Manchester United

[BigChief]

I've never seen so many hands on faces.

[dom9]

I've never seen so many hands on faces.

Ha. That reminds me of Keegan's Newcastle implosion in the 90s. Practically every shot of their crowd consisted of thousands of heads in hands.

[~LFCHistory~]

United aren't winning because their team rubbish, and they are adjusting to a new system. That's not the system's fault.

Yes but the 3-5-2 is IMO making a bad squad even worse.

[~LFCHistory~]

Does 3 5 2 work in other competitions? And if it does, why doesn't it work in the premiership?

I'm not a tactician so I don't know exactly why it doesn't work in the PL all I know is that I can't recall any successful team using 3-5-2 since the PL started, can you ?
Actually I can't think of any English team that's won a domestic cup or been promoted using it.

[Fredo]

I'm not a tactician so I don't know... .

Why do you carry on?

[RedAndWhite]

They just sit there like dummies

He is wondering when to bring on the second keeper #tacticalgenius

[Resu]

Why do you carry on?

Because he's not going on about tactics, but statistics. Weak trolling Nigey.

[dom9]

I'm not a tactician so I don't know exactly why it doesn't work in the PL all I know is that I can't recall any successful team using 3-5-2 since the PL started, can you ?
Actually I can't think of any English team that's won a domestic cup or been promoted using it.

I don't know to be honest. Systems seem to be so fluid these days anyway. Subtly evolving during the games, and from game to game.

[Mr Darko]

You should try looking at some of our match threads some time.

Most fans are the same. It's not a sense of entitlement. It's football logic.

Thanks as always for the kind suggestion Dom but I do.

Maybe when you're introduced to some people who support Manchester United you'll understand and catch on.

Huge difference between blaming a couple of losses on the referee/officials (City away, Sterling's offside goal; Arsenal cup game away Howard Webb not giving a penalty for Suarez; Chelsea away - two dirty fouls on Suarez from Eto/Terry) and blaming EVERY loss on the officials.

Be honest...you do it on purpose.

[~LFCHistory~]

Because he's not going on about tactics, but statistics. Weak trolling Nigey.

Thanks for that, I was going to respond to the old fool but you've done it better than I could have.

[Muddled]

In my very humble onion.

3-5-2 doesn't work because most teams play one up top and plenty of width. As such, two players are wasted and often push up resulting in a dysfunctional back line. The two wing backs can be pushed back, which can stiffle their attacks which results in all attacking play being funneling through the centre of the park where their midfield can be matched and will never be over-run.

It's suitable for slow, methodical approach play or if you have boss wingers and an organised defence. It's **** for quick attacking transitions and building counter-attacks.

Or something like that. El_Matador will fill in the gaps.

But in general ... Manchester United

[dom9]

Thanks as always for the kind suggestion Dom.

You're very welcome Charles. Any time you need any advice, you know where to come. I'd be delighted to help.

[dom9]

In my very humble onion.

3-5-2 doesn't work because most teams play one up top and plenty of width. As such, two players are wasted and often push up resulting in a dysfunctional back line. The two wing backs can be pushed back, which can stiffle their attacks which results in all attacking play being funneling through the centre of the park where their midfield can be matched and will never be over-run.

It's suitable for slow, methodical approach play or if you have boss wingers and an organised defence. It's **** for quick attacking transitions and building counter-attacks.

Or something like that. El_Matador will fill in the gaps.

But in general ... Manchester United

When we had Luis and Sturridge playing together, what system was that? It certainly didn't seem to be a 4 4 2. Was it a 4 3 3?

[Muddled]

When we had Luis and Sturridge playing together, what system was that? It certainly didn't seem to be a 4 4 2. Was it a 4 3 3?

I think we played a variation of 4-4-2, but more often than not Suarez or Sturridge went wide on a 4-2-3-1.

But when you think back to Roy Evans' tenure, that was a good old fashioned 3-5-2 and we were awesome going forward and I always thought we were **** at the back because we had Phil Babb. Maybe I'm just chatting nonsense. Perhaps the issue is not 3-5-2, but more Van Gaal's stubbornness to play the system when he doesn't have the players for it.

[dom9]

I think we played a variation of 4-4-2, but more often than not Suarez or Sturridge went wide on a 4-2-3-1.

But when you think back to Roy Evans' tenure, that was a good old fashioned 3-5-2 and we were awesome going forward and I always thought we were **** at the back because we had Phil Babb. Maybe I'm just chatting nonsense. Perhaps the issue is not 3-5-2, but more Van Gaal's stubbornness to play the system when he doesn't have the players for it.

Plus we had Ruddock too. But we were a very good team to watch, and we won the Coca Cola Cup, so there's a trophy with that system.

I'm not sure van Gaal's stubbornness is such a problem. He knows his squad is awful. He knows what he wants to do with it. What is the point in playing a system that you don't believe in until you get the players that you want, then changing it? It's better to get everyone playing it from day 1, take the teething problems on the chin whilst you assess who can play and who can't, then ship out the dead woods and bring the fresh woods.

Short term pain and humiliation for long term gain and success. If he is given time (and he will be).

He has his eye on the bigger picture, a rarity in British football. I think he will get it right over time, but it is a massive job.