Manchester United lost even with the new scheme. But this is not Ten Hag’s fault.
Grigory Telingater September 16, 2023, 19:50 Moscow time
In the match against Brighton the team had a lot of bad luck. In one of the episodes a few centimeters were missing.
In the Premier League, coaches make brief comments before each match. Normally in such small interviews it is difficult to find anything significant. The usual words about the desire to get the three points, despite the injuries, and the traditional praise for the rival. However, before the Manchester United-Brighton match, the local coach surprised him.
Ten Hag said: “We will play with a slightly different system.” It turned out that she became fundamentally different.
It happens that Manchester United have huge problems with right wingers. Greenwood was released after a scandal with his girlfriend. Anthony found himself off the team after a similar situation with his ex-girlfriend. Sancho, who could play anywhere in the attack, began to publicly argue with the coach and, as expected, was excommunicated from the team. As a result, ten Hag played with a new formation during the national team’s break, without any wingers.
When, an hour before the match, everyone saw 11 names in the Manchester United squad, Bruna was sent to the right winger’s place. And in vain, because Ten Hag started playing with a diamond in the center of the field: Casemiro is a defensive midfielder, McTominay is a right eight, Eriksen is a left, Fernandes is at the top of the diamond. In attack were Rashford and Hoilunn, and on the flanks the width of the attack was provided by full-backs Dalot and debutant Reguilon.
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Already in the first half it was shown that Brighton coach De Zerbi was preparing for something more. Manchester United had many chances (especially Rashford), but the visitors opened the scoring. Adingra crossed from the wing, Lallana deliberately passed the ball between his legs and Welbeck finished from a killer position.
This is the case where you might think Ten Hag’s idea failed, but it actually worked. Rashford hit the crossbar and Højlund’s goal was disallowed because moments before the ball had gone a couple of centimeters out of bounds.
Goal disallowed against Manchester United
Photo: Frame of the transmission.
In the second half the scene did not change. Manchester United pressed again (and again Rashford entered the area again and again!), but the guests continued to score. Gros beautifully cleared Martínez’s swing and fired accurately into the near corner. And then Lamptey scored another goal, this time to Pedro. Manchester United lost devastatingly at home 0:3.
Admittedly, the scoreboard started to look a little more decent after 20-year-old Hannibal Mejbri’s goal. The young midfielder of the Tunisian national team took the field in place of Casemiro and scored his first goal in the Premier League. Manchester United had nothing more to do. The hosts were lucky not to concede a fourth in added time. Onana kicked into debutant Ansu Fati’s corner. “Brighton” thus rose to fourth place and will not drop below fifth at the end of the round.
Did you even know about such a person?
The only coach who worked at both Manchester United and City. He has an incredible story.
