The Athletic: Fulham exposed Manchester United’s weakness defending counter attacks | OneFootball

Despite Manchester United’s promising start to the Premier League campaign against Fulham, the team faced familiar issues.

Mark Critchley’s latest piece (The Athletic) highlights United’s vulnerability to counter-attacks.

Erik ten Hag’s side faced seven direct attacks from Fulham, the most of any team on the opening weekend.

This has been a recurring issue since the appointment of the Dutchman.

Fulham’s ability to break through United’s press highlighted ongoing issues that plagued United last season.

On several occasions, the visitors exploited the gaps between United’s front six and their defence.

One such instance saw Harry Maguire thwart a dangerous two-on-one situation, preventing Fulham from capitalizing on a rare defensive lapse by Lisandro Martinez.

Although United managed to recover and limit Fulham’s chances, these moments served as a reminder of the defensive frailties that need addressing.

Ten Hag must solve this flawed structure, or else it could face an onslaught from one of the top teams.

There usually is a wide gap between United’s defence and midfield. This is because the former stays deep despite half the team pushing forward.

It makes it extremely easily for teams good in possession to bypass the initial press and run directly at United’s backline.

A good way to solve this would be to press collectively as a team instead of taking a half-hearted approach.

This does mean pushing the defensive line up, raising the risk of being caught out by quick attackers.

This a risk worth taking by many of the top teams like Manchester City and Arsenal, who press together as a team.

Ten Hag must fix this glaring issue before it is too late.

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