Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United Blueprint

by | Nov 13, 2024

In a swift and decisive move, INEOS have appointed Rúben Amorim as the new manager of Manchester United, just days after parting ways with Erik ten Hag. The deal saw Amorim take over as head coach from November 8, 2024.

At just 39 years old, Amorim’s rapid rise in European football has been nothing short of remarkable, winning multiple trophies in his first few years in charge, including two Liga Portugal titles, and earning a reputation as one of the brightest tactical minds in the game.

Amorim’s appointment seems to align with Manchester United’s need for a clear, modern playing philosophy—one that emphasizes high-intensity transitions, structured possession, and tactical flexibility. His ability to integrate young players, his emphasis on defensive stability, and his innovative approach in possession make him a compelling choice to guide United back to the top.

This article will cover the following:

  • Amorim’s tactical philosophy: Analyzing his principles and key patterns.
  • Manchester United squad planner: A breakdown of each role in the starting XI and how the current squad fits Amorim’s system.
  • Squad overview summary: A visual formation of the pecking order for each role
  • Potential transfers: Predicting key departures and incoming targets to improve the squad.

Amorim’s Tactical Philosophy

Rúben Amorim’s tactical philosophy centers around a dynamic 3-4-3 that mixes fluid build-up play in deeper phases to create space behind the opponent and vertical play in latter phases to attack those spaces. His teams are built on a strong defensive foundation, allowing them to quickly transition into attack through well-structured, possession-based patterns. 

(Ignore the roles for now. We’ll discuss them in detail later. For now, just focus on the positions and shapes)

I’ll be using the above notations to describe each position. I think it’s a good assumption that Amorim will continue his 3-4-3 considering that’s what he’s played all his career so far and his recent comments about doing what he knows, but there are variations to the roles I will cover later.

GK: Goalkeeper
CCB: Central center-back
WCB/RCB/LCB: Wide/Right/Left center-back
RWB/LWB: Right/Left Wingback
CM: Central Midfielder
RAM/LAM: Right/Left Attacking Midfielder
CF: Center Forward


I’ll be using short forms for the positions in this piece.

In possession

Depending on the nature and strength of the opponent, the amount of build up and directness varies. For eg. in the recent 4-1 win against Man City, Sporting had <30% possession and were far more reliant on transitions and nailing the timing and precision of those opportune moments. But against Casa Pia (Amorim’s former club) Sporting had 81% possession and had to be far more patient and invest in multiple rotations and long possession sequences to generate space and attack. The good news is that they managed both games well.

Amorim’s Sporting do have some issues in controlling games vs big teams or opponents that press intensely or man-to-man. Their Europa League games against Atalanta in March 2024 are a reference. In such games, Sporting start going long to their front 3 and rely on their physicality or hold up to make moves stick – something which might not be often possible versus better defenders. But in Amorim’s own words after the Man City game, he seems to want to control and dominate games more as Manchester United manager. Good signs!

Also, Sporting’s aggressive nature in the attacking phase in a bid to form a 3-1-6 also leaves them a little vulnerable at the back in case the opponent wins the ball and transitions immediately. Sporting usually manage such situations by placing faith in the 4 deeper men to either win their duels or delay the opponents enough until Sporting’s hardworking attackers recover. It remains to be seen how that risk-reward ratio pans out in a more testing league like the Premier League.

Out of possession

Without the ball, Amorim’s teams are a bit more consistent regardless of opposition. They set up largely in a mid block characterized by a passive high press and a high defensive line (in terms of starting positions at least). While there are timely aggressive rushes from the front 3, these are more to bait the opponent into going wide rather than wanting to suffocate build up in the opponent’s third itself. When the opponent takes this bait and goes to their wide player (usually fullback), that’s when Sporting try to trap them using the sides of the pitch and Sporting’s wide men. 

While this sounds good in theory and works often too, there are games where an opponent has the quality to either play through the center due to Sporting’s passive high press or go wide and then switch to access the space Sporting just vacated in their bid to trap wide. These situations often end up giving opponents access to vacant spaces in the middle of the park from where they can attack Sporting’s back 3 directly, at which point we see the back line dropping in order to buy time for their midfielders and wingbacks to recover.

While Amorim’s teams are known for disciplined mid-block setups out of possession, their structured, progressive build-up play is equally integral to his philosophy.

Build-up patterns

Amorim’s teams are known for their structured build-up from the back, primarily through short passing and quick ball circulation. They have a few patterns that are repeated often. Let’s go through them.

  1. CCB in pivot: One regular pattern features Sporting’s goalkeeper acting as a CB between the spread out wide CBs. The actual CCB steps up to join one of the deeper CMs in the pivot, while the WBs remain wide in the second line for support. The advanced CM and one AM occupy the half spaces, enabling 2 central forwards ahead of them. This pattern gives Sporting many options to build up, ranging from accessing the 4 central players, going wide to a WB or going long to the 2 attackers who can then play off each other.

  1. WCB wide: In this variation, the shape remains the same, but the rotation in which they achieve it is slightly different. One of the wide CBs advances on the flank to take up a WB position while the WB on that side inverts into the pivot. The CCB forms the first line with the other WCB. This is often done when Sporting have a more conservative CCB but a more aggressive WCB.

  1. CCB in DM triangle: A final variation comes in the form of committing an extra player in build up. This is often seen in big games when Sporting feel they need 7 players in their third. The CCB advanced into midfield but has close support of both CMs. The front 3 occupy their usual positions with the AMs in the half-spaces.

This is an example of a typical Sporting progression. One of the AMs is usually a bit more inclined to drop to help build up. In my diagram and in this example, it’s the RAM. His drop to receive and turn lets the same side WB run wide. The CF also drops to receive knowing that the RCM is in pole position to play the WB through. Sporting keep finding such ways to create space for a player to run into and work the ball to a forward-facing teammate who can play that player in space. This is what I would call the consistent intent of their build up play.

Once Amorim’s teams have established control through build-up, they adopt a more aggressive approach in the attacking phase to maximize space and dismantle defensive lines.

Attacking patterns

Things get dynamic and direct in the attacking phase. Once Sporting have played through their opponent’s high press or advanced into their half due to the opponent not pressing much, they start taking very aggressive shapes to destabilize the enemy. The WBs provide the width and park high while Sporting also commit one of the CMs as a “third #10” to support the front 3, forming an aggressive attacking 6.

In this pattern, the Sporting LCM has advanced to carry the ball into the left half-space where the LAM is usually parked. This move lets the LAM run into the box to form a front 2 with the CF. The duo attack the near and far post in tandem as the ball is played wide and the LWB crosses. 

While the WBs and the back 3-1 are largely positionally static in their roles to spread the pitch and form the rest defence respectively, it’s the central attacking 4 that operate very fluidly. They showcase many rotations to drag out the opponent markers and create space for a teammate to attack. What can often be seen is a diamond shape for this central 4 with the pseudo-#10 supporting the half-space #10s and the CF.

But this often changes to a box 4 as Sporting move the ball. The two width holders spread the opponent defence helping these 4 central attackers who are constantly rotating without any clear patterns, to pull opponent defenders around and create space. This space is then attacked by one of the strikers to generate a clear chance. Depending on where the space is created, the final ball can either be a cross from a WB, a reverse pass from a half-space player or a through ball from a deeper player. The way in which Sporting score is consistent, but their ability to generate those situations repeatedly is what makes them potent.

Here’s an example of that fluid front 4 in action. You can see that in the moment the ball has rotated between their LWB, DM and LCB, the front 4 have exchanged positions and created a free player that the opponent could not follow. The player who receives can turn and play another attacker in space or go wide to the opposite side WB who is free.

I hope the above has given you a good idea of Sporting’s general tenets of play. Let’s get into understanding each position and start making some Manchester United player fit predictions.

Amorim’s Manchester United: Squad planner

GK: Ball playing GK

Role in possession:

  • Steps up as CCB to form a back 3 during deep build up
  • Initially utilizes short passes to bait the opponent press
  • Later utilizes medium/long passes to find midfielders/attackers depending on where the space is
  • Requires flexibility and range of passing from short to long
  • Mix of passes depends on opponent difficulty and gamestate

The above is an example of how the Sporting GK picks out a pivot player (in this case, the CCB who has advanced) with a crisp grounded pass because their other defenders have done the work of spreading the opponent’s press and creating that gap. 

Let’s get into the Manchester United players who fit the role best.

GK Predicted Manchester United pecking order:

  1. Andre Onana
  2. Altay Bayındır

I feel that Onana is a great fit for this role and a direct correlation can be made with his role at Inter Milan where he played in a similar system, not only in terms of the back 3 formation but also the build up intent of baiting with short passes and then going medium or long. You can find my detailed analysis of his Inter Milan role here. I expect him to hit similar levels under Amorim.

CCB: Organizer

Role in possession:

  • In build up, either takes up a midfield position (in a mid 3 or mid 2) or moves wide of the GK to form the first line of play
  • In the former movement, he often has to receive back to goal. He either executes a simple wall pass with the Wide CB or WB to get them facing forward and play out (frequent) or can receive, turn and carry into space himself if not under pressure (rare)
  • When in the first line, either in deep build up or latter in attacking phase, he often showcases a good range of passing, dovetailing between short recycling passes with the CBs or deeper CM, wide switches to the WBs or direct long balls to the central 4
  • He can be if required, but is often not as passive a passer as many traditional CCBs in a back 3. 
  • While his carrying is more limited, his passing can feature multiple line-breakers or long balls, especially when the team needs to break down a stubborn block

An example of the CCB picking out the LWB in space, who can now cross to the players attacking the box. The CCB often indulges in such direct plays especially when the team is parked in the opponent’s half. One can say that his passing directness ranges from very cautious when deep in his half to very aggressive when high in the opponent’s half.

CCB predicted Manchester United pecking order:

  1. Lisandro Martinez
  2. Harry Maguire
  3. Casemiro
  4. Mathijs De Ligt
  5. Leny Yoro

Lisandro Martinez: Perhaps this will be considered as my first hot take in this article. I feel like Lisandro embodies all the qualities required of the CCB in possession and displays the entire range of technicality from being good back-to-goal when stepping into midfield to being able to retain possession with short crisp passes in build up to executing medium and long range passes that help break down the opponent block when attacking higher. Out of possession too, I see advantages in his channel defending weakness being nullified while his ability when high up the pitch to man-mark, press and step into midfield to shut out transitions also make him a good fit. The slight con is the aerial gap when defending deep, but if those moments are rare, then he could be a killer CCB for Amorim.

I had written here about how to get the best out of Lisandro and it featured him playing a hybrid CB-DM role. Amorim’s system comes close to that with the CCB.

Harry Maguire: The ex-captain is another player who’s passing range suits the role to a T, while the aforementioned gaps of defending deep and relying on aerial prowess are also not issues. The only con here is his difficulty in playing back-to-goal in build up, but if those rotations are reduced when Maguire plays CCB (he could do the wide rotation to RCB/LCB instead) then he ticks the other boxes for this role.

Casemiro: The veteran Brazilian is another shout I have for CCB. Casemiro not being press-resistant means that his usage outside the opponent press is preferred. I have written in detail about his limitations in possession here. This problem can be solved by pushing him higher in build up (like his peak Real Madrid days) but I think a better solution for his current profile is to have him stationed deep and central instead, from where his long passing can be utilized well. Casemiro’s passing progression has really come to the fore recently even as his physical traits have declined and I think a conversion to CCB could be a smart way to prolong his value.

Mathijs de Ligt: I’m guessing that De Ligt is the popular choice for the CCB role for many, but I see a worse fit compared to the 3 above. While he does have good box defending qualities, if Amorim wants to move to a playstyle where we dominate the ball and attempt to keep a consistent high line, I feel De Ligt’s gaps in progression and high line defending will be exposed a lot more. I think he’s a great CCB option if we are defending deeper (maybe big games or initial days until Amorim settles) but I don’t see him as a great fit long-term. 

I wrote about de Ligt’s pros and cons here and so far his Man Utd stint has confirmed both.


Leny Yoro: Yoro would be my last choice for this role simply because I think he still lacks the physical (upper body strength, body control) and mental (line organizing, positioning) traits to excel at CCB. For now, at least.

WCB: Wide progressor

Role in possession:

  • In build up, can take a variety of positions (RCB, RWB, pivot) depending on teammates and opponent
  • Highly progressive from the back, both in terms of carrying and passing
  • While they should be able to progress centrally, the majority of progression is in wide areas to support the team’s intent to build around the opponent block
  • This means lot of crisp passes to same side WB, longer passes to same side AM and the occasional switch to other side WCB/WB
  • Crossing ability when they find themselves in wide positions in the attacking phase when the opponent is sitting deep, is a bonus

Now, even with all of the above being true, there are 2 ways in which the WCB is deployed – regular and inverted.

This is the standard WCB – same side, same foot. The example above is of left-footer Goncalo Inacio playing LCB and finding the LWB with a grounded medium pass, who in turn plays the LAM first-time, creating the wide triangle Sporting often use to progress along the flank.

While Erik Ten Hag might have had a very strong insistence on using same side same foot players in build up (the reason Harry Maguire never featured at LCB under ten Hag), Amorim has no such rules. He often deploys his WCBs and WBs in inverted fashion to enable unique progression angles and destabilize the opponent.

The above example shows Diomande starting at LCB and progressing down his flank to find the LWB. In many ways, the intent is similar to Inacio’s in the previous example. But the right foot opens up unique gaps between the opponent’s formation. 

LCB predicted Manchester United pecking order:

  1. Luke Shaw
  2. Lisandro Martinez
  3. Harry Maguire
  4. Leny Yoro
  5. Victor Lindelof

Luke Shaw: I think Shaw is a great fit for LCB and ticks almost every box (except fitness). He has the progression, close control, drive in wide areas and channel defending to pull off the perfect LCB. I think his defending is underrated and he’s shown impressive displays at LCB in a back 4 before, which makes me feel LCB in a back 5 should be easier. He also put up his best availability numbers in his career the season he played at CB more in 22/23. Keeping him away from a more physically demanding LWB role and playing him as LCB might be a good way to prolong his career. 

Lisandro Martinez: Licha is the next best option and ticks every box except the channel defending one. I’m still hesitant to see him defending pacey wingers 1v1 on the flanks, but his recent fullback performances prove it may not be as big an issue as I fear, so I think he makes the top choice for LCB when Shaw isn’t fit.

Harry Maguire: Maguire would be the biggest beneficiary of an inverted WCB role. This would be the closest he comes to his LCB role under Ole, which was a lot more advanced and wide thanks to Shaw overlapping aggressively on the left flank at the time. Maguire boasted excellent progression numbers in that period and handled channel defending and stopper play with class. I would be very excited to see Maguire LCB and Lisandro CCB in an Amorim back 3, regardless of how much more “normal” the reverse sounds.

Yoro and Lindelof also have small chances to feature as inverted LCBs

RCB predicted Manchester United pecking order:

  1. Leny Yoro
  2. Victor Lindelof
  3. Harry Maguire
  4. Mathijs de Ligt
  5. Casemiro

Leny Yoro: I think Yoro is a good fit for the wide role on the right. His progression in terms of both carrying and passing is good and his long legs and lanky frame mean that he can cover wide areas quickly. There are gaps in terms of channel defending from a duelling standpoint, but if these instances are limited, the upside is high. I wrote about his pros and cons here and I think a lot of those pros correlate to a progressive RCB role in Amorim’s system.

Victor Lindelof: I know Lindelof was on the transfer list last summer and has stagnated in general in recent years, but If there is a revival on the cards for him, Amorim’s RCB role could be a path back. Under Ole, Lindelof has shown good potential to progress from a RCB role and has some angular wide passes and long balls from that side. He’s also fairly agile and quick to cover channels in time. Given our need for good CB depth, he might find himself at the club for a while and this could be his chance to impress. 

Harry Maguire: I think Maguire suffers a slight dip in progression on the right side, but much of the rest of the pros for a wide CB role continue at RCB.

While De Ligt and Casemiro are better fits for the CCB role, De Ligt’s duelling and Casemiro’s progression mean RCB could also be one option for them.

WB: Wide attacker

Role in possession:

  • In build up, either takes up a wide FB-ish role (usual) or inverts into pivot and allows WCB to go wide instead (rare)
  • Keeps it simple in build up, either circulating possession back to CB or finding a quick pass to the same side AM or CM to progress. Doesn’t attempt ambitious carry/pass
  • Post build up, advances into opponent half as primary width holder and occupies the flank usually on the outside the opponent’s wide defender
  • This either stretches the backline, creating central gaps in the opponent block or allows the WB to receive in space if opponent backline remains compact
  • Executes direct actions upon receiving in opponent’s half – usually quick dribble and cross
  • Direction of the dribble depends. If same side same foot WB, then dribble to the byline and cross. If inverted WB, then cut inside and cross
  • Often prefers quick low drilled crosses to hit the space behind opponent backline rather than slow floated ones
  • If possession is on the opposite side, the WB aggressively attacks the far post. The WB often gets into good areas to finish from a cross or cutback by the opposite WB or AM

Nuno Santos at LWB has been consistent and effective for Amorim recently and his general gameplay is a good indicator of the expectations of a same-side same-foot WB in this system. What’s key is the speed and directness of the actions. The WB is rarely seen making conservative or long-sequence plays in the opponent half. Most moves are like the above – attacking the space behind the backline within 1 or 2 touches of the ball. Or sneaking up behind the opponent fullback to get at the end of the crosses if play is on the other side.

He had 4 goals and 10 assists in 28 starts last year – imagine!

It gets a lot more interesting when an inverted WB is deployed. There is carrying and holding on to the ball, since the idea is to use the disruptive movement of another inverted attacker on the same side. Often, both the AM and WB are inverted and cut in from various angles (deeper and wider for WB, narrow and higher for AM) which creates havoc for the defence in terms of marking duties. The above example shows how Catamo’s run destabilizes the opponent block and the same side AM drifts wide to pull free.

But the overall intention of directness still remains similar. As seen in the above example, the need is still strong vertical carrying ability at speed to reach the byline or box and play dangerous passes into the box. The 1v1 ability, speed of actions and ability to carry vertically quickly remain key for this role.

This season, Geovany Quenda (a natural RW) is playing RWB for Sporting often and is currently 99 percentile for progressive carries and progressive passes received. Combined, that says a lot about how often he is able to receive in space in wide areas and then cut in aggressively to reach the final 3rd from a deep start.

LWB predicted Manchester United pecking order:

  1. Luke Shaw
  2. Diogo Dalot
  3. Alejandro Garnacho
  4. Harry Amass
  5. Noussair Mazraoui

Luke Shaw: While I prefer Shaw to play at LCB to extend his career, it has to be said that if he’s fit and firing, there is no better option than him for LWB in our squad. One only needs to imagine his performances under LVG, Jose and Ole to know how good of a wide overlapping creator he can be.

Diogo Dalot: Dalot gets the nod next for me. He’s shown great ability to invert from LB and arguably looks better there at times. His nice mix of carrying and passing could enable a double threat that can either dribble inside and disrupt the opponent or find the front 3 with an angled pass.

Alejandro Garnacho: My hot take for this section comes in the form of Garnacho. I think he has a very good suitability in terms of the type of dribbling he excels at – quick vertical progressive dribbling usually from the halfway line to the edge of the box. I wrote about that trait extensively here. That single action, if repeated consistently to catch the opponent by surprise, could be very effective from LWB. In general, Garnacho’s movement and dribbling to get into good areas speedily from deeper areas of the pitch is a good fit for this role. The LWB’s defensive demands are also more heavy on workrate and positioning to recover or close down markers repeatedly, rather than actual defensive engagement (tackles, duels etc).

Harry Amass: Amorim is a big believer of youth and I think in Harry Amass, he could find a natural successor to the LWB role who offers a better fit than the above two options (from the little I’ve seen of Amass). The only reason Amass is lower in the order is because he’s 17 and needs time and development to feature consistently.

RWB predicted Manchester United pecking order:

  1. Diogo Dalot
  2. Noussair Mazraoui
  3. Alejandro Garnacho
  4. Antony
  5. Amad Diallo Traore

Dalot and Mazraoui: On both sides I’ve picked Dalot over Mazraoui simply because of the verticality and intensity that the role requires. Mazraoui is a better playmaker and technician and more press-resistant and tempo-controlling than Dalot, but for the WB slots those traits are less important compared to straight-line speed, energy, agility and vertical carrying ability – which Dalot has more of.

Alejandro Garnacho: Garnacho features here since my take on why he should play more RW lends itself somewhat to why he can play RWB. I’d still rate this slightly lower than him at LWB.

While I have picked Antony and Amad as the next options, I doubt we see them at RWB. I doubt we’ll see Antony anywhere at all, and for Amad, I think there are better fit roles elsewhere in the XI. Their presence is more an indictment of our lack of WB options than anything else.

CM: Holding CM

Role in possession:

  • I’m calling the deeper partner among the pivot CMs as the holding CM
  • In build up, usually forms the pivot along with any of the CCB, WB, WCB or advanced CM and at times could form a midfield 3 with 2 of those players if support is needed deeper
  • Keeps it simple in build up. When receiving back to goal, the holding CM mostly plays a quick wall pass or side pass to a player who is forward-facing
  • On rare occasions, if not under pressure, can turn and progress himself
  • In the middle third phase, he can get back the ball after circulation in a forward-facing capacity and often plays a quick game-advancing pass to a WB or front 3
  • In the final phase, this player usually holds his position in a disciplined manner ahead of the back 3, with the aim to form the rest defence in case possession is lost by his team

This role has been played by Palhinha, Ugarte and Hjulmand – all of whom have amassed great fame across Europe and either got big team moves or been linked to many in Hjulmand’s case. That says everything about the importance of the role. Depending on which player takes up the role, there are variations in terms of actions. Ugarte relied more on his press-resistant carrying while Hjulmand utilizes his passing range more. Palhinha gave more defensive output instead.

I wrote about Hjulmand recently as a part of my midfield rebuild series here.

Holding CM predicted Manchester United pecking order:

  1. Manuel Ugarte
  2. Casemiro
  3. Kobbie Mainoo
  4. Toby Collyer
  5. Christian Eriksen

Ugarte and Casemiro: The natural DMs of the squad are the best fit for this role, so it’s no surprise to say that Ugarte and Casemiro should be the most relied on players here. Like I said above, I expect Casemiro to take on more a Hjulmand-ish variation, relying on his passing range and keeping it simpler when back-to-goal, while Ugarte could mirror his Sporting days with a bit more carrying before passing.

I’ve written about what Ugarte brings to the table in possession here.

The other 3 options are better suited elsewhere but among them, Mainoo has shown comparatively better traits of defensive positioning and engagement although his physical limits of the role are clear. Collyer is also someone who could grow into this role, while Eriksen could be a last–ditch option.

CM: Advancing CM

Role in possession:

  • I’m calling the more adventurous partner among the pivot CMs as the advancing CM
  • As early as the build up phase, he advances into a half-space to let the same side AM form a front 2 with the CF
  • Rarely drops to form the pivot or midfield 3. Reserves that only for cases when 7 players are needed in build up
  • Goes to show how aggressive this role is. Usually comes alive in the 2nd phase after successful build up and immediately starts attempting ambitious passes to the front 3 or WBs
  • In the attacking phase, forms the front 6 as the “third AM” either between the other 2 AMs or in the half-space close to him
  • Essentially, one can think of this role as an AM who can also defend in the pivot, rather than a CM who can also attack

The formation tag of CM doesn’t do justice to the amount of aggression and attack-mindedness this role brings to the XI. Amorim has played natural AMs like Pedro Goncalves in this role multiple times, which highlights how he sees the advanced CM. With low build up duties and more game-advancing duties, a player with a natural flair to receive in high areas, find the front 5 quickly and attack the half-space or zone 14 himself, would fit well

The current occupant of this role is Daniel Braganca. You can see in the above example the high position he has taken, how he works the ball quickly to the LAM and receives in return and then is in pole position to play the final ball through to the CF. The advanced CM often finds himself in such playmaker positions very close to the narrow front 3. 

Braganca has already got 4 goals and 4 assists in 8 starts this year while playing this role exclusively – imagine!

Advancing CM predicted Manchester United pecking order:

  1. Kobbie Mainoo
  2. Bruno Fernandes
  3. Christian Eriksen
  4. Mason Mount
  5. Toby Collyer

Kobbie Mainoo: Mainoo is a great fit for this role. I feel we haven’t seen his best yet since he’s either been deployed too deep as a DM or too high as a CM parked in the half-spaces from the start. An in-between of a linker who finds space in the crowded midfield, can receive and carry and find the front 5 consistently and then support the attack like an AM, is his ideal calling. Amorim’s advanced CM role gives him that exact profile.

Bruno Fernandes: Here’s my hot take for this role, which you should have seen coming if you’ve followed thus far. In possession, Bruno’s dual ability to progress from the middle third and create in the final third is a perfect mix of what this role entails. He would enable a more pass-heavy version of it compared to Mainoo. But as I said before, this is a role that gets behind the CF regularly and is often among the goals and assists. Defending in the pivot is a bit of a concern, but  I won’t be surprised to see Bruno beside a DM in the pivot in games where we are expected to dominate.

Christian Eriksen: Eriksen offers a similar pass-heavy but less intense version of the Bruno arrangement and has arguably more experience in a pivot role. His age and physicality are the  main reasons he’s not top 2. 

Mason Mount: Mount is also a possibility in this role, but I rate his defensive positioning and/or attacking output a little lower than the top 3. 

Toby Collyer: I feel Collyer is a slightly better fit for this linker role than the holding role, but he’ll have to develop more for it.

RAM: Attacking Midfielder

Role in possession:

  • Among the 2 AMs who largely play in the half-spaces on either side of the CF, one AM is usually more of a progressor or playmaker. I’m calling them the attacking midfielder
  • Among the front 3, he is most likely to drop to link when needed in the build up phase
  • Needs to have more traits of receiving, turning and carrying in the crowded middle of the pitch
  • When facing forward, should have the drive and passing range to release other front 2 or one of the WBs
  • In the attacking phase, can switch with the advancing CM or the other AM in certain rotations to take a deeper role in the narrow 4, allowing one of the others to play more as a support striker
  • Forms a triangle with the same side CM and WB often for middle third progression to either release himself or the WB in space
  • Can rotate wide to become the width holder at times, especially if the WB on his side is inverted and cuts inside regularly

Trincao is the best example of this role. With his ability of being able to drop deep, handle back-to-goal play and carry under pressure combined with his nature to drive forward and find passing solutions in the final third consistently, he becomes an excellent link AM who ensures the team goes from middle third to final third. He’s often found being the other 2 attackers almost like a 3-4-1-2 in some rotations.

Trincao has 16 assists and 12 goals in his last 40 starts for Sporting, which indicate the creator-heavy aspect of the role while retaining goal threat.

RAM predicted Manchester United pecking order:

  1. Bruno Fernandes
  2. Amad Diallo Traore
  3. Mason Mount
  4. Rasmus Hojlund
  5. Marcus Rashford

Bruno and Amad: The first 2 players I thought of are Bruno and Amad and I’d even go as far to say that Amad is probably the better fit in terms of role. He profiles very similar to Trincao and has that extra carrying agility and drive that Bruno doesn’t. But Bruno’s overall ability as a player and powerhouse creation and movement from a right-sided role puts him above in terms of playing time. But I have a hunch we will see a lot of Amad in this role when Bruno plays elsewhere (advancing CM is my guess but could be LAM too).

Mason Mount: Mount would be next best, having some traits of Amad in terms of carrying power and some of Bruno in terms of passing power, but probably not as excellent as either, especially given his recent injury issues.

Rasmus Hojlund: I’ve always felt Hojlund could make it as an attacking winger and a narrow AM role supporting the striker makes it even more plausible. If he occupies this role, I’d expect the role to change for this to become the more aggressive AM role instead. Similar logic for Rashford if he features at RAM.

LAM: Support Striker

Role in possession:

  • Among the 2 AMs who largely play in the half-spaces either side of the CF, one AM is usually more of a support attacker to the CF. I’m calling him the support striker
  • Among the front 3, can often advance beside the CF to form a front 2 in build up and progression
  • Often offers a double channel runner threat. Eg. CF running right channel and LAM running left channel
  • Also eager to run in behind as the next biggest off-ball threat after CF. Happens when CF holds up or drops for a wall pass and LAM can run into vacated space
  • In general, can find himself in pseudo-CF positions when the middle 4 rotate
  • Crashes the box to get at the end of crosses or cutbacks from WBs or CMs. This player and the CF usually attack two different angles within the width of the goal (Eg. far and near post)
  • Can rotate wide to become the width holder at times, especially if the WB on his side is inverted and cuts inside regularly

Araujo or Pedro Goncalves often play in this role while Paulinho has played it in the past. All are good examples of aggressive inside forwards who like to attack the box repeatedly or create separation to shoot. Essentially, this is your team’s second closest player to goal and ideally second highest shot taker. 

Pedro Goncalves has played LAM most this year and is averaging 5 shots per 90 (more than Gyokeres!) which goes to show how attacking this role can get.

LAM predicted Manchester United pecking order:

  1. Marcus Rashford
  2. Alejandro Garnacho
  3. Joshua Zirkzee
  4. Bruno Fernandes
  5. Mason Mount

Marcus Rashford: Rashford is the first name that comes to my mind for a support striker role and I think he’d be a great fit here. He has the perfect mix of off-ball movement, ball-striking and dribbling to create separation for shot/cutback from left-sided narrow areas.

I wrote about how to get the best out of Rashford here, and those combinations he thrives off and runs he can make make a lot of sense for Amorim’s LAM.

Alejandro Garnacho: After Rashford, it gets a little tricky. I think the player closest to replicating what Rashford does is Garnacho, although he is more carry-heavy and needs to improve ball-striking. But his flair and movement are good fits.

Joshua Zirkzee: I think Zirkzee has a chance to feature in an AM role that gives him the best of both worlds – some passing and link up play in deeper/wider zones but also the opportunity to get into the box and score. I think it could be a good fix for his “9.5” tendencies and get goals out of him without the burden of being the goal machine of the team.

CF: Line Leader

Role in possession:

  • I call him the line leader because that’s literally what he does all the time
  • The team’s biggest run-behind threat, he is constantly offering runs as an outlet to most of the team’s final balls
  • But also shows great physical strength to hold off CBs and win duels and second balls when the team goes direct to him (happens more in tough games)
  • A big trait is channel running – often peels away between opponent CB and FB to receive through balls down the channel or even wing and then hold up or cutback
  • Displays powerful carrying when there is space behind defence line and he has to dribble to goal before shot
  • Quick to attack the box especially near post when ball goes wide in a bid to meet a first time cross or cutback before the defence can react

If you haven’t heard of Viktor Gyokeres by now, you’re living under a rock. He is the epitome of the CF Amorim likes and in general of the style of play that defines Amorim. Fast, strong and a constant runner – whether it’s in-behind, in channels or even on wings. Gyokeres’ goal catalog almost looks irritatingly consistent – either running behind to finish quickly or carrying in space to get 1v1 and finish or meeting a cross from a WB before anyone else can react. But his outball work when the team struggles and he has to control and lay-off the ball to his AMs is also exemplary.

Gyokeres has 55 goals in his last 55 starts for Sporting. Need I say more?

CF predicted Manchester United pecking order:

  1. Rasmus Hojlund
  2. Marcus Rashford
  3. Joshua Zirkzee
  4. Bruno Fernandes
  5. Alejandro Garnacho

Rasmus Hojlund: I can’t think beyond Hojlund for this one. He ticks a lot of the boxes for the role. While his Man Utd stint hasn’t shown enough of his off-ball movement, carrying into space and poaching IQ, thanks to poor platforming of his profile, his Atalanta stint showed a lot of those traits. He’s also been improving in his hold-up and passing play. 

I analyzed Hojlund’s Atalanta days here and called him an elite mover and poacher at the time. I’m expecting a return to that kind of gameplay.

Marcus Rashford: Rashford also feels like a good fit thanks to his movement, carrying and ball-striking. His back-to-goal play and combativeness in central areas are the only issues for the role, but we have seen him nail a poacher CF role before. I think it could be great when there’s space behind the opponent to exploit.

Joshua Zirkzee: While many might feel Zirkzee doesn’t profile like Gyokeres at all (and that’s true), it has to be said that pre-Gyokeres, Amorim deployed many players at CF like Pedro Goncalves, Marcus Edwards and Paulinho who weren’t powerhouse poachers and relied on a lot of link play, passing and carrying before entering the box. Such a role could be tried with Zirkzee. Imagine him dropping deep to link play as the likes of Rashford or Hojlund or even Bruno run off him from the AM slots – could work!

Finally, I’ve put Bruno and Garnacho as other players who come close to displaying the movement and goal threat to recreate the CF role, but I doubt we’ll see them much here. 

Squad planner summary and potential transfers

So, that’s how our entire exercise looks so far. 

Possible team-wide dynamics:

  • I think at the back I’m largely split between Licha LCB and CCB. We might see former with a conservative CCB if Amorim decides to keep it simple and defence-first, but we might see latter with a fullback-ish LCB (like Shaw) or inverted LCB (like Maguire or Yoro) if he wants to dominate possession and attempt expansive build up patterns
  • Similarly, for WBs the safe approach would just be to put fullbacks on either side (if Shaw is injured, more Dalot-Mazraoui) but my instinct tells me Amorim would want more verticality than that. Garnacho or even Dalot in a more expressive inverted role is a good bet to make.
  • While the holding CM is a safe play with one of the DMs, we could see some surprises for the advanced CM. I think we’ll see Bruno a few times here even when Mainoo or Eriksen feature, expect aggressive play. Highly doubt see Ugarte-Casemiro here like Ruud preferred during interim stint.
  • For the front 3, I think assuming Rashford and Bruno feature heavily is logical but I think we could see a lot of Amad when either of the former move outside the AM roles

This leads us to a few players I don’t see being top choices in any position. I think their futures could be up for debate.

Potential losers in Amorim’s system:

  • De Ligt doesn’t feel progressive and mobile enough to be the agile build up CB Amorim likes. He might have some solace as a limited CCB especially for this season, but I’m not sure about his long-term fit
  • Mount doesn’t appear in the top 2 options anywhere and his injury issues aren’t helping matters. If he remains fit and starts giving output to rival his competitors for the AM slot, he could make it there. But these are big ifs today.
  • Zirkzee also feels like an odd fit both for the CF and AM roles. The 9.5 jokes really came home to roost coz we need a 9 or a 10, not a 9.5. But I think he’ll get chances and time.
  • And the biggest issue – Wingbacks! There’s probably no nailed on WB starter in the team. Dalot, Malacia and Mazraoui are better as fullbacks, Shaw’s fitness and intensity are doubts while the likes of Garnacho are an experiment at best.

This brings us to my last and most speculative section – transfers Amorim might require if everything plays out the way I think.

Potential transfer targets in future:

  • LWB: Can’t see beyond this as the first priority. Some names I have in mind currently are Ait-Nouri, Patrick Dorgu and Nuno Taveres
  • RWB: Won’t be surprised if both WBs come from the market soon. I like the idea of Vanderson a lot (great fit plus not playing much since Hutter shifted to back 4)
  • CM: Think we are missing a controller or deep playmaker type profile in that pivot for a very long time. Angelo Stiller, Adam Wharton, Caqueret come to mind
  • CB: Maybe not short-term but with none of De Ligt, Lindelof and Maguire being nailed-on long-term, we might have to dip in for a well-rounded progressive CB. Some names I can think of are Wilfried Singo, Castello Lukeba and Todibo

Conclusion

If you read this far, a big THANK YOU from my side. I know it was a long piece but having watched Sporting more than 40 times in the last 3 years, I wanted to put in as many details and insights as I could, especially into the description of the roles and patterns. Hope you’re looking forward to Amorim as much as I am.

Follow me on twitter here. That’s where I always am. Follows and RTs there are appreciated.

Here are other sources of analysis on Amorim’s Sporting you can check out:

  • I’m a regular on GetFootball’s Tactics podcast. Last year we discussed Amorim’s Sporting tactics here. And recently we discussed how he might line up with United here.
  • Invertedwinger’s 3 part article series on Amorim’s Sporting here.
  • Jack Fawcett’s thread on their pressing structure here.

Credits:

  • Getty images for images
  • fbref.com for stats
  • Tacticalista for tactical diagrams

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 

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