Quote Originally Posted by Power_n_Glory View Post
I just don't get it. In a 4-3-3, the two wide players of the attack shouldn't have to drop back so deep to cover their wing backs, with the extra man in the middle of the park, Ramsey, Coquelin or Rosicky, should be able to shift over to cover that side, while the remaining two midfielder players cover the middle and make sure we're not over run. Considering they played a 4-4-2 and only had two central players, this should have been impossible.

The middle three just don't work as a unit, I'm not saying the front three shouldn't defend, but the middle is useless and get torn through every time. That shouldn't be happening when you have an extra man in the middle.
It's best not to think of the way Utd play as a 4-4-2, because it's less conventional than that.
Both forwards drop deep, playing between the lines or running the channels. One plays as a false 9, the other a kind of false 10.
Or a 10.5 or something like an old fashioned inside forward.

Anyway the point is their fluidity. And it's hard to handle.

But it was too easy to exploit the space inside Jenkins and next to Djourou yesterday and the kid got caught out of position again and again.
With no defensive leader and a back four that is about as makeshift as it gets we couldn't stay in a line. Playing a high disorganised line with only intermittant pressing (and never as a whole team)?

Suicide.