Why Man United have the makings of one the Premier League’s strongest midfields | OneFootball

Manchester United put in one of their best displays of the season against Liverpool at Anfield, drawing Sunday’s blockbuster Premier League game 2-2.

One of the main talking points was the midfield duo of Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo, alongside Bruno Fernandes who played as the left attacking midfielder/inside forward.

Just six days prior to the Liverpool game, Ruben Amorim lined up with a midfield pairing of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen. They lost 2-0 to Newcastle, with a lack of energy and mobility proving to be a cause for concern.

Much was made about United not having the necessary legs in midfield last season under Erik ten Hag, too, which led to the arrival of Ugarte this summer. The 23-year-old midfielder is averaging second-most tackles per 90 in the Premier League this season (4.38) and 1.35 interceptions. He’s also shown himself to be an effective presser. Despite disappointing more generally at Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1 last season, only one player (Monacos’s Maghnes Akliouche) won possession in the attacking third more times than Ugarte (1.35) on average per 90 minutes.

All of this has proven to be a much needed change from Casemiro, who despite offering good defensive actions per 90 himself (still fewer than Ugarte this season) can no longer cover enough ground to play in Amorim’s system effectively.

Amorim needs his midfield duo to be aggressive, with one of the back three expected to step out and cover the space left in behind the midfield pair. The tenacity of Ugarte is best utilised in this way, covering up gaps he leaves when jumping out of the midfield line and allowing him to set traps in wide areas with the wingback’s and inside forwards (another Amorim coaching detail).

Both Ugarte and Mainoo are extremely press resistant, too, allowing them to take the ball in tight spaces, protect it and find a way out under pressure. Their ability to carry the ball helps to progress play against man-to-man pressure, something that was on display in moments against Liverpool. The midfield pair often took the sting out of the game by carrying the ball away from pressure. In the first half, Liverpool failed to regain possession through any of their attempted tackles. They were in fact the first Premier League team this season to do so.

How Bruno Fernandes balances this Man United midfield duo

Ball retention under pressure is one of Mainoo’s best traits. That’s a key factor in Amorim’s midfield, as they will often receive the ball with their back to play. The decision then becomes whether to recycle play back the way they’re facing or attempt to turn out and carry the ball forward.

Mainoo is averaging 2.78 take-ons attempted per 90, completing 1.63 of these. Meanwhile, Ugarte also attempts 1.24 take-ons, completing 0.67 of these. For reference, the only other midfielders completing more take-ons per 90 than Mainoo in the Premier League are Dejan Kulusevski and Elliot Anderson, both of whom sometimes play in more advanced positions for their side.

While the midfield pairing of Ugarte and Mainoo has brilliant press resistance, excellent progressive-carrying ability, extra mobility and ground coverage, as well as the protection needed behind from the back three (one of whom steps up to cover space behind the midfield duo), one thing the pair perhaps lacks, is passing range. You can see in Mainoo’s passing map above that many of his passes travel similar distances, often simple, short passes directed away from goal.

This is because both Ugarte and Mainoo are more comfortable carrying the ball out than they are passing it through the lines. Casemiro, on the other hand, was willing to play more ranging or direct passes. He averages 5.16 long passes attempted per 90 and 2.9 completed, along with 0.54 attempted through balls per 90. In all cases, the Brazilian’s averages are higher than Ugarte and Mainoo’s combined.

But due to the 32-year-old’s mobility issues pointed out earlier, Ugarte was needed in the side ahead of Casemiro, meaning this passing range would now have to be found elsewhere to find balance for the team.

Luckily for Amorim, he has the perfect man to provide that extra passing range, playing in the left inside forward role, with freedom to drop in and help progress play.

This is Bruno Fernandes’ passing map Liverpool. The Portugal international is undoubtedly Manchester United’s creative hub. He averages 6.02 long passes attempted, completing 3.38 long passes per 90. He also averages 76.18 touches per 90, an important factor to consider when comparing that to the average touches of Casemiro, Mainoo and Ugarte.

Casemiro, while providing added passing range, will more frequently pick up the ball in deeper zones, averaging 81.52 touches per 90, looking to be a progressive force in earlier stages during build-up for his side. However, with the system change since Amorim’s arrival, the pivot will more often than not be missed out, acting as a decoy for the central defenders to break the lines and finding the inside forwards operating between them. This means players with lower touch volumes such as Ugarte (62.58) and Mainoo (65.58) can operate as a midfield duo, free from responsibility to break the lines with their passing.

This platforms Fernandes in the best way possible, as he has carriers around him to offer different forms of progression, as well as runners in the wing backs to pick out with his long passing range when dropping deeper to receive the ball.

A midfield trio of Ugarte, Mainoo and Fernandes brings the best possible balance to this United side, increasing the mobility and ability to cover ground, having a mixture of progression tools at their disposal and matching the system needs of their new coach. The biggest weakness in this midfield configuration is the height and physical prowess it lacks. However, with the back three behind the midfield two and the instruction for them to step out and cover spaces behind, this can be negated to an extent, adding that extra layer of protection.

In a back-four system, United’s midfield would likely be too aggressive, expose large gaps between the midfield and defensive lines and be physically tested. But Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 allows each of the three players to play roles that suit their game while covering up weaknesses they have. That recipe could allow this United midfield configuration to become one of the best balanced in the league.