The main reasons behind Manchester United’s defensive woes laid bare | OneFootball

Manchester United’s defensive woes have been one of the most discussed issues of the 2023-24 season.

Erik ten Hag’s side conceded 85 goals in all competitions and gave away copious chances against every opponent they faced.

Worryingly for fans, there seemed to be a major lack of concern from the manager and his goalkeeper Andre Onana who both appeared quite blasé on the issue.

The Athletic have gone into detail on what exactly went wrong in United’s horrendous season from a defensive point of view.

One factor that must be addressed is the scarcely believable injury list the defence suffered. Luke Shaw and Lisandro Martinez only played five matches together and when Martinez and Casemiro took to the pitch on the final day of the season, they were the club’s 15th different centre back partnership.

Nonetheless, the problems go much deeper than injuries.

“Onana’s arrival was intended to dramatically alter the way United could play, enabling Ten Hag’s team to build up from the back and keep a high line. In Onana’s first game for the club, the friendly against Real Madrid in Houston, it was striking to see him near halfway when United had attacking set pieces.”

However he was caught out against RC Lens in a pre-season game when United’s opponents scored from the centre of the pitch. “That jolt triggered uncertainty for team-mates adjusting to this new approach. The carousel of defenders in front of Onana, especially the absences of Martinez and Shaw as two ball carriers, had an impact, too.”

The 4-3 defeat to Copenhagen also became “terminal for progress” as Onana produced a nervy display and was frequently caught “talking to himself and others and, as the goals went in, he began asking those around him what was going on. ‘What do we play?’ he said.”

“There were times when defenders thought the same thing, occasionally dropping deep to receive the ball from Onana only for him to go long and force those in front of him to run to keep up to play,” the report continues. “Patterns were practised at Carrington, but Onana also ‘played what he saw’ in moments, spotting and aiming for an attacker despite midfielders being in poor positions for second balls. That left some players not being as open to short passes to avoid pressure from opponents and the possibility of exposing themselves should a mistake follow.”

Onana did so show his class on occasions, such as his raking pass to Alejandro Garnacho away to Tottenham Hotspur and his pass to Diogo Dalot for a chance at Luton Town’s Kenilworth Road, but these moments were too fleeting.

Another major issue was the defensive line which “was at the crux of Ten Hag’s troubles. He continued to instruct for a higher starting point so that his team could squeeze the play in the final third to win the ball and counter quickly. It was the blueprint mapped out by the United hierarchy, but the personnel at his disposal, especially with Martinez injured for the vast majority of the campaign, were ill-equipped for that style.”

There were numerous incidents where the team would panic and drop deep. This could be seen in the FA Cup win versus Liverpool in March when Ten Hag was seen telling his players to keep a high line but Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof moved deeper and deeper, much to the visible annoyance of their manager.

Ten Hag did not want to compromise more due to having adapt to David De Gea’s weakness on the ball last season but “others in the coaching setup, such as McClaren and Fletcher, advocated for a pragmatic approach in the short term.”

This almost produced results away to Arsenal and Manchester City and the game in London particularly bothered Ten Hag. His side scored in the 87th minute to take a 2-1 lead but it was ruled out for a marginal offside and the Gunners scored twice in added time to win 3-1.

The Athletic say the manager believes this was “a sliding doors moment because he feels victory there, using a clear plan, would have electrified the mood at United and earned buy-in from players, while damaging Arsenal.”

The chastening 4-0 loss to Crystal Palace last month also resulted in a change of tactics and resulted in three wins from four, including a highly impressive cup final win over City, where the team looked much more resolute.

The inclusion of Sofyan Amrabat to “shore up” the midfield and using Bruno Fernandes and Scott McTominay as false nines are two of the tactical tweaks carried out. It has been reported that new technical director Jason Wilcox insisted on Ten Hag adapting and INEOS were left impressed by the Dutchman’s flexibility to include their wishes in his gameplan.

Nonetheless, many at the club were left wondering why it took so long for Ten Hag to change his ways. Had he done so earlier, United could have saved themselves in the Champions League group stages and finished much higher in the league.

United are logically keen to sort out the defence this summer as they have made a bid for Jarrad Branthwaite and have agreed personal terms with the player.

Some consider Ten Hag lucky to still be in a job. His ability to fix this particular tactical problem will be a major factor in deciding whether he can continue his Old Trafford odyssey beyond the next few months.

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