Manchester United’s current system just does not appear to be working. Supporters have endured the same match three games running, each ending in a 1-1 draw.
While there are big issues with poor defending, weak mentality of the squad and a lack of leadership, the quickest way to fix the problems is simply to be more ruthless and score more goals.
United are creating chances, the problem is a lack of goals. The team have scored just four in the last four games from 82 attempts.
The current options
Cristiano Ronaldo has not scored yet in 2022 and looks beaten by his current lack of success. He wanted to lead this team and is not setting an example as he wished. His lack of goals is exacerbating the problems caused by his declining overall game.
Ronaldo is ineffective at linking the play and holding the ball up, nor is he capable of dribbling round opponents. His pressing has also been widely criticised.
At present Ronaldo, or the idea of Ronaldo, is still the best United have. He’s still the team’s top scorer, but that doesn’t mean United shouldn’t try for an alternative.
Edinson Cavani plays irregularly and scores even more irregularly. The Uruguayan is battling another injury and is not a player United can rely upon at this stage of his career, sadly.
Mason Greenwood is no longer being considered. This leaves Marcus Rashford and Anthony Elanga. Both could play the role of striker, although this will decrease wide options. Elanga may be the better fit, but it is a big ask for him to start regularly up front heading into a run of games against sides at the top half of the table.
There is another solution United could and should try to make work… Bruno Fernandes.
The false nine solution
Using Bruno Fernandes as a ‘false nine’ could make Manchester United a lot more effective as a team, in attack and defence.
Fernandes has been playing so high up in recent matches he has almost been playing as a secondary striker. This hurts the team defensively as there are big gaps left for opponents to exploit. It was the same under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the first half of the season too.
Dropping Ronaldo and deploying Fernandes as a ‘false nine’ could work well for United. Fernandes looks to get into these areas naturally, and this role frees him up from some of the defensive work he is asked to do, and focuses his entire work in the final third.
This role will also help the wingers around him, making United more fluid and cohesive as an attacking unit, rather than having Ronaldo who struggles to link the play. Bruno dropping deep can drag defenders out of position and create space for Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho to run into and take advantage of.
Arguably the biggest reason in favour of this, is that Bruno moving forward will create an extra midfield spot, and United have multiple options.
These range from Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata, or Hannibal, or an even more likely solution, push Paul Pogba forward when Fred is available again and ask the Frenchman to play a more creative role than he has done in the last three matches.
Dropping Ronaldo and taking this shift is a big decision, yet it could be the best way to get United’s season back on track over the weeks ahead.
- Danilo has already learned two important skills from Casemiro amid rumblings he could move to Man Utd
- Man Utd may immediately repeat their successful Youri Tielemans ‘trick’ with their next midfield signing
- Why Man Utd’s brand-new Adidas away shirt for 2026/27 Premier League season is in blue design
- Alejandro Garnacho’s Aston Villa spell could determine which of his two ex-Man Utd teammates’ footsteps he follows
- There’s one major difference with how Benjamin Sesko looks in training
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
