final, and then there’s the DFB Pokal final against Kaiserslautern on Saturday.

It was in the DFB Pokal, Germany’s biggest cup competition, that the run started. All the way back in August, Leverkusen beat Regionalliga North side Teutonia Ottensen 8-0 in the first game of the season. It’s fair to say they haven’t looked back since.

Throughout their European campaign, Leverkusen have had the luck of the draw. In the group stage, they were tied against Azerbaijani side Qarabağ, Norwegian club Molde, and Sweden’s BK Häcken. All huge clubs domestically, but minnows compared to the likes of Leverkusen.

It was up them to make sure they didn’t screw it up, so, in stereotypical German fashion, Leverkusen efficiently dispatched each of their group-stage opponents, winning every single game.

Tactically, Alonso initially strayed from his preferred 3-4-2-1 formation, but the principles remained the same. Fullbacks/wingbacks would provide attacking options while central midfielders would drop back to help defenders deal with opposition counterattacks.

Domination allowed for rotation, and Alonso was able to give minutes to less regular players like Amine Adli and Adam Hložek. Adli was player of the match in their first game against Häcken, scoring once and later assisting Victor Boniface. Hložek would also repay his manager’s faith with a stellar performance in the 5-1 dismantling of Molde, scoring twice.

With the group stage all tied up in a neat little bow, Alonso and co could turn their attention back to matters at home. In the cup, things were looking a little dicey in the second round against Sandhausen. After taking the lead twice, Leverkusen finally got the win after three late goals from Hložek and Adli, winning 5-2.

SC Paderborn’s Sebastian Klaas made things a little tense in the round-of-16 tie when he made the score 2-1 in the 83^rd minute, but Patrik Schick would score five minutes later to ease any undue stress.

Late goals would become a running theme throughout Leverkusen’s season and big centre-back, Jonathan Tah’s 90^th minute header was one of the most important. In the last minute of normal time, Leverkusen’s corner was cleared away before the ball dropped to Florian Wirtz. The 21-year-old looked up and saw Tah making a run before expertly picking him out. Tah couldn’t miss, and Leverkusen were in the semis.

Qualifying top of their Europa League group meant Die Werkself avoided having to play in the knock-out round play-offs. A round in which each second placed side would face third place Champions League teams to find out which is worthy to progress to the round-of-16.

Funnily enough, Leverkusen would end up drawing a side in the last 16 that they had seen off in the group stage, Qarabağ. The Azerbaijanis were back, and they wanted revenge.

The first leg was in Baku, and Qarabağ were determined to make up for their previous embarrassment. The home side were finally rewarded for their electrifying start in the 25^th minute, Algerian playmaker, Yassine Benzia opening the scoring with an emphatic finish.

Just before half-time, Qarabağ doubled their lead. Patrick Andrade’s delightful through ball found Juninho who bounced the ball over Matěj Kovář in the Leverkusen goal before rolling it into an open net.

Qarabağ’s incredible first-half display was frustratingly undermined on the 69^th minute as an errant back pass found Wirtz through on goal. The playmaker lobbed the ball over the goalkeeper and Leverkusen were back in it.

Wave after wave of Leverkusen attacks crashed upon Qarabağ’s shores. All of a sudden, the game had done a 180, an equaliser felt inevitable. It finally came on the 91^st minute after Schick nodded home a cross from Robert Andrich. It ended 2-2, the tie still in the balance.

In the group stage, Leverkusen beat Qarabağ 5-1 at the BayArena. It was one of their more convincing victories of the season. This time, it would be anything but.

The first half came and went, neither side had any real chances to take the lead and grab the tie by the scruff of the neck. All the drama came in the second. Qarabağ silenced the home fans on the 58^th minute, Abdellah Zoubir beating Jeremie Frimpong at the back-post to score an easy header.

Frimpong was through on goal before Elvin Cafarguliyev brought him down. Referee Anthony Taylor initially gave a yellow card, but VAR intervened, and it was changed to a red.

It looked like Qarabağ had shot themselves in the foot once again but four minutes after the red card, they doubled their lead. Juninho, the man who scored a lovely goal in the previous game snuck in front of his marker and scored from close range.

Leverkusen looked shell shocked, but they didn’t give up. Frimpong made up for his previous mistake, scoring an excellent volley on the 72^nd minute to bring them back into the game.

The minutes ticked by, Leverkusen were all but out until Schick popped up to once again break Qarabağ hearts. The Czech forward was in the right place at the right time to meet Álex Grimaldo’s cross, equalising at the near post.

The home side smelled blood in the water. Qarabağ were there for the taking and Schick was circling them like a shark. Finally, on the 98^th minute, he made the killing blow. This time Exequiel Palacios was the provider, whipping it in for Schick to nod in. Leverkusen had snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.

By the time Leverkusen were due to play West Ham in the quarter finals, they had reached the final of the DFB Pokal. Fortuna Düsseldorf provided little opposition as they were beaten 4-0 thanks to goals from Frimpong, Adli, and two from Wirtz. Alonso and his side had reached their first final of the season.

When we said late goals were a running theme throughout Leverkusen’s season, we meant it. The first game against West Ham looked like it was heading for a goalless draw up until the 83^rd minute when Jonas Hofmann finally broke the deadlock with a volley from a corner.

Leverkusen were peppering West Ham’s goal from set pieces; it was only a matter of time until they doubled their lead. Finally, Victor Boniface scored a header to give his side one foot in the semis.

Michail Antonio scored in the 13^th minute of the second leg to set up an anxious match, but West Ham couldn’t capitalise and Frimpong eventually equalised on the 89^th minute.

Roma away in the first leg of the semi-finals was, on paper, Leverkusen’s hardest match of their Europa League campaign. Rejuvenated under Daniele De Rossi, I Giallorossi had turned their season around after a poor start with José Mourinho at the helm.

Both sides had their chances, Romelu Lukaku struck the crossbar with a header two minutes before Frimpong hit the side netting after a rapid counterattack. Two minutes after that, Wirtz had the ball in the back of the net following some calamitous defending from the home side.

Half time passed with Leverkusen still leading 1-0. The second half was much like the first, each side had their chances, but the visitors were the only ones taking them. Robert Andrich made it 2-0 on the 73^rd minute with a thunderbolt from outside the box. Advantage Leverkusen.

Two Roma penalties in the first and second halves of the home leg, both scored by Leandro Parades, made the tie level on aggregate. Once again, Leverkusen left it late to secure their spot in the next round.

Mile Svilar in the Roma goal was having a great game up until the 82^nd minute. The goalkeeper was left flapping at a Leverkusen corner before it bounced off Gianluca Mancini and into the back of his own net.

As it stood, Leverkusen were heading to the final, then, in the 97^th minute, they made it certain. Josip Stanišić cut inside from the right-wing and slotted the ball in.

Before this season, Bayer Leverkusen had only won two major trophies in their history. Now, they might win three, all without losing a game. When it rains, it pours.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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