Leny Yoro: The Wall

by | Jul 23, 2024

On 18th July, 2024, Manchester United completed the signing of 18-year-old defender Leny Yoro from French Ligue 1 side Lille for a fee of €62m plus a potential €8m in add-ons. Yoro has joined United despite interest from Real Madrid, who opted against engaging in a bidding war with the Premier League club for the centre-half.

The prospect of snatching a highly rated teenager from Real Madrid’s attention already makes this signing a very interesting one, while the high fee for an 18-year-old also raises a few eyebrows. In this article, I will uncover every aspect of Yoro’s profile in great detail and score each of them (attempting a new scorecard system this time, hope you like it).

Career history

A Lille academy graduate, Yoro became one of the youngest first-team players to make his professional Ligue 1 debut at the age of 16 years and 6 months. After a first senior season in which he was mainly used as a rotation player (10 starts and 5 subs in 22/23), he became one of Lille’s regulars in his second full season (30 league starts and 9 cup starts in 23/24).

Scout Report

  1. Defending

Yoro is a defender, so this is where we will start the report. I’m going to break the aspects of his defending into five distinct parts. In each part, I’ll explain the trait I am measuring, show some examples of it via match footage and then rate Yoro on that trait.

1A) Pressing

I am defining all forward defending actions as pressing. In a nutshell, any action where Yoro has to step up the pitch to engage is counted here.

I find Yoro to be an excellent presser. His sense of awareness ahead of him combined with his good reach and long legs often mean that he sees the danger and quickly steps up to intercept or tackle. He can do this consistently in a game and it is one of the main avenues in which he constantly stops opponent attacks or wins the ball back. 

Lille often played a high line to support a high press under Fonseca and this suited Yoro well as it gave him licence to step up and intercept before attackers could receive the ball. One pattern where this often plays out is when a team tries to seek their central attacker via a long ball or grounded progressive pass and Yoro steps up in a timely fashion to win the ball.


I wouldn’t say Yoro is an aggressive stopper and we will see why when discussing the other defending traits, but in moments where a quick interception ahead of a clear opponent attacker is possible, Yoro has the awareness, jump timing and reach to nick the ball off cleanly.

This is an aspect Yoro scores well on. I think there are the odd risks of pressing forward and getting beaten, which Yoro sometimes takes since he is confident of recovery, which is why I’m cutting 2 marks. But largely speaking, this is among Yoro’s consistently reliable traits.

Pressing: 8/10

1B) Box defending

I am defining all backward or deep defending actions as box defending. Actions where Yoro has to drop deep close to his box to engage or defend while tracking back.are covered here. I’m also including the cover play actions of positioning and sweeping behind the line in this section.

Let’s start with the good bits. Yoro is a good sweeper. He has the composure to drop behind the line, read the play and then use his speed and reach to mop up loose balls.

I think Yoro’s acceleration is decent, but it’s his top speed that’s excellent. Which is why when he has a view of the scene from a deeper position and is on his side of the goal to the ball or player, he has the speed and reading advantage to win the ball consistently.

Even on occasions when he’s just in time or reacting from a slightly disadvantaged position, he is able to extend his long legs and win the ball in time. A debate is to be had on how often Yoro goes to ground, but often in the box when he has read the situation well and is in advantageous positions, it’s a successful action.

Now for the not-so-great parts. When faced with a dribbler in a sequence where he is running backwards, Yoro struggles. The cons of his immature body control show up in such situations and he often does get leg-tied as a result. This is an area dribblers can take advantage of if they have evaded his initial pressing action and are in good distance to force him to engage. In these situations of disadvantage, Yoro’s tendency to go to ground does more harm than good.

Yoro also has the odd concentration mistake when he’s defending deep in his box. He can get better at being aware of blind side and diagonal runs. I’ll put this down to age and inexperience, since it doesn’t show up often, but there are times when a well-timed run simply ghosts past a ball-watching Yoro.

I am also not a big fan of Yoro’s engagement when opponents approach from wide. He often fails to stretch or make himself wide and block the incoming shot or cross. We will look at this issue more in the next defending section, but this is a reason Yoro fails to register too many blocks when box defending. Most of the blocks are the ones from central areas, but from wide areas he regularly displays a weakness in making himself big to intercept cutbacks, crosses and shots.

In summary of this section, while there are things to like about Yoro’s sweeping, reading and cover play, his reverse engine defending, block defending of wide approaches and the odd concentration mistake on smart opponent runs, make this one of his traits to improve more on.

Box defending : 6/10

1C) Channel defending

I am defining all sideways or wide defending actions as channel defending. Actions where Yoro has to drift sideways to engage or defend while tracking an opponent on the wing.are covered here. This often happens when his fullback steps up and the opponent player attacks that space, so it is also related to playing in a high line and high press setup which Lille often did.

The issue I mentioned before of how Yoro allows crosses when engaging wide shows up in a larger way here. When he’s pulled to the flank and faced with a dribbler who can also put in a pass from that position, Yoro does not do enough to use his good reach to block the pass. He has the physique and often displays similar feats in central scenarios, so it’s purely a question of habit and probably a relaxed attitude.

The good news is that Yoro’s reading of the game and speed to cover space shows up in wide defending, which is why his engagement rate is solid. He covers ground quickly to get in the face of the opponent player on time. But the question comes in how he engages after that. Since the play is away from the box and he’s often stopping a dribbler from getting to the byline, Yoro goes to the ground a lot more often in these situations. When it works, it looks exciting. When it doesn’t, it looks clumsy and often leads to a foul.

We have spoken about the pros of Yoro’s lanky physique, but not the cons. Being so thin and mobile also means that Yoro lacks power and muscle, at least as of now. This means that his upper body strength is still not developed enough. This issue shows up in wide defending moments. When engaging side-on with a dribbler who has good balance and can ride contact well, Yoro can be prone to being outmuscled. Shoulder-to-shoulder running situations result in Yoro being barged away far more easily than top center-backs should. This could be another reason Yoro relies on a quick sliding tackle since he feels he can’t win a direct upper body power battle.

In summary of the channel defending section, while Yoro’s awareness and coverage ensure he travels well to wide areas, the ways he engages in can be improved. If it’s the same side winger, Yoro doesn’t do enough to cut off the cross. If it’s a powerful dribber, Yoro can be outmuscled or forced to go to ground which has a 50-50 success rate at best. All in all, there are more negative scenarios than positive ones when Yoro defends wide, as of now. I would call this a big area of improvement, even though the potential is there.

Channel defending : 5/10

1D) Aerial duels

More self-explanatory section, I am defining all duels with an opponent in the air as an aerial duel. Basically, a header contest. I’ll also be covering uncontested headers and attacking headers in this section. I won’t be covering aerials in any other section.

You would assume Yoro’s height and awareness make him an aerial duel monster and you wouldn’t be far from the truth. He had an aerial win % of 64% last season (as per fbref) which puts him in the top 20 percentile of Ligue 1. Yoro regularly wins his aerial duel fairly easily and has the jump and reach to support his height.

But one small issue is that Yoro’s lack of upper body power shows up again here. He is rarely able to manage a powerful aerial clearance. It’s often a weak looping clearance that doesn’t travel far.

To his credit, Yoro manages this by exercising control over power. His height and technique allow him to be in control of the direction of the header, which means that he is often able to head the ball to a teammate or clear it to a comparatively less dangerous area.

But if Yoro is central and deep then neither can he pick out a pass in a crowd nor head the ball far away enough for the danger to be thwarted. In such situations the ball often ends up around the box and doesn’t relieve pressure on his team. I would merge these specific instances with box defending issues since the worst scenarios correlate with when his team is deep and Yoro is central in a defensive block.

When it comes to attacking set pieces, Yoro’s combination of height and aerial control are a big advantage. His lack of power is not an issue, since he’s able to use the power of the delivery to guide the ball towards goal. Yoro regularly out jumps his marker and gets his header shots on target in attacking set piece situations. He has 2 goals from set pieces in his one regular season in 23/24, but I feel he has potential to get more in a year given his traits. This would be a good pro to help solve Manchester United’s set piece woes in an age where most teams are only maximising set piece impact every year.

In conclusion to the aerial defending section, I don’t want to be too harsh, since Yoro’s height, awareness and control mean that he often wins his duel and pushes the ball to a teammate or less dangerous area or shot on target depending on the situation. The few times his lack of power gives away the ball in a bad area occur only when he’s deep and central and should be fixable as he develops upper body strength.

Aerial defending : 7/10

1E) Ground duels

I am defining all duels with an opponent on the ground as a ground duel. Basically, a classic isolated 1v1. This often occurs in transitions versus opponent dribblers running at Yoro or when the high line has been breached to isolate an opponent attacker vs Yoro.

I’ve seen most online discourse on this trait and there is a lot to unravel here. I have covered some 1v1 duels already in channel and box defending, but let’s take a deeper look here.

Yoro’s approach to ground duels is on the passive side. He keeps a distance from his attacker and buys himself time to study their movement before engaging in a timely manner. I think he does this to avoid going to the ground early or being taken out when he is adjusting his body. He prefers to trust his reading of the game, speed and reach to tackle in a timely manner when he has an advantage. This approach does seem sensible for this body type.

When faced with a squared-up and aware Yoro in his path, an opponent is forced to dribble wide to create separation and get out of Yoro’s range. This is when Yoro decides to stretch to win the ball or execute a clean tackle. It is Yoro’s I-got-you moment.

But as we’ve discussed before, him going to ground isn’t a failsafe move. Even in the times when he gets the ball, his ability to retain control of it after having slid in cannot be guaranteed, which results in the ball remaining in a dangerous area or being re-controlled by the opponent. In this case, Yoro’s teammate had to mop up the free ball after Yoro couldn’t get it under control even after a well-timed sliding tackle.

Another issue comes during the period when Yoro is keeping his distance and monitoring the opponent. A side effect of his developing body control, Yoro can be prone to manipulation during this waiting phase, especially when faced with a tricky dribbler with quick feet. We saw before how Yoro can get leg-tied when assessing a 1v1 for the timing to dive in. This coupled with his low upper body strength means that he can be beaten even before he engages by an opponent who doesn’t allow Yoro the right separation and distance with constant quick feet.

In summary of the ground duels section, Yoro can be prone to manipulation when 1v1 with an opponent which can force him to get unnerved due to low body control or going to ground early. But this is easier said than done and will require good timing from a good dribbler. In most other cases Yoro’s wait-and-tackle approach does yield good results. Yoro’s approach to ground duels is similar to Van Dijk, but he still lacks the Dutchman’s power and body control to resist going to ground and track and outmuscle his opponent regularly.

Ground defending : 6/10

That concludes our defending section. Here’s a snapshot of our scorecard so far.

  1. Passing

In modern football, a center-back’s abilities on the ball are as important as off it. Especially, for a top team that is expected to keep the ball more often than not and break down opponent blocks regularly. In this section, I will analyse Yoro’s passing traits.

2A) Pass security

Let’s start with the basics. Is Yoro a secure passer? Is he able to handle many passes and ensure they safely reach their target? Does he ensure possession security in the build up phase of his team? Does he position himself in a good area to receive to help his team protect the ball and keep moves going?

I found the answers to most of these questions positive. Yoro’s pass-and-move game is solid. He retains the ball well with clean crisp passes to his GK or fellow defenders.

He has a good understanding of passing angles and is able to shift his body and execute passes where he wants, showing good understanding of the game and technical execution.

I would also like to point out his good positioning in possession. I find him a lot more switched-on in build up about where he needs to be to give his teammates passing angles to ensure progression and safety. See how he runs to take up a good passing option for his GK in the below sequence.

In conclusion, I don’t find any issues in this section. The reason I’ve cut 2 marks is strongly correlated to the next section, so I’ll explain myself there.

Pass Security : 8/10

2B) Pass empathy

“Passing the ball is communicating with another person; it’s being in the service of another person. It’s crucial. For the pass to be a good one, the player has to put himself in the position of the person who’s going to receive it. It’s an act of intelligence and generosity, what I call technical empathy.” — Arsene Wenger.

The above serves as a good definition of pass empathy. Is the power, speed, spin and direction of your pass putting your teammates in good positions for their next action?

I do see some issues here with Yoro. A combination of his laidback attitude and still-improving technique means that he often miscalculates the power needed in a pass.

I’ve seen this happen more than once a game to wave it away as random one-offs. Especially when many of these mistakes happen when Yoro is not under any pressure and has time and space to pick out his intended target.

In other cases, this lack of technical empathy manifests as an overhit pass. Notice in the below example, like the first, how the ball is also bouncing a little instead of being a crisp on-the-ground trajectory. It seems trivial, but these moments make life easier/tougher for your teammates.

Yoro’s pass empathy needs improvement and this is also the reason I cut 2 marks in the pass security section. He does have the odd mistake when passing even without pressure deep in his half to a clear target. It’s nothing ground-breaking but there is a scope for improvement if he wants to become an even more secure passer who puts his teammates in good positions consistently.

Pass Empathy: 6/10

2C) Short pass progression

A progressive pass is a forward pass that attempts to advance a team significantly closer to the opponent’s goal. Different stats providers have different ways to measure this stat. 


Anyone visiting fbref will notice that Yoro’s progressive passes stat is in the bottom 20 percentile for Ligue 1, insinuating that he’s not progressive enough. In this section and the next, I will look to debunk that claim by splitting progression into 2 parts – short and long progression. The former deals with how Yoro progresses using short grounded passes.

From the stat, you would think that Yoro does not attempt any central line-breaking passes, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Often from central areas, Yoro looks up to find a pivot player with a clean pass that breaks the first line of the opponent team’s high press. These passes don’t get added to the progressive pass stat because of the short distance.

These CB to DM passes are often followed by a quick circuit that creates space for a teammate to drive into. So I would argue that even if the specific pass Yoro plays doesn’t count as a progressive one, it is often the first in a sequence of passes that helps the team create space to progress into. In that sense, him attempting these passes instead of a safe sideways one is key.

I have also noticed a good disguise pass on some occasions where he opens up his body aiming at a wide pass, but closes it quickly to slide in a central one. Again, the technique is all there and he just needs to up the numbers.


He also has a nice grounded pass to a dropping attacker, so there is no question on his execution, especially when it comes to line-breaking passes that aid central progression.

But all said and done, these are clips of what he CAN do and does on occasion. He still has some ways to go to become a regular line-breaker. He mainly loses out on stats because of the short length of his passes. He doesn’t attempt many passes beyond the quick central ones. For eg. There are times he could have released his same side fullback in space but didn’t. Improvement in his tactical intelligence, passing range and courage to attempt more will be needed to call him a truly progressive passer.

Short pass progression: 6/10

2D) Long pass progression

The long pass version of our previous section. I’ll keep this brief for a simple reason – Yoro doesn’t attempt many long passes. 

This is one gap in his game. I had to see many games to see him pull off a basic switch in space to the opposite side of the field. He also fails to attempt longer passes on the side of the pitch he is on. This is one reason he misses out on a lot of progressive stats that other CBs rack up regularly. 

(Yoro compared to Ligue 1 CBs in 23/24 as per fbref)

Again, I really don’t see any technical gap in this trait. It simply boils down to him noticing the opportunity and trying to develop himself. I feel like he limits his vision of himself to a short-pass-and-move player which is largely a good thing, but prevents him from seeing long pass opportunities, which are also vital for a team to progress up the pitch or get out of trouble.

Lots to improve on this trait. No need to sugercoat it.

Long pass progression: 3/10

In conclusion to Yoro’s passing section, I feel he has a good hold on short passing which makes him good at retention and small-length grounded passes. But there is a lot of scope to improve his passing range, vision, long ball attempts and technical empathy.

Our scorecard so far looks like:

  1. Carrying

I’m covering all aspects of ball control from Yoro’s first touch to long-distance dribbling in the carrying section. A vital tool in a defender’s arsenal is the ability to break lines via carrying and this is another trend modern football has been going towards with the top managers desiring carriers from deep to disrupt opposition shapes and create spaces.

3A) Close control

In this part, I’ll be analysing Yoro’s first touch and ball manipulation to set himself up for his next action. Essentially, how he receives, scans, turns and gives himself the room to pass or carry after that.

I’m a big fan of Yoro’s close control. The combination of his lean agile body, technique and awareness shows clearly in every ball reception. He is neat in his actions and displays high calmness and composure regularly.

Even when the pass to him is hit with power or has an awkward bounce, Yoro’s rate of reception and close control remains consistently good.

Very few issues with this trait.

Close control: 8/10

3B) Carrying under pressure

An extension of the previous segment, but with the addition of intense opponent pressure and judgement of the variety and distance of Yoro’s dribbling out of such situations. With increasing finesse of pressing patterns across teams, being able to carry under pressure and help the team progress is now a vital trait for a modern CB.

Yoro has a nice turning radius which he often is able to showcase when pressed. Again, a combination of awareness and his agile frame aids good technical quality. And all of this is possible thanks to his composed nature. He is unfazed under pressure.

Yoro is a great small space player mainly thanks to his excellent fine touches. Every touch and turn is calculated and crisp. And they not only help him beat the first line of opponent pressure, but also put him in good positions to pick out a good pass in the space created. He has the make-up of a progressive CB.

Again, the caveat comes in the form of actual volume and consistency of actions. Yoro CAN do it well, but doesn’t as often as a top team would want to see it. I feel he can be a lot more aggressive and decisive in his carrying under pressure to make more of his talent and help drive his team forward. But the talent is all there.

Carrying under pressure: 7/10

3C) Carrying in space

What does Yoro do when the opponent isn’t pressing and sitting in a deeper block and his team needs him to venture into space aggressively and either bait a press or put himself in a good situation to disrupt the block? What does Yoro do when his teammate has baited an opponent and played Yoro in the space created?

An example where the GK baits the opponent press and releases Yoro in space around the RB area. Yoro has the ball control, drive and speed to dribble into space until another opponent is attracted, which leads to the next forward pass. A good example of progression.

I like Yoro’s speed – both speed of thought and action. Even after a defensive action like an interception, he has the agility to drive into space and pick a good pass which is a valuable trait to counter immediately.

As always, my major concerns for this section are volume and range of actions. Yoro doesn’t attempt enough dribbles into space and doesn’t try long distance brave ones that break lines clearly. They’re mostly short carries that bypass one opponent. A lot of his passing and carrying actions feel limited due to his notion of being a great small space player even though he has the physique and technique to expand his zone of influence.

Carrying in space: 6/10

That closes our carrying section. Here’s a summary of all sections and traits so far:

  1. Others

4A) Fitness

Yoro is a very fit player. Here’s his injury history as per transfermarkt and his appearance data as per fbref:

Understandably, there’s not much to analyse for a player who turned 18 last December. He’s just had one minor injury and played 90% of his club’s games in the 23/24 season, once he obtained key starter status.

That said, I would hope his playtime isn’t as extreme at Manchester United in the early years. We have seen the perils of teenagers being overplayed at a young age and Yoro is already coming off a season that would have been straining for a 18-year-old. I would expect some gametime management in these initial years to limit his appearances under 35 90s per season. But from the look of things, he looks like a fit profile.

Fitness: 9/10

4B) Mentality

The final section of this report is on Yoro’s personality. We cannot complete a report without touching upon the person he is, beyond the player he is. I find that the best quotes about a player come from the staff and teammates who spend most time with him. So here are a few examples.

Paulo Fonseca (Yoro’s Lille manager): “It’s not normal to have an 18-year-old player like Leny with this maturity and the technical qualities he has. For me, he will be one of the best central defenders in France and probably in Europe. He is very balanced and there is no doubt that he will become a very great player.”

Jean-Michel Vandamme (Director of Lille’s training facility): “He had an accelerated learning process because he only spent two years in the training centre. ‘Leny has the ability to learn quickly. He wants to do it and has a real interest in analysing different situations, understanding them, while putting controlled pressure on himself.”

Rémy Cabella (Lille senior player): “He has all the qualities and the potential to do something huge. He is very humble and that is another of his strengths.”

Angel Gomes (Lille key player, ex-Man Utd): “As soon as he arrived in the group, I understood that he was going to reach the top. ‘When I discovered the pros at the age of 16 at Manchester United, I understood that it was different. He already had the right temperament and that’s not normal for a 16 or 17-year-old player who arrives. It’s as if he was already an experienced player. And it showed in his way of training, his way of behaving. His progression was obvious.”

Thierry Henry (Lille’s coach for the Olympic Games in Paris): “To impose himself at Lille as he is doing… He always has some moments of [being] a youngster, and that is quite normal. It comes slowly, you make mistakes and sometimes you take hits.”

So in summary of these quotes and a few others I have read, a few things stand out:

  • Humble and willing to learn
  • Mature beyond his years with a balanced temperament
  • Analytical and is able to learn quickly
  • Age-appropriate mistakes but has high potential

I don’t feel the need to add too much to this list. It’s a good takeaway of his mentality. The lack of experiencing pressure and expectations at the highest level is the only reason I’ll cut marks.

Mentality: 8/10

Our final scorecard for Leny Yoro reads:

Final thoughts and Manchester United fit

In summary of the entire report I’d say that in possession, Yoro is technically very capable and the base for that is his top tier close control. But I feel he’s still in his shell of a small-zone player and limits his volume and range of actions to a compact area. My take is that as his experience increases, his vision, tactical intelligence, courage and range of actions will all improve to close these gaps. I don’t see any physical limitations that prevent him from becoming one of the best ball–players in the world.

Out of possession, Yoro still has to nail his defending style. He is passive in nature to avoid early cases of going to ground or getting beaten, which makes channel defending and ground duels tricky, but his awareness, speed, height and range are solid, which make him good at covering, pressing and aerial duels in the short-term, while providing a good base for the rest to improve in the long-term. My take is that as his upper body and body control develop, he will be able to lean more on his strength and awareness, avoid risky duels and make it much tougher for opponents to get past him.

(Photo by Manchester United/Manchester United via Getty Images)

How does this fit at Manchester United? 

A tough question. At his current state, Yoro is a good pass-and-move small-zone player in possession who would benefit from a team-wide proactive defending style, while paired beside a stopper partner so that Yoro can reduce committing early and high or wide. I’m not sure if United are currently there yet, but my take is that it fits with the eventual direction the club wants to go towards. Lisandro Martinez fits the partner dynamics and I’m assuming United want to go towards a progressive high line and short build up style of play, even if the current system isn’t there yet.

With all that in mind, I would say Yoro is a signing for the future. Both in terms of his current ability and also Manchester United’s current tactical prowess. Yoro needs development but might just be ready in time for United to be ready to play a game that suits him as well. But until that time comes, I would call for patience. This means limiting his gametime via smart rotation and reducing expectations and pressure on him. The onus on coaching both for his development and for the team’s tactical evolution are high. But the good news is that if both happen as planned, Manchester United could have an elite centre-back in their ranks.

Hope you enjoyed this read. If you’re here from anywhere else do follow me on Twitter. Let me know your feedback and thoughts there.

(Stats credits: fbref.com, transfermarkt.com
Image credits: Manchester United, Getty images)

What is Erik Ten Hag’s philosophy?

by | Jun 18, 2024

We’re 2 years into the Ten Hag era. And while there are trophies to show, there are some big questions around the gameplay and ideal vision that need answers.

Firstly, the fact that we often see massive drop offs when we are missing first-team players begs the question:

1. 𝑊ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝑎 𝑑𝑟𝑜𝑝 𝑖𝑛 𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑖𝑠 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑, 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝑑𝑟𝑜𝑝 𝑖𝑛 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 & 𝑡𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑣𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑑?

There are many teams that stick to their style of play & core philosophy regardless of players available or opposition faced. Brighton didn’t play many usual starters against us, but we all knew how they would play. It’s the same for City, Arsenal, Barcelona etc. Even Spurs.

But if the argument is that we cannot execute certain tactical elements with backups but we can with starters, then the answer to that question seems to be:

“𝑂𝑢𝑟 𝑡𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑑𝑒𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑛 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑦𝑒𝑟𝑠.”

Eg. If the argument is that we can build up short & play through a press only if some players start, else we will have to go long, then this means that the build up is very reliant on the problem-solving ability of those players & not on coached patterns that everyone can execute.

It’s noticable. Licha & Shaw are great problem-solvers in build up who can carry/pass out of a press better than anyone else in the squad. When both don’t play, we struggle in 1st phase progression. This is also the main reason why ETH isn’t a fan of rotation & dropping his best players in general. Which in turn leads to other issues like injuries, tiredness and ignoring of backup-level players.

While it’s normal for teams to upgrade & get better players, relying on monster/unique player ability to solve tactical gaps instead of patterns of play isn’t a good sign. You’re always at the mercy of many external factors like injuries, form, opposition quality, gamestate etc. The lack of practice of the ideal plan means that even when most players are fit like vs Spurs (Mount, Licha, Varane, Antony, AWB, Shaw started), we often went long to bypass build up & rely on counter-press to create, while our high press was figured out within 20 mins & was played through easily all game.

Its’ hard to predict which Manchester United will turn up in a game. This extreme variation comes from dependency on players over patterns. A philosophy is something that can be executed consistently. It’s efficiency & success may vary based on factors, but the very nature of the tactical intent won’t fluctuate wildly. Which brings us to our next question.

2. 𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑇𝑒𝑛 𝐻𝑎𝑔’𝑠 𝑝ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑜𝑝ℎ𝑦?

What is that well-defined idea that we constantly see on the pitch game after game & envision a clear path to success (treble-aiming seasons) with?

My guess is that ETH’s philosophy is on the lines of:

‘𝐷𝑜 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑡 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑤𝑖𝑛’

His biggest strength is the flexibility & pragmatism to change things to suit the players he has & get the best out of any situation that the team is in. It’s a good trait to have in a manager. It is the main reason for the 22/23 season’s impressive results & served us well for year 1. But in the long-term, is it a boon or a bane?

ETH’s pragmatism seems to stem from reliance on certain players for certain game-breaking actions. He might ask his teams to pass through an opponent press if it contains a monster passer like Blind, dribble through it if it has a monster carrier like Frenkie De Jong or simply abandon build up & go long if it has neither. There are examples of each case in his career. He’s mentioned in multiple pressers that his players need to think for themselves & go long if the short option isn’t there instead of losing the ball in build up. We’ve seen 1 of the world’s best build up GKs in Onana playing long in the last few games including vs relegation-battling teams and lower league opposition.

ETH seems too content to take those hits. He’s not idealistic enough to feel hurt at not being able to play in a certain way, like a Pep/RDZ/Ange would. ETH’s ability to discard an approach based on player traits leads to constant sacrifice on how his team should ideally play. A philosophy isn’t built like that. The ideal state of having all players fit & happy in a perfect environment will never come. Not at a club like Man United anyway. The idea of management is to work through ever-changing dynamics & deliver sustainable & repeatable performances.

3. 𝑆𝑜 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡’𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛?

There probably isn’t any solution as such. Such era-defining philosophies don’t crop up overnight (if at all). But we might have to start viewing Ten Hag’s United with a certain set of assumptions:

A) Manchester United’s gameplay & approach will fluctuate wildly based on available players, opposition, gamestate & other external factors. Big away games may always be a struggle & rely on a reactive approach rather than a proactive approach.

B) Manchester United’s gameplay will rely heavily on game-breakers. Build up masters, press monsters, carry mechants, 1v1 specialists – such profiles of high quality/ceiling become important to dominate games due to the lack of coached patterns. Recruitment importance goes up.

C) Manchester United may never be a league title challenger. Probably, my bigger concern compared to (A) and (B), such flexible state-based approaches work well for knockout competitions where you can adapt & thrive. It is a big reason why we went deep in cups in both years. It was highly enjoyable to see us defend compactly and shut down Man City to win the FA cup, but does anyone actually think that the final win gives us a template to play an entire league season in a similar manner versus all opposition? A dominant league side is built on the basis of a clear philosophy where a team’s various XIs can consistenly outplay all opponents across a year. Man City are a good example, Liverpool were under Klopp & Arsenal are currently close – consistent playstlyle & resistance to player rotation drop offs.

Final thoughts:

Combining A, B & C, I get the impression that if ETH does succeed at United, it will look something like Madrid under Ancelotti/Zidane – flexible tactical approaches based around high quality well-rounded players with more success in cups compared to the league. ETH’s pragmatism & lack of idealism could be his greatest weakness. He might win many games & even trophies but his wish of building a consistent treble-aiming dynasty will be tough until he doesn’t define an unshakable philosophy to stick to regardless of external factors.

How to get the best out of Lisandro Martinez

by | Jun 16, 2024

In this article I will cover:
– Licha’s strengths, weaknesses & traits
– Suitable tactical roles in & out of possession
– Pros & cons of each

Lisandro’s strengths

  1. Build up ability – Positioning sense to show or create lanes for others + close control to recieve, turn & carry
  2. Progression – Passing range & technique to progress into attacking half
  3. Duels once locked – Pressing, intensity & physicality esp on ground

Lisandro’s weaknesses

  1. Defensive coverage – Low span, agility & speed to defend across large distances
  2. Aerial duels – Avoidance of aerial duels & failure when attempted
  3. Aggression – Tendency to lunge, over-press or over-commit to try & win proactively to paper coverage issue

I think strengths are obvious to anyone seeing Licha regularly but let’s talk a bit on weaknesses. His short stature & lack of burst make wide or channel defending a struggle – a reason ETH doesn’t isolate Licha wide at LCB vs opponent attackers by committing our LB to the high press.

Which is why when there are large distances to cover or dribbling attackers to stop, Licha often goes to ground or overcommits in a bid to win the ball proactively & not get forced into a turn-and-run race towards his own goal. It works many times but at other times, it’s costly.

With this understanding of Licha’s profile, I have 2 suggestions for how he can be used long-term to bring out his strengths & limit his weaknesses. The good news is that ETH’s usages of Licha at Ajax & Man Utd also indicate both options. Let’s go over them with match examples.

1. Lisandro as central CB in possession

ETH has many build up patterns but back 3 is common to reach desired 3-1-6 shape. Licha as CCB can avoid channel defending, dictate build up & find attackers via short & long passes. Only issue – defending central transitions/crosses.

Between a LB who tucks in (Blind at Ajax, Shaw here) & a RCB who defends channels, Licha has the cushion to progress the game from CCB. His speed of thought & execution on the ball usually means he’s the one to get us out of our half with a sharp pass even against pressing teams.

Whether it’s incisive ground passes between the lines to CM/CF or switches to winger/FB, Licha has the range to dictate from CCB. But needs composure & positioning to not lunge when oppo dribbler runs at him in transition + handle target men CFs aerially. Which brings me to…

2. Lisandro stepping up to pivot in possession

He has the press-resistance & playmaking power to dictate from midfield. This move also keeps him away from the back 3 in the 3-2 rest defence. His ground duel prowess, pressing & intensity might even be a better fit for pivot 2.

We saw this tried in pre-season like vs Madrid. Licha stepping into pivot makes good use of his ability to carry, switch or play vertical passes to the attackers. It also reduces the pressure to defend channels & aerials. Might even suit Licha’s proactive pressing & ball-winning.

But this has a few issues like the 3 below. Demands a lot from rest of the team to be setup suitably, needs Licha to be composed anyway, requires a suitable DM partner & will require both FBs to tuck in. Might need time, coaching & recruitment to perfect.

I’m expecting “What about inverted LB?” Might work in possession since its similar to 2nd option of dictating from pivot, but out of possession, places Licha at LB vs pacey/dribbley RWs. Inverted FBs like Zinchenko, Dalot, Cancelo & Udogie have the pace for that. Licha doesn’t.

In summary, I think ETH already has the right idea to limit Licha’s gaps & use his strengths in central areas. CCB role is consistent while CB->CM was also attempted in pre-season & game 1 vs Wolves. As better conditions emerge (fitness, buys, confidence) we might see more of it.

Erik ten Hag’s biggest weakness – Rest defence

by | Jun 12, 2024

In this article I’ll cover:

— The importance of rest defence
— Manchester United’s structure & issues
— Top team examples
— Potential solutions

What is rest defence?
Based on the German Restfeldsicherung, rest defence refers to the defensive structure that “rests” (remains) when a team is in the attacking phase. Basically how a team attacks knowing they can defend transitions when they lose ball
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ru3KcF6OCNc

Example below. When red team attacks they leave the deeper 5 in a narrow shape that can prevent central transitions of blue team when possession is lost. This either leads to red team winning back ball or blue team being forced wide giving time for red team to drop into a block.

You’ll often see shapes like 3-2/2-3/3-1/2-1 mentioned for rest defence but just like build up notations these are vague. More important is shape, timing, width & height of structure. Here’s an episode of me & 2 experts talking rest defence with examples: https://x.com/GetFootballEU/status/1719772354803351911

Manchester United defensive stats ranked in EPL 23/24 (as of Jan 2024):
Shots conceded: 16th
Shots conceded distance: 12th
NPxG conceded: 16th
NPxG/Shot conceded: 15th
Shot-creating actions conceded: 16th

Our defence has been abysmal & a large reason is the poor rest defence structure.


Whenever we enter the attacking phase we start to take aggressive shapes like a 3-1-6 commiting numbers forward or wide to aid progression or counter-pressing in higher areas. When the ball is lost this leads to an immediate counter in acres of space vs few players to defend.

Let’s look closely at the Billing goal conceded in the 2nd half vs BOU. LB Reguilon joins the attack leaving Shaw-Maguire-Dalot in a situational back 3 in possession. Bruno & Scott mostly park high or wide to aid the attack, leaving Amrabat as lone DM ahead of the back 3.

But when Bruno drifts wide & Amrabat moves into the LHS channel to recieve Shaw’s ambitious pass, the center is vacant. In the moment the ball is won, BOU have beaten all midfielders & have a run at a recovering back 3. A 3v3 which leads to switch+cross for an easy header goal.

Here against Gala, we’re high in a 3-1-6. This time AWB as the RB has license to join the attack as Shaw-Maguire-Lindelof form the back 3. Amrabat is DM. In the moment we lose the ball, Amrabat charges to counter-press (instructional, Casemiro did this a lot too) vacating center.

Again Gala have a run at the space ahead of the 3 with Amrabat, CMs & AWB tryng desperately to catch up. 2 issues in the back 3: (a) They dont press to compress space when ball is lost (b) Maguire tries to step up creating a gap which is where next Gala pass is played. Bad sync

Another BOU example. This time play’s on the left side as Garnacho has dropped wide & deep to help progress while Scott has also drifted to the left to recieve from Bruno. A poor pass from Scott leads to a BOU interception & counter. The issue is Shaw having stepped up a lot.

Shaw’s step up, Reguilon’s deeper position & Maguire’s attempt to cover creates a huge space between the 3. Again, a very disjointed shape where Solanke can run & receive into. He’s goal side with space in one easy pass. Saved by the post & no United player was even close.

Another BOU example. The ball is lost by Garnacho very high & wide in their half. Should be easy, right? Amrabat has pushed high to the left to support the attack. He’s closer to BOU’s RB when they win the ball. The massive gap between him & back 3 is noticed & ball played there.

With Dalot inverted, Reguilon wide & Amrabat high, the 2 CBs are deep creating a massive gap for 3 BOU players to enter, control an aerial ball & release the pass. A 3v2 situation almost. In the end, a good Maguire tackle saves the day but another poor rest defence episode.

Summary of our rest defence gaps:
— High vertical gap: Deep back line + midfield drifting high/wide for progression/press
— High horizontal gap: Spread-out back 3 (again to aid wide progression)
— Smaller vertical gaps: Lack of sync/strategy between defenders to step up or cover

Opponent benchmark
Before solutions, let’s look at how our top team rivals do it. Here’s an example from Arsenal vs Spurs from this season. Odegaard loses the ball in the RHS when 5 Arsenal attackers have entered Spurs final 3rd. Spurs want to counter immediately & find Son.

RB White is narrow in possession while Saliba has drifted wide to check Son. The LCB & LB are there for cover & DM Rice is also backtracking to support. They’ve blocked the center as a unit & forced Spurs wide. Son can only pass centrally by which time Rice & others recover.

Here’s an example from City vs Liverpool this year. City have a different setup where a CB steps up into pivot. Here LCB Akanji is up with DM Rodri when City have the ball. When ball is lost, they congest the center forcing Liverpool wide. RCB Dias engages Nunez wide on flank.

RB Walker ideally forms the back 3 but seeing Dias step wide he charges to dissuade Nunez at first before taking up a central position to cover for Dias. By the time Nunez is forced back, Rodri & Akanji have recovered, Walker cover enables Dias to press & win ball as Nunez delays

Were ten Hag’s Ajax better in this regard?
Not quite. It happened lesser coz of league quality & Ajax having better in-possession controllers. But the principles were largely the same. To support an aggressive 3-1-6 even the lone DM would press high when possession was lost.

Here DM Edson pressing high to support the front 5 (which has both CMs) means that the 2 CBs are backtracking alone in acrres of space with the RB closest to helping out. A 3v3 situation that is thwarted in the end by a last ditch Lisandro tackle. Very similar to us currently.

Solutions to improve
Structural:
1. Better timing of rotations: Eg. If DM goes to LW to help, RCM drops deep
2. Playing a synced-up higher line: Push up line & step up together to compress space or catch offside
3. Prioritize center: Delay opponent by forcing wide

Good example:

Recruitment:
1. Buy defenders who can defend channels: In above examples, what Saliba & Dias offered vs Son & Nunez enables a high + aggressive rest defence
2. Buy space-covering midfielders: Casemiro coverage papered cracks last year. 1-2 similar young profiles for OOP needed

And one last thing. I think 3 big differences from the 22/23 season were:
1. Casemiro was in good form papering the cracks
2. Defence line was lower and in good box defending form
3. We didn’t press so high to leave space in midfield when midfielders backed the press

Thank you for reading. Follow me on Twitter if you don’t already. Feedback and engagement there is appreciated!

Man Utd Midfield Rebuild: Part 3 – Hybrid DM targets

by | Apr 1, 2024

If you missed the previous parst of this series, you can catch up on them here: 

Rebuilding Man Utd’s Midfield: Part 1 – Profiles, tasks & gaps

Rebuilding Man Utd’s Midfield: Part 2 – Build up DM targets

In part 1, I defined the 6 broad tasks of a midfielder, scored the long-term 4 members of Manchester United on those tasks and created 2 player profiles based on the gaps that the club should target to create the ideal 6-man top team midfield – a Build up DM and a Hybrid DM. In part 2, I covered the Build up DM shortlist and 5 mini reports of the role. Today, I’ll do the same for Hybrid DMs and then end this series with a summary of the best combinations for Man Utd.

The Hybrid DM Shortlist

You know the drill by now. Without wasting time, here’s the Hybrid DM shortlist.

Lots of interesting names here. Now, which ones would I cover mini reports of? 

  • Wieffer and Fofana are high on the list and have been linked to us. I’ll be covering them.
  • Stach is someone interesting who also has a low rumoured price.
  • After this, I have subjectively picked 2 players whom I think make sense for a Hybrid DM role, but have scored low due to issues beyond their control. Morten Frendrup and Amadou Onana haven’t scored great, largely because Genoa and Everton haven’t been great, but I think they could be good for us.

Mats Wieffer, 25, Feyenoord

Career: A youth product of FC Twente, Weiffer made only one appearance for the main team before Excelsior picked him up on a free transfer in summer 2020 when the player was 21. What followed were two impressive years where Weiffer was the mainstay for Excelsior. This was convincing enough for Feyenood to buy him in summer 2022. Weiffer quickly achieved starter status in the 2022/23 season playing beside Kokcu in midfield. Recently, he has been playing  with more progression duties in the 2023/24 season post Kokcu’s departure.

Pros:

  • Progressive passing consistency and range
  • Ground coverage and intensity
  • In-possession movement IQ
  • Decision-making and awareness
  • Vertical carrying burst
  • Aerial duels technique, reach and strength
  • Ground duels physicality and doggedness

Cons: 

  • Limited back-to-goal play but safe
  • Overly front-foot defending
  • Reliance on upper body strength in duels, sometimes clumsy
  • Limited carrying range and agility

In possession: Wieffer’s stand-out quality is his excellent forward-minded passing range and consistency. Whether it’s switches to a fullback, a pinged through ball to a winger, a punchy grounded ball to a striker or a chipped lob to put someone through on goal, Weiffer has the full range of progressive passing and constantly controls the game with good execution and timely decisions. He uses his body well for carrying in bursts, displaying better deftness and control than you would expect. The lack of top tier close control and body agility is visible when he’s back-to-goal in tight situations, but he often navigates it well with a first-time release to a wide player or a safe pass-back to the CB/GK. His overall game IQ is a defining feature, as he’s constantly in good positions in all three phases of play and keeps making inch-perfect decisions to help the team progress. He also has a decent goal threat with the odd well-struck goal from the edge of the box or dominating header from an attacking set piece. Reminds me of Rakitic in possession.


Out of possession: Wieffer is a dogged defender who’s constantly running, tackling and making a nuisance of himself in a game. There’s a good reason all his defensive stats in the pizza chart look so good. He boasts both quantity and quality of defensive actions, constantly getting in duels and coming out the winner. I do feel that he relies a bit too much on his upper body strength in ground duels. Often, it’s just a case of him using his hands and shoulders to barge someone or sliding on the ground to use his reach to win the ball. It does come across as clumsy at times and I do have a fear that with the step up to a league where dribblers are more physical and adept at turning, these tackles may turn into fouls. That lack of sheer top speed across the ground that he makes up with good strides and reach may prove a bit more costly in a superior league. He also strikes me as a very proactive defender. He’s a lot more comfortable stepping forward and winning the ball early, rather than shielding the back 4 with more positional composure even in the games he plays as the deepest player in midfield. Aerially, he’s as dominant as they come with a great mix of physicality, technique and timing always ensuring that he’s competitive. Reminds me of Fred out of possession.

Verdict: Wieffer is exactly the hybrid DM profile we are looking for. Very competent as DM or CM and very able in all three phases in possession while being good at the defensive side of things. The few question marks I have about how his front-footedness, unclean tackling and press-resistance translate to a tougher league can be mitigated by coaching. Overall, this is a great player for the quoted price. 

The Devil’s DNA Score: 8.5/10 

Youssouf Fofana, 25, Monaco

Career: A Strasbourg youth product, Fofana was involved in the main team at the start of the 2018/19 season and occupied a rotational role in midfield for a year before establishing himself as a key starter in the following season. Monaco couldn’t wait for the season to get over and bought him in the winter window of 2019/20, following which Fofana took time to settle. But from 2020/21 onwards, Fofana has been a regular starter and is now on track to complete 4 years of 40+ appearances each for Monaco. With his current contract ending in 2025, it seems like the French international is open for a cut-price move in summer 2024. 

Pros:

  • Defensive range and workrate
  • Physicality in ground duels
  • Recovery pace and reach when tracking back
  • Close control and carrying under pressure
  • Verticality in possession
  • Passing range, vision and technicality

Cons: 

  • Passing security and retention
  • Heavy forward-mindedness in possession
  • Odd ill-disciplined tackle especially when chasing dribblers
  • Positional IQ and defensive awareness when sitting

In possession: Fofana is a very vertical player in possession and executes actions with immense technical quality and physical control. He’s a good progressive passer and I especially enjoy his through balls and quick ground passes to the attackers. But he can also pull off nice switches, crosses and lobs when required. His dribbling is also aggressively vertical, always trying to beat players with a mazey run through the middle before playing a game-advancing pass. What he isn’t is a retention focused player. Even when playing as the more defensive partner in a pivot, Fofana doesn’t exercise the composure and calm to circulate the ball and prioritize safety. He’s constantly in forward-thinking mode and this could be a reason why he’s always deployed in a pivot and rarely left alone as the deepest player. Reminds me of young Yaya Toure in possession.

Out of possession: Again, a lot of the pros of Fofana in defence align very well with a proactive defensive midfielder who uses his physicality to win the ball. He has an excellent reverse-running engine on him, which means he often tracks back and tackles dribblers easily using his ground-coverage and reach. But this also means that at times he’s late and concedes a needless foul. 4 red cards and 23 yellow cards in the last 4 seasons at Monaco indicate that these moments, though not very regular, could pose a bigger question in the Premier league where teams use transitions more. I’m also not a big fan of his positional awareness and ability to sit and shield the defence in a composed manner. He’s far better as a proactive aggressor who can recover with his pace and coverage. Reminds me of Wataru Endo out of possession. 

Verdict: Fofana feels like a player who would be better beside a sitter that allows him to progress vertically in possession and defend proactively out of possession with small acts of support in deeper areas when required like press-resistance carrying and recovery defending. In that sense, while he is a wonderful player, I think he’s far more tilted towards the #8 slot than the #6 one for our hybrid needs. Still, he’s a good option for his low price, especially if we constantly pair him with a #6 type who can cover for his gaps.

The Devil’s DNA Score: 7/10 

Anton Stach, 26, Hoffenheim

Career:  Stach has played for Werder Bremen until the B-youth. He joined the U19-team of VfL Osnabrück. His career began with SSV Jeddeloh from Regionalliga Nord, the fourth-highest level in Germany.and later VfL Wolfsburg’s second team in the same division. His big break came in 2021, when he joined Mainz 05. He impressed for Mainz for 2 full seasons. In 2023, Stach signed a four-year contract with TSG Hoffenheim, whom he has been a mainstay for this season.

Pros:

  • Ground coverage and span
  • Defending intensity and engagement
  • Clean and consistent ball-winning technique
  • Aerially dominant and reliable
  • Strong switch and long ball to aid wide progression
  • Strong vertical carrying with long strides and deft touches
  • Very two-footed
  • Constant engine capable of two-way running
  • High positional IQ and defensive awareness in deeper areas

Cons: 

  • Passing range and execution attempts
  • Retention and circulation ability
  • Back-to-goal comfort and build up sense
  • Involvement in build up to show, receive and progress consistently

In possession: What is immediately noticeable is Anton’s excellent switch ball or long ball that his team utilizes to constantly progress. Capable of executing in 1 or 2 touches with either feet, Stach pings good balls to his fullbacks or wingers and also has the odd vertical progressive ball to find attackers. But that aside, his passing variety is a little low and he doesn’t try things that he isn’t sure of. He isn’t a natural controller who handles high pass volumes, prioritizes retention and circulation and moves to receive the ball constantly from teammates. He does display the ability to drop into the back 3 or pull away to a wing to help progress but these are one-off patterns rather than constant movements to be involved. He avoids back-to-goal situations and usually relies on his good first-touch passing to navigate under-pressure situations. He has deceptive ball control for his lanky physique and is able to display vertical carrying bursts while using his upper body strength to keep markers away. But this doesn’t happen regularly or with more variety than described. Very similar to peak Casemiro in possession. 

Out of possession: Defensively, Anton shines much brighter. He has a unique combination of a tall lanky physique, a strong well-built frame and an acute sense of timing and awareness that combined make him a very strong dueller, ball-winner and defensive fulcrum of the side. Often left as the lone pivot when his team attacks, Anton deals with transitions regularly and comes out on top, showcasing great ground-coverage thanks to his long strides and deceptive agility. He’s also a very clean tackler, constantly winning ground duels with minimal effort thanks to his good awareness and smart usage of body. He also showcases very smart positioning to shield the defence, intercept opponent passes and mop up loose balls in dangerous areas consistently. Aerially, he’s close to unbeatable, thanks to his strong jump, upper body usage and heading technique. He’s also got an excellent engine on him, covering large distances with a mix of jogs and sprints, which ensures he’s always present when running both ways of the pitch and can do so until the end of games and for many games in a row. Feels like Claude Makelele out of possession.


Verdict: Anton is defensively everything we need in our DM, boasting a great combination of physical and technical traits to be an elite level dueller and ball-winner. In possession, while he has an eye-catching game-advancing pass, he might need a partner who handles more of the first phase work of build up, pass security and circulation. Those are the reasons I cut marks, but with the right pairing, this is a very good option, especially if the price isn’t high. 

The Devil’s DNA Score: 7.5/10

 Morten Frendrup, 23, Genoa

Career: The Brøndby youth product broke into the main team at just the age of 16 in 2018, becoming the youngest senior debutant for the club. After 1.5 years of backup apps and learning from the first team, he started playing regularly in the 2019/20 season. What followed was 2.5 impressive years which many clubs in Europe noticed. Genoa completed a winter window deal in 2022 for €3.5m. Since then Morten has been a regular starter and racked up 76 appearances for Genoa in 2.5 years. At the age of 23, with a lot of potential to fulfill, a move to a bigger club appears close. 

Pros:

  • Combative, energetic and intense dueling
  • Agility and speed across ground to cover space quickly
  • Close control and mobility to get out of tight situations with ball
  • Vertical burst carrying into space when available with good success
  • Positioning and awareness to intercept, block and shield defence – constant scanning
  • Front-footed pressing and opponent disruption when higher up
  • Movement to wide/deep areas to show himself or open lanes for others
  • Punchy grounded progressive pass to advance game quickly
  • Final ball IQ – cutback, through ball or 1-touch release into space
  • Offensive runs into box or in wide areas where space is available

Cons: 

  • Low passing range – lacks switches, lobs, chips
  • One-footed and doesn’t use outside foot either – limits passing angles
  • Smaller frame means sometimes he gets bullied especially in air but usually makes up
  • At times carries too much or holds on to ball instead of passing
  • Not a natural tempo control playmaker – more quick-release or carry-first intent

In possession: Playing for Genoa means Frendrup doesn’t get on the ball much and when he does it’s often a forward-minded counter-enabling action. And he’s great at those. His go-to moves are a crisp, well-directioned grounded pass to his attacker or a strong vertical dribble to get out of pressure as he searches for an option to pass to. And he’s great at both. He’s press-resistant enough to use smart close control to escape markers, his favorite move being the Iniesta-special La Croqueta. I do think his scope for good retention and circulation passes is good and will be seen more in a team that keeps the ball more. He’s a great mover when his team has the ball whether it’s dropping deep to show for the ball, moving wide to receive on wings or making offensive runs into the box in the final phase. He has an underrated final ball which usually occurs as a cutback from the right half-space or punchy through ball from central areas. This is reflected by his 5 assists this year. Some issues include having a low passing range and variety due to being one-footed and not attempting any switches or lobs. This makes a right-sided role more ideal. He also doesn’t seem like a pausa player, often thinking of a carry or quick pass first, but this could be influenced by team tactics too. Feels like Gavi in possession. 

Out of possession: He looks even better out of possession. His dogged intensity combined with his speed on the ground make him a very tough customer to get past. He’s in your face in seconds and then has the physicality and technique to win duels and help his team counter. Without the ball, he is constantly scanning his surroundings and expertly plugging gaps, helping teammates and being in the right place at the right time. This combo of defensive IQ and energy is the reason he racks up a lot of defensive stats with good success. He’s as good as a high pressing 8 as he is as the lone sitter. Even when he isn’t actively winning the ball, his marshaling of space and step-ups to pressure the ball carrier disrupt the opposition move. His frame means that there are times when he is simply outmuscled especially in the air but largely speaking he uses his energy, physicality and timing to make such situations rare. Feels like Roy Keane out of possession. 


Verdict: Frendrup is a classic case of the stats looking mid for a player who plays in a weak team. His in-possession metrics are simply a result of him getting on the ball very less. But when he does get on the ball, his progression, control and ability to advance the game reliably is clear, while his movement when his team has the ball is excellent too. Without the ball, he is close to elite, capable of playing as a high-pressing ball-winner as well as positionally good shielding sitter equally well. 

The Devil’s DNA Score: 8/10

Amadou Onana, 23, Everton

Career: A Hoffenheim youth product, Onana joined Hamburger in mid-2020 and played close to every game for the side until Lille picked him up in summer 2021. A great season for Lille was enough for Everton to pay £33m including add-ons in August 2022. His development has only continued at the Premier League club and is now attracting the eyes of Europe’s best clubs.

Pros:

  • Ground-coverage due to athleticism and strides
  • Physicality and application in ground duels
  • Aerial domination thanks to physique and jumping power
  • Forward-minded passing – through balls, switches, cutbacks
  • Close control to wriggle out of man-marked pressure
  • Verticality in passing and carrying to drive team into opponent half
  • Ball-striking technique when passing or shooting
  • Set piece threat in attacking set pieces especially corners

Cons: 

  • Overzealous in the tackle, often sliding to ground or lunging
  • Defensive awareness and positioning leading to marking mistakes
  • Tendency to press higher and rely on pace and reach to recover
  • Avoids back-to-goal reception and involvement in first phase
  • Positioning in possession to free himself or open lanes

In possession: Onana’s in-possession game is very underrated. He has excellent technique which combined with his mental and physical traits, make him a very skilled and consistent passer and carrier. He has a very good progressive pass in him, often belting out a perfectly executed switch, cross-pass or through ball. His close control and carrying are also very intricate for his frame and he often unleashes a dribble burst through the middle of the park in transition. Whether it’s passing or carrying, Onana is elite in the 2nd phase progression actions of getting his team from their third to the opponent third – an amazing midfield linker. He does have some gaps in deeper areas. I have concerns over his positioning and awareness when his team has the ball. Onana often doesn’t free himself up or think in advance and relies heavily on his ability to receive under pressure and power his way out instead. He also avoids first reception duties from the GK/CB on the few occasions he plays as the deepest player, but some part of this could be tactical. Feels like peak Arturo Vidal in possession. 

Out of possession: Onana is very good as a proactive defender. He presses and tackles early and always comes out on top in duels. He has enough physicality and technicality to win duels without being clumsy. His ground-covering is probably his best trait. An engine like his combined with body span means he’s always a few large steps away from stopping a dribber or thwarting a transition. Aerially, he is one of the most dominant players in the league. At both ends, he has impact in the boxes and has picked up some goals from attacking corners and regularly clears danger from his box as well. One issue I found with his tackling is his propensity to go to ground. He does slide or lunge a bit too easily and while it’s not a big issue since he wins the ball most of the time, on the rare occasions he doesn’t, he’s left on the floor bypassed. I also think he needs to improve his awareness and positioning. He’s often roaming in no man’s land and missing runs or players. Again, it rarely leads to anything because once he notices it, he recovers with great speed and long strides to make up. But that consistent habit of pushing up or roaming from his position and then relying on recovery pace to tackle from behind (often a sliding tackle) doesn’t bode well for a lone pivot role. Feels like Declan Rice in defence. 

Verdict: I think Onana is much better in possession than his pizza stats or Everton’s tactics suggest, while he isn’t as elite in defence as many imagine. In both cases, I think he has gaps in deeper areas that throw doubt on his reliability as a lone 6. The good news is that a lot of it seems mental or habit related which means that it can be coached when he moves to a top team. The physical and technical traits are all there, so the gaps should be coverable. I’m cutting 2 marks for the need for this development.

The Devil’s DNA Score: 8/10

Completing the elite midfield set of 6 players

Okay, that was a lot of scouting and reporting. Now, let’s get to the real reason we did all this – finalizing the two DMs that complete our elite set of 6. Firstly, let me summarize my scouting thus far in this series in one snapshot:

Neves and Boloca bowled me over among the build up DMs while Onana and Wieffer stood clear among the hybrid ones. With the idea of Man United only deserving the best,  I’m going to stick to these 4 for now.

There are 2 main logical arguments to decide the final pair:

  1. Budget: Let’s face it. None of us really know what budgets INEOS will operate with and how much of that will be spent on two midfielders. As a result, what I’m going to do is split my suggestions in three tiers depending on the budget United are willing to spend to mix their midfield issues.
  2. Combinations: Although the larger logic of Build up and Hybrid DMs and how they fit with United’s midfielders remains, within these options, there are some synergies that might pan out better than others. For eg. Even though I back Neves’ ability as a shielder and dueller, having some height besides Mainoo and Neves might be a smart idea to cover for all situations and opposition. 

With this, let me reveal my 3-tier solution for Manchester United’s DMs. Here goes:

Gold tier option: Joao Neves and Amadou Onana for €170m

This is clearly the ‘splash the cash’ option. If we decide to go big to obtain the 2 best DMs in the market that cover all traits in deep midfield and promise high ability and potential, then Neves + Onana is the best possible option. Neves brings the build up control, playmaking and defensive awareness that Onana lacks and Onana brings the aerial dominance that Neves lacks while together they guarantee elite vertical progression, defending intensity, ground-coverage and carrying power that United’s midfield lacks. I can see both play beside Mainoo and Mount regularly while also playing together at times. This pair would solve our midfield gaps for a long time.

Silver tier option: Daniel Boloca and Amadou Onana for €120m

I was a bit more willing to cut Neves as an option since I find it hard to convince myself that Man United should be spending anything close to €100m for a single player at this stage of the rebuild. But keeping Amadou in, the build up DM I scored almost as good as Neves is Boloca and I think he makes a fine pairing with Amadou as well. What Boloca lacks in physical traits, intensity and aerial prowess, Amadou has, while Boloca can more than make up for the 1st phase excellence, playmaking power and passing range that Amadou lacks. It’s a very complimentary pair that fits with the existing players as well. 

Bronze tier option: Daniel Boloca and Mats Wieffer for €80m

Last but not least, as a club, if we move towards an era where we only want to pick smart value young options for <€50m (a transfer strategy I wouldn’t mind at all) then there still exists a combination that ticks all the boxes while leaving us with ample room to bolster other squad gaps as well. Wieffer is almost as good as Onana in bringing the defensive intensity, duel prowess and advanced progression that would be a great foil to Boloca’s deep-lying playmaker abilities. It would be a great signal of the smart business that has eluded Man Utd for a decade if 2 high ceiling DMs are closed within €100m.

And that’s all I had folks. I hope you enjoyed this series. I feel that my decision to split this into 3 parts instead of stuffing everything in one has allowed us to dive deeper into the reports and discuss a lot of things about what goes into midfield scouting. Hope the added time and energy made this as enjoyable to you as it was for me. Let me know on twitter of your thoughts on this series and any future suggestions for articles.

Previous parts: 

Part 1 – Profiles, tasks & gaps

Part 2 – Build up DM targets 

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