Matthijs de Ligt: The Leader

by | Aug 22, 2024

“Erik ten Hag shaped the early stages of my career, so he knows how to get the best out of me and I cannot wait to work with him again. I know what it takes to succeed at the highest level, and I’m determined to continue that record at this special club.”

These were the words from Matthijs de Ligt on August 14th, 2024 when Manchester United confirmed the capture of the Dutchman. De Ligt comes with pedigree. At the age of 25, he has won the league title in three countries with Ajax, Juventus and Bayern Munich. A Kopa Trophy and Golden Boy winner, he has made 324 club appearances and has 45 international caps.

But is he still at the peak of his powers after numerous club moves, not playing under a consistent manager and going through some injury issues in recent times?

In this report, I will rate every trait of De Ligt after scouting him thoroughly across many games for Bayern Munich. It will be similar in structure to my previous report on Leny Yoro.
Let’s get into it!

Scout report

NOTE: In all the example gifs in this article, De Ligt is wearing #4 for Bayern and usually playing as the right-sided CB in the backline.

  1. Defending

I’m going to break the aspects of 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 De Ligt on that trait.

1A) Pressing

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

De Ligt has a good sense of timing when it comes to pressing actions. He’s often able to sneak up on his man and press forward to win the ball from then before they can turn and run at him.

De Ligt wants to avoid a 1v1 where the attacker dribbles at him (we will see why later) and has therefore developed a good sense of stepping up to avoid giving them this room. Even if they are able to get a touch, he uses his physical presence and upper body strength to destabilise them before they can dribble at him.


This also extends to situations where the attacker has to collect at an angle or awkward body shape. That slight hesitancy is enough for De Ligt to barge in and win the ball. His sense of timing combined with his power make him a consistent winner when he gets it right.

There are situations where he is over-eager to avoid an attacker turning or simply gets done by a very good first touch or turn. De Ligt’s slight lack of agility goes against him here

The situations where an attacker has turned and is running at him will be covered in the ground duels section.

Regarding his pressing, another con is that De Ligt doesn’t press very often. He’s not a natural stopper like Sergio Ramos or Cristian Romero. He tends to mix aggressive actions with passive actions. His awareness of his lack of top-end agility to deal with opponents that can turn him is one reason he doesn’t press regularly. That coupled with the above con of getting turned at times are the reasons I cut some marks.

Pressing: 6/10

1B) Box defending

I am defining all backward or deep defending actions as box defending. Actions where the CB 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. De Ligt has very good awareness in the box. He gets good interceptions and clearances because he is a good reader of danger when deep in his box and doesn’t have to cover much distance to engage which he does cleanly and quickly with consistency.

Might sound odd, but De Ligt gets an unreal amount of blocks in his box. I’ve seen a lot of footage and he just seems to always be in the right position to block shots. A combination of his large body and technique to make himself bigger (without conceding hand-balls) and his good reading of the game, this highlights De Ligt’s excellent reactive instincts.

The main issue for this section comes when it comes to backward running in space. If De Ligt is isolated or has to deal with cutting a pass or dribble while running towards his goal, he can be beaten. This isn’t to say that he’s slow, but his acceleration and agility cap his ability to keep up with faster players. Here’s Dortmund’s Adeyemi burning past De Ligt and scoring even though the latter read the situation well and ran as fast as he could.

In summary of this section, I like De Ligt’s box defending instincts. He guarantees a presence which mixed with his great positioning and awareness make him a monster for interceptions, clearances and blocks in the box. It’s reverse running situations in space where he is susceptible. Overall, still good.

Box defending : 8/10

1C) Channel defending

I am defining all sideways or wide defending actions as channel defending. Actions where the CB has to drift sideways to engage or defend while tracking an opponent on the wing.are covered here. This often happens when the 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.

Closely related to what we discussed at the end of the previous section, De Ligt is aware of his weakness when running alongside a fast attacker and this situation shows up in channel defending as well. De Ligt’s go to move is to ….. avoid channel defending. I’ve noticed in many situations where he could have gone wide to engage, De Ligt displays his passive nature by dropping towards goal and cutting the eventual path or buying time for a teammate to come out and help him (usually the fullback on that side).

This is a clip that follows Adeyemi’s goal from the same game vs Dortmund. This time De Ligt knows he has teammates recovering and just charts his path to his own goal instead of drifting wide.

Another sequence where De Ligt delays engagement in a bid to not get dribbled past on the wing. Once he has his fullback close enough for pressure and the attacker has reached the byline, De Ligt approaches to sandwich the opponent before it leads to something dangerous. Good awareness of one’s limitations.

On the rare occasions De Ligt knows he has the position advantage on his man or is facing a slower attacker, he is able to engage wide and win his duel. He defends channels rarely but when he does he comes out on top.

In summary of the channel defending section, De Ligt isn’t really good at it and doesn’t really engage wide as a result of not wanting to get beaten on the wing. His go-to move is to delay for backup. But the good news is that he has good decision-making and positioning to pick his moments and ensure he doesn’t give away a big opportunity.

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.

De Ligt is strong aerially. Standing at 1.89m, his tall frame multiplied by his broad physique make him a towering presence in the air. He has averaged an aerial win % of 60-65% for most of his career which usually puts him in the top 20 percentile of the league.

There are times his lack of jump means he gets beaten or is only able to muster a low-powered looping clearance. This is the reason for him not being in the top 5 percentile for aerial win % (like Harry Maguire).

This shows up more clearly in open play when defending vertical long balls because the duellers have space to charge their jump instead of a quick vertical jump. I’d say that it’s less of an issue in set pieces since there is only time to jump vertically from a standing start which suits De Ligt. The run-and-jump situations in open play are where De Ligt can be beaten coz of his lack of agility and spring.

Overall, De Ligt is a great aerial dueller. He isn’t elite since his lack of jump prevents him from gaining 65+% aerial win % and at times results in loose clearances especially in open play. But those are small gaps. 

Aerial defending : 8/10

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 the CB or when the high line has been breached to isolate an opponent attacker vs CB.

You can also consider it as the next step of the pressing stages we discussed. What happens when an attacker is able to turn and run at De Ligt? I cover that here.

Let’s start with the good parts. Even when being run at, De Ligt’s positioning, awareness and odd knack of getting his body into good areas to intercept or tackle prove valuable.

An extension of channel defending, when De Ligt does decide to engage wide, because he has chosen the right window to trap his marker on the sideline, he is able to come out strong in a ground duel. Again, his timing and decision to engage is key here. He doesn’t often give into the aggressive side of himself.

In fact I’d say his duels in wide areas are a lot more reliable than anywhere else. He is able to limit the space and two-way opportunity for a dribbler by sandwiching him to the touchline. 

Now for the not-so-good parts. De Ligt’s turning speed is an issue. Which is why dribblers with quick feet that force him to shift weight quickly often get the better of him. Here’s an introductory clip into this issue. De Ligt can almost be toyed with.

This makes him very reliant on getting the first tackle attempt correct because he can rarely recover from a lunge to turn his body and engage again. Most dribblers can twist the other way and progress.

The issue is that it is simply a physical limitation because De Ligt’s positioning, timing and body usage are all good. There are many moments where he gets all of this correctly and is still beaten by a pair of quick feet..

In deeper areas, this becomes a bigger issue since a quick dribble can put De Ligt on the ground if his first attempt fails which provides an easy path for the opponent.

On some occasions, De Ligt is able to recognize his mistake after having committed to the duel and is forced to concede a foul. The classic take-one-for-the-team. Expect to see this happen when we are defending transitions and he can’t rely on recovery of others.

In summary, De Ligt has some major issues in ground duels. Once an opponent has a run at him it gets very tough for De Ligt to keep up and turn and move as quickly as any decent dribbling forward. He tries to make up by limiting such situations to the flanks, or winning the ball early with a well-timed lunge, but those are easier said than done. This is a clear gap.

Ground duels: 4/10

That concludes our defending section. Here’s a snapshot of De Ligt’s 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 De Ligt’s passing traits.

2A) Pass security

Let’s start with the basics. Is the CB 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?

De Ligt looks good for most of these questions. He has the reliability and security of a seasoned veteran and keeps things simple and safe. I find that he makes a lot of passes to his goalkeeper to restart build up in a game. 

His other usual safe pass route is the short slip to the DM. This is seen lesser (I’ll explain why in the short progression section) but it’s still something he exercises when opponent pressure in the centre of midfield is low

In conclusion, I don’t find any issues in this section. The reason I’ve cut 2 marks is related to the next two sections, 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?

In De Ligt’s case I find his technique of passing very good. He usually lands crisp passes weighted well to find his teammate. One complaint I have of him is more mental than technical. I feel often that De Ligt passes to the feet of his teammates or even a conservative step behind to secure possession. He rarely plays it in the space ahead of a teammate to encourage a dribble or run. Perhaps, De Ligt’s cautious mentality shows in his pass empathy as well.

Pass Empathy: 7/10

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 De Ligt’s progressive passes stat is in the top 10 percentile, insinuating that he’s highly progressive. 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 De Ligt progresses using short grounded passes.

From the stat, you would think that De Ligt attempts a high number of central line-breaking passes, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. De Ligt’s go-to progressive pass is the safe down-the-line pass to the same side fullback. These passes usually start just inside De Ligt’s half and venture into the opponent half to be counted as progressive on paper but actually rarely progress the game or can be called line-breaking. They are also made when never under pressure.

He does this a few times every game and is something he is comfortable with. Obviously, they still count as progression, but the sheer volume of these passes colour that stat in a certain way and hide the fact that De Ligt simply doesn’t attempt passes that aid central progression through the opponent block.

Even his favourite pass isn’t always on lock. This is where the pass empathy issues comes in. De Ligt’s tendency to stray on the slower or backwards side sometimes makes his passes readable. A stronger pass on his teammate’s front foot could have avoided the interception here.


When faced with a well organised opponent block, De Ligt’s lack of creativity and vision shows clearly. Without his bread-and-butter fullback pass, he looks lost and plays it safe. Don’t be surprised to see such scenes when faced with good EPL mid blocks

In summary of this section, I find De Ligt’s progressive stats to be a very wrong picture of his actual line-breaking ability especially from the point of view of aiding central progression for the team. It’s just not something he has in his locker.

Short pass progression: 4/10

2D) Long pass progression

The long pass version of our previous section.

If you guessed that this is another way in which De Ligt racks up easy progressive passes without actually being progressive, you would be right. The only difference is that the larger-distance passes that count as progressive in this case are – ones to the opposite side fullback!

Here’s a clip summarising this and the previous section. 2 passes that both count as progressive but are essentially safe passes to both fullbacks that didn’t really help the team break the block but instead just play around it without penetrating

I still like the fact that he attempts some switches and long balls when he has good time and space, but largely speaking there’s nothing very creative or actually progressive here

Long pass progression: 6/10

In conclusion to De Ligt’s passing section, I feel he has a good hold on secure passing that rarely gives away possession, but he racks up progressive passing stats with many basic passes to his fullbacks that don’t actually help his team progress.

Our scorecard so far looks like:

  1. Carrying

I’m covering all aspects of ball control from a CB’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 De Ligt’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 find no issues here. De Ligt has a very neat and experienced first touch. He kills power neatly and is able to quickly manipulate the ball for the next action as well. Here’s a sequence with 2 such quick moments. 


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 the CB’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.

De Ligt struggles under pressure. His go-to move when charged is actually to hoof it long. He doesn’t have the agility or dribbling technique to wriggle his way out of such situations or beat his man or carry into a safer space and give himself time for the next action. He usually uses a 1-touch move when pressed. 

Like an aimless clearance.

Or a first-time pass without risking a turn or carry.

At best, he is able to push the ball into space and use his power to escape situations if the angle of reception and opponent pressing direction is convenient to do so.

All in all, I see this as a major gap in De Ligt’s game as well. He is not press-resistant, simply put. You can expect a safe pass-back or clearance if De Ligt is under pressure. The saving grace is that he rarely loses the ball in dangerous areas thanks to his awareness of his limitations.

Carrying under pressure: 4/10

3C) Carrying in space

What does the CB 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 the CB do when his teammate has baited an opponent and played the CB in the space created?

De Ligt’s carrying in space is basic. When provided with the opportunity to dribble, he is able to do so without much speed or skill. But he’s able to bridge spaces and pull off actions after that. Often this means a dribble forward from RCB and pass to RB. Basic stuff. Like the progressive passes, this is also how he racks up many of his progressive carries.

Even when space is created via build up on the other side and presented to De Ligt, he’s rarely able to take advantage due to lack of speed, vision and forward-thinking. Often he gets those RB/RCM spaces to carry into and help destabilise opponent blocks but is unable to make much of it. Imagine a Rudiger or Bastoni or Gvardiol in these kinds of situations.

Again, I wouldnt call this trait a strength by any means. De Ligt is unable to take opportunities when space is created for him because he lacks the drive, dribbling power and positivity to make the most of it. But it’s nothing negative since he does use space decently and aid the team in passive ways. For this trait, average at best.

Carrying in space: 5/10

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

  1. Others

4A) Fitness

Just one look at De Ligt’s appearances across years makes it clear how (not) available he has been.

In his 8 senior years so far, De Ligt has crossed 40 starts in all competitions only twice. His average is 31 90s per season which roughly correlates to 55-60% availability. And at least for the last 7 of those years, De Ligt has been the trusted starter at the club.

The next logical step is to look at his injury record.

Barring 21/22, De Ligt has had at least 3 different injuries in every season of his last 6. The worst part is that 23/24 seems to have been his worst yet with 4 different injuries in 4 different parts of the season. Such kind of continuous interruption in his playing time affects his consistency and the team’s as well. His fitness isn’t reliable.

My bigger worry is the trend for players who start their careers early and play a lot before the age of 21. Their injury issues and fitness concerns catch up faster than others. De Ligt racking up 136 appearances as a teenager goes against him in this regard, even as impressive as it sounds. The increase in injuries he’s had in recent years points at a worrying arc and it could even be one of the reasons Bayern were willing to sell him despite not actually having any major problems with his attitude or performances.

De Ligt’s fitness isn’t reliable and I’m not confident it gets better as he ages.

Fitness: 4/10

4B) Mentality

The final section of this report is on De Ligt’s personality. We cannot complete a report without touching upon the person he is, beyond the player he is. Here are some anecdotes that highlight his mentality:

  • De Ligt after winning the 2018 Golden Boy (the first defender to ever win the prize) and Kopa Trophy for the best U21 player on the planet a year later: “When you win the Golden Boy [award], that gives some pressure. But as a player, you have to love the pressure. Because it says you are something good. Seeing it this way gives me some space in my head.”
  • De Ligt on being named Ajax’s youngest captain when Ten Hag handed him the armband in March 2018: “I was growing into that role. I became more confident and realised I could make a difference. That really helped me develop, also mentally.”
  • De Ligt on Erik ten Hag’s influence: “The most important coach for my development. Even at 18, he saw me as someone who could lead a team, who could lead by example, who could be a good captain.”
  • De Ligt on knowing his own limitations: “You couldn’t ask me to dribble past opponents and score or to play the perfect pass every single time. I know that I can do it sometimes, but it’s not my natural skill. My natural quality is to be always focused, to be ready to fight, to lead, to try to be as consistent as possible, instead of trying to show everybody what I can do (on the ball).”
  • De Ligt on what makes him a good defender: “With my power and pace, I can dominate opponents, but I’m not one of those defenders who can simply outrun everyone. I’m relying a lot on the mental side of the game. My biggest strength is reading the game and anticipating what’s happening.”
  • De Ligt on self-assessment: “It’s a constant battle of becoming a better player. Every season, I want to be better than the previous one. It’s good to look at certain numbers — how many sprints, how many duels won — but a lot of stuff that defenders do doesn’t show up in the stats. I want to feel confident, I want to feel dominant.”

The reason I stuck to De Ligt quotes to build an image of his personality is because he is an extremely self-aware, humble and honest person. The points I mentioned about De Ligt knowing his limitations as a footballer stem from this mentality. It’s what makes him efficient and reliable at what he does well. There are very good reasons he was captain at a young age and has continued leadership responsibilities at future clubs since.

Mentality-wise, we are getting a superb character who will enrich the dressing room.

Mentality: 9/10

Our final scorecard for Matthijs De Ligt reads:

Final thoughts and Manchester United fit

I’ve seen people compare De Ligt to Harry Maguire but I think there is a better and more apt comparison to quote. He comes as a replacement for Raphael Varane and I think he shares many characteristics with Varane too –  a good leader, a great box defender, aerially strong, physically imposing, a good reader of the game and safe without being progressive or creative in possession. 

How does this fit at Manchester United? 

The likeness with Varane and from what we’ve seen early in this season so far hints at us continuing the tactics from last year which are a good fit for De Ligt. As a box defender and reactive CB, De Ligt is good while his ability to progress via wide channels is a fit with our focus on wide or direct progression instead of short central progression. 

Given De Ligt’s lack of agility, carrying and two-footedness, I think the RCB role would suit him best. Maguire has also been picked for the RCB slot. Lisandro Martinez plays in the LCB slot exclusively but has never managed more than 60% availability in a season. This leaves Yoro, who simply as a by-product of his age and the above dynamics, might end up playing more LCB in his initial time at Manchester United. 

For the 24/25 season, what we might see is:

RCB: Maguire, De Ligt

LCB: Lisandro, Yoro

But as Yoro develops, we might see more of Yoro-Martinez start while one of Maguire or De Ligt might suffer. The general feeling seems to be a Maguire sale leading to a LCB buy (Branthwaite possibly).

But another point is that any evolution in the tactics will leave De Ligt behind rather quickly. He might struggle to contribute in a high line progressive system that focuses on short build up. So, a lot depends on our tactical evolution and the manager’s future. I think De Ligt is a good fit for our current tactics under our current manager, but any evolution or change in either might not go well for him. That said, his awareness of his limitations and positive traits might always make him a good squad player regardless of what happens. His age of 25 means that there is still scope for recouping a fee in the near future even if things don’t go as per plan. Until then, Manchester United fans can enjoy the best of The Leader.

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)

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – AUGUST 16: Matthijs de Ligt of Manchester United during the Premier League match between Manchester United FC and Fulham FC at Old Trafford on August 16, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/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 

If you’re here from any other place other than Twitter then follow me on @TheDevilsDNA and interact with me there.

(All stats from Opta via fbref.)

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

by | Mar 12, 2024

If you missed the first part of this series, you can catch up on it here: Rebuilding Man Utd’s Midfield: Part 1 – Profiles, tasks & gaps

In part 1, I defined 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 – Build up DM and Hybrid DM. Today, we’re going to discuss the shortlist and some mini reports for the Build up DM role.

The Build up DM Shortlist

At the end of part 1, I previewed the data-led process that led me to create scored for both roles based on the 23/24 season stats of all top 7 league midfielders who have played more than 7 league 90s. It looked something like this.

From here on, I spent a lot of time cleaning the data. Steps I undertook:

1) Removed non DM players like Bernardo Silva, Gavi etc.

2) Removed impossible top team players like Rodri, Rice etc

3) Set a max age limit of 26. Part of the solution is to lower the average age of the midfield and invest in about-to-peak starlets who can win with us at their peak

4) Saw a lot of 90s from the resulting list to divide the remaining into Build up DM and Hybrid DM just to add an eye test layer to what the data suggests. There were a few minor changes.

5) Created a 16-member Build up DM list and 16-member Hybrid DM list

So without further ado, here’s the Build up DM shortlist.

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

I have already covered some players in previous articles and scouting pieces while I’m not sure on some others moving:

  • Individual reports on Boubacar Kamara and Cheick Doucoure before they moved to their current EPL clubs (Big missed opportunities that I had advocated for). Not much has changed about their profile
  • Florentino Luis in last year’s DM article and Zubimendi in last year’s DLP article
  • Perrone being a Man City loanee makes a sale to us tough, so skipping him. Lovely player though
  • Rovella could make his move permanent to Lazio by triggering the €20m obligation to buy, so skipping him
  • Lots of talk around Barrenechea either being recalled to Juventus or used as a bargaining chip with a Serie A club to buy another player. I doubt we get him in all of this confusion
  • Angelo Stiller just recently moved and has stated his pleasure at being at Stuttgart or moving back to Bayern in future. I’m just not sure he moves to the EPL anytime soon

So, going from the top, the first 5 realistic options are Exequiel Palacios, Joao Neves, Daniel Boloca, Aster Vrankcx and Morten Hjulmand. I’ll be covering each in more detail.

Exequiel Palacios, 26, Bayer Leverkusen

Career: A youth product of River Plate, Palacios spent 6 years at the club at senior level with slowly increasing appearances. He signed for Leverkusen in the middle of the 19/20 season. After a slow 1.5 years, Palacios enjoyed regular gametime from 21/22. He’s been slowly moving from an attacking midfield role to a box-to-box role to a now holding playmaker role under Xabi Alonso and has found great success in the latter in recent years.

Pros:

  • Defensive intensity
  • Pass volume and retention
  • High progression, playmaking power and passing range
  • Pressing and interception IQ
  • Press-resistance and strength to hold off
  • Carrying and ball control in tight spaces

Cons: 

  • Injury prone
  • Aerial duels
  • Front-footed defending

In possession: Palacios is a gem in possession. He’s the rare type whom you can repeatedly pass to and even when he’s under immense pressure, he’ll turn, pick the right decision and use his technique to safely progress the game. He almost never loses the ball and mixes high retention and safety with high vertical power and playmaking. Whether it’s a switch, a through ball to release a wide player or a vertical punchy pass to an attacker, he has the full range of passes once he receives cleanly and picks his choice. Very Toni Kroos like in possession.

Out of possession: Palacios is a very intense and able defender. He’s a good ground dueller and puts in a lot of tackles and interceptions. He’s a very aware presser and joins his team’s counter-press intent smoothly. He rarely gets dribbled past when faced with a clear opponent. I do feel that there are some gaps in the way he recovers to shield the defence. His front-foot style sometimes sees him vacate the deepest slot or drift sideways to win the ball back. It makes sense in Leverkusen’s system of an equal pivot ahead of a back 3, but I’d be wary of his positioning as a single pivot ahead of a back 4. He can also be beaten in aerial duels but tries to make himself a nuisance. Reminds me of Ander Herrera out of possession. 

Others: Finally, his injury record isn’t great. As per transfermarkt he has suffered 6 injuries in the last 2.5 years that made him miss 166 days and a lot of them seem to be muscle-related ones, which isn’t a great sign.


Verdict: Palacios is a gem on the ball and a brilliant front-foot defensive midfielder. The doubts around conservative anchorman actions, aerial ability and fitness are the reasons I’m cutting a few marks.

The Devil’s DNA Score: 7.5/10 

João Neves, 19, Benfica

Career: A youth product of Benfica, Neves started getting chances in the senior team at the young age of 18 last year post the departure of Enzo Fernandez and impressed in the second half of the season. This season he’s seen a lot more gametime as a regular starter and is already attracting the attention of Europe’s elite.

Pros:

  • Pressing and tackling power
  • Mazy vertical carrying
  • Ground and aerial duels
  • Defensive coverage
  • Passing involvement and reception
  • Progressive passing and range
  • Tactical understanding and movement

Cons: 

  • Consistency
  • Price tag
  • Decision-making sharpness
  • Timing of ball release

In possession: Watching Neves in possession is a treat. His incredible ball control and dribbling is noticeable first. He is highly press-resistant and can wriggle his way out of any situation. He’s a proper playmaker and has the range and playmaking brain to consistently progress and find advanced players or safely retain the ball. I would say he’s not as metronmous as some of the others on this list and can pick the wrong pass or hold on to the ball longer than expected at times. His tactical understanding already seems very mature. Able to drop into CCB/LCB areas or receive between lines or drift wide and receive, he is constantly moving and finding space which is shown by his high passes attempted stat. Reminds me of Thiago in possession. 

Out of possession: I’ve come away more impressed with Neves’ defending than attacking. Don’t be fooled by his stature. Neves is a world-class dueller. His pace, energy and body usage ensure he dominates ground duels while his agility, jump and heading technique make him aerially strong. He has high defensive coverage which coupled with great positional and pressing IQ make him a complete nuisance to deal with. Even the deeper anchor duties are performed well by him as he can shield the defence, intercept cutbacks and defend transitions comfortably. Neves’ jump and agility make his height a non-issue. Neves’ speed, ground-coverage intensity and physicality make his short stature on ground a non-issue. This is a top defensive midfielder. Feels like peak N’golo Kante in defence. 

Others: Neves has the typical Benfica release clause of 120m with a contract till 2028. Even if Benfica reduce this, I don’t see why they would sell for less than 80m given his talent and demand.


Verdict: Neves is even better out of possession than he is in possession, and he’s absolutely divine in possession. Cutting 1 mark coz of decision-making and consistency which are a function of age largely and the transfer fee. 

The Devil’s DNA Score: 9/10 

Daniel Boloca, 25, Sassuolo

Career: Boloca is a Juventus youth product, who played for a number of Serie D teams before singing for Serie B club Frosinone. At Frosinone, Boloca quickly became a regular and eventually was one of the protagonists of the team that won the 2022–23 Serie B title under head coach Fabio Grosso. In summer 2023, Boloca joined fellow Serie A club Sassuolo where he’s been impressing as a starter.

Pros:

  • Press-resistance especially back-to-goal
  • First touch, ball control and carrying even in tight spaces
  • Passing technique and range
  • Passing security and circulation
  • Positioning and covering IQ
  • Physicality to duel/press and not get dribbled past
  • Appreciation of passing angles and pass empathy
  • Tactical and off-ball movement IQ

Cons: 

  • Not a great final ball player
  • Not a big goal threat via shooting or attacking movement
  • Aerial engagement
  • Top speed and agility

In possession: Boloca is the type of midfielder you can watch all day. Inexplicably he combines the glide and grace of a gifted dribbler and passer with the robustness of a classical defensive midfielder. You’ll often see him receive back-to-goal under pressure, turn his man, carry in a gliding fashion and release a pin-point pass with perfect power and curve for his teammate when Sassuolo build up. Even against tough opposition and in the end of games, the consistency and success of these actions remain as high as ever making him feel like a very mature and seasoned playmaker. The only con would be that he’s not a big final third threat with his shooting, final ball or vertical carrying into dangerous areas, but that doesn’t matter much for our build up DM role. Reminds me of Marco Verratti on the ball.

Out of possession: Without the ball you’ll also often see him use his awareness to cover spaces and physicality to tackle opponents as well. I love the way he uses his whole body to barge into players, unsettle them or tackle cleanly. He’s not the fastest player on the pitch by any means but It’s not easy to dribble past Boloca thanks to his combination of physicality and positioning sense. He takes up excellent shielding positions just ahead of the center-backs and is always in the right position to block, clear or intercept dangerous opponent attacks. One slight con is that he doesn’t engage aerially as enthusiastically as he should. He often just tries to disbalance his marker without jumping properly which could be a function of lack of agility and jumping power but he largely manages due to his physicality.


Verdict: The only reason Boloca’s stats don’t stand out is because Sassuolo are battling relegation. I’m confident that in a better team these stats scale up to elite level. He’s almost everything we need in and out of possession and the few gaps of quickness, agility and final third power can easily be mitigated by his role and other strengths. A winner for me, especially if the price is low.

The Devil’s DNA Score: 9/10

 Aster Vrankcx, 22, Wolfsburg

Career: A youth product of Mechelen, Aster was noticed by Wolfsburg in 2021. He had a decent first season for Wolfsburg but they decided to loan him to AC Milan in the following year, a move that didn’t result in much gametime. But on his return to Wolfsburg at the start of the 23/24 season, Aster claimed the starter spot in the deepest role.

Pros:

  • Imposing physique that he uses well in and out of possession
  • Press-resistance and technique to navigate tight spaces
  • Pressing and ball-winning IQ + intensity
  • Upper body strength and dribbling technique make it hard to win ball off
  • Off-ball movement to receive in deeper or advanced areas
  • Ability to defend large spaces with body span and engine

Cons: 

  • Passing vision and creativity
  • Passing progression
  • Top end speed and agility
  • Verticality and range of carrying and passing
  • Goal threat and shooting

In possession: Aster is very good in close spaces, being able to consistently receive under pressure in tough central areas, turn and beat his man before passing safely and ensuring his team doesn’t lose the ball. Within these set of actions, Aster is as good as they come. But it’s beyond this where he has more to improve. His ability to be vertical and progress the game either via switches or through balls or slick grounded passes to attackers needs work while his carrying is also very reliant on his physical ability to power past his man and lacks range of usage. His shooting and box-crashing threat is also low. Reminds me of Naby Keita in possession.

Out of possession: His physicality causes a lot of problems and that combined with his tactical intelligence are the reasons he is a good ball-winner and is usually at the right place to intercept, block or tackle. But he does lack that extra agility which proves to be an issue when faced with top dribblers like Musiala and results in him getting a little leg-tied. On occasions, his average acceleration results in him being late to block a quickly played pass or cross. Feels like Axel Witsel out of possession.


Verdict: I’m not surprised Aster ranked well for the things we were looking for. On paper, he is great at P1 and D1 actions. But his overall package and other attributes didn’t add as much as I would have hoped. This is why we need to dive deeper after shortlisting via stats. There are visible limiters to being a world-class starter for Manchester United. But he’s 22 and could improve more too. All in all, I think there are better options but I wouldn’t mind a punt on Aster if he’s available for as cheap as rumoured. That would safeguard us in the situation he remains at his current level (aka Man Utd backup).

The Devil’s DNA Score: 7/10

Marten Hjulmand, 24, Sporting CP

Career: A Copenhagen youth product, Hjulmand’s first 5 senior years saw him function as the mainstay of Admira Wacker for 2 years and Lecce for 3 years. His final season with Lecce after they got promoted to Serie A especially grabbed a lot of attention and Sporting moved for him in summer 2023 as a Ugarte replacement. Within less than a year, Hjulmand has become a key member of a high-performing Sporting side. 

Pros:

  • Ground coverage and physicality
  • Positioning and awareness
  • High volume retention passing
  • Ground duels
  • Off-ball movement to free himself and receive
  • Wide combination play and crossing
  • Ball shielding and foul-drawing
  • Great mix of aggression and composure when defending
  • Clean switches and lobs when in space

Cons: 

  • Aerially suspect
  • Vertical passing/carrying progression
  • Final third entry and creativity
  • Top end speed and agility
  • Too safe under pressure especially back-to-goal

In possession: Hjulmand does what we needed of our Build up DM well. He is very consistent and mature with his receiving, carrying and passing without being fantastical at any of it. He won’t be gliding like Frenkie De Jong or creating expansively like Pirlo but he keeps things sage and ticking in metronomous fashion. When in space, he does execute some nice clean switches, long balls and through balls but that isn’t his primary intent, especially when under pressure. He does lack a bit in terms of creativity and vision while his go-to move when back-to-goal and under pressure is to pass back safely, so don’t expect heavy progression or dribbling. But he has a good ability to shield the ball or draw a foul using his body expertly, so these instances rarely lead to any issues. He’s a nice pass-and-move player and likes to create triangles and combinations. Especially when these are in wide right-sided areas, he can put a nice cross in too. Very much like Pierre-Emile Højbjerg in possession.

Out of possession: This is where Hjulmand really shines. He’s a perfect mix of a terrier who’s constantly tackling, pressing and being a nuisance and also a composed high IQ defender who intercepts, shields and covers with a very nuanced understanding of space. He plugs gaps proactively, senses danger like it’s first nature to him and uses his physicality to come out better in duels time and time again. Sporting’s tactics also leave him with a lot of space to cover as he’s often the lone DM standing in a high-press tactic. But he still manages to cover space expertly, defend transitions, stop dribblers and clear danger from his box. My only con would be him not having the jump and agility to win aerial duels consistently, which is a shame given his frame. Reminds me of Patrick Vieira defensively. 


Verdict: Defensively, Hjulmand is almost everything you want in a DM while in possession he ticks the basic criteria of what we wanted in terms of retention, circulation and safety. I’m going to cut two marks due to the lack of vertical progression, aerial prowess and creativity.

The Devil’s DNA Score: 8/10

To sum up the Build up DM targets, I came out most impressed with Joao Neves and Daniel Boloca. The former is a superstar but so is his fee. Boloca feels like an absolute no-brainer and I’d start putting low bids on him immediately if I were Manchester United. After them, Hjulmand is a superb no-nonsense option. Palacios can do the job as well, with a few adjustments to cover what he can’t do. I’d keep Aster Vranckx as the last option with caveats of his ceiling. 

In the final piece of this 3-part series, I will take a look at the Hybrid DM list before spending some time on the ideal Build up DM + Hybrid DM combination that would make Manchester United’s midfield elite again.

Previous part: Part 1 – Profiles, tasks & gaps
Next part: Part 3 – Hybrid DM targets 

If you’re here from any other place other than Twitter then follow me on @TheDevilsDNA and interact with me on there.

(All stats from Opta via fbref.)

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