Manchester United have long been accused of assembling a ‘Frankenstein squad’, a team of lots of different parts that do not fit together.
And that is what happens when you build a team for different managers’ various systems.
After playing with Erik ten Hag‘s 4-3-3, United tried something new with Ruben Amorim and his 3-4-2-1 tactical approach.
This led to Ineos deliberately recruiting players for Amorim’s system, dispensing with wingers in favour of wing-backs, and adding to a surplus of attacking midfielders.
Backing the head coach is the right thing for the player recruitment team to do, but now Manchester United have abandoned the project.
Amorim has been fired with Ineos deciding they want a new approach – which is actually the old approach with a back four.
Ineos need to sort this out at Man Utd immediately – there is no direction
How worried are you about the rest of the season?
Matheus Cunha one of two players looking lost
Matheus Cunha is one of two attacking starters in the 2-1 defeat against Brighton who looked lost in Darren Fletcher’s system.
Cunha was shunted out to the left wing, and he struggled to make any sort of impact for the second successive game.
The Brazilian’s form since his £62.5 million move has been inconsistent, and this change in tactics has done him no favours at all.
Cunha played all 90 minutes against Brighton and completed only 24 of 36 pass attempts, a poor 67 per cent.
He attempted three shots, all of which missed the target. He managed only three touches inside the Brighton box.
And while Cunha deserves some blame for his poor display, the new tactics do him no favours, with Bruno Fernandes occupying the one central attacking midfield role.
How do you think Matheus Cunha fits in now Ruben Amorim has been sacked?
What is Cunha's best position in Manchester United's system?
Erik ten Hag’s odd Mason Mount choice exposed again
Mason Mount is the second player who has been negatively impacted by Manchester United’s tactical shift.
Mount started on the right wing against Brighton and put in a poor performance, substituted after 62 minutes.
At that point Mount had completed just 14 of 16 passes and attempted one shot, that failed to trouble the goalkeeper.
Mount profited from Ruben Amorim’s system and the decision to move Fernandes into a deeper role.
But now he is back to square one.
We are now back to 2023, trying to work out why Erik ten Hag signed Mason Mount in the first place when he did not fit into his best XI, a decision that pre-dates Ineos.
Mount and Cunha’s best position is shared by Bruno Fernandes, and the club captain will always be first choice.
This leaves both players feeding off scraps on the wing.
United’s squad is a real mess, and until Ineos make a plan and actually stick to it, we will be stuck in this cycle.
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