With the community shield and facing WB away i believe that Sir Alex is trying to emulate Barca in many ways ie passing and preferably walking the ball into the net, we need a 20 goal midfielder who isnt afraid to shoot from outside the box ie Lampard, Gerrard, is that the purchases done until Jan or what?
to play like baca we need to start pressing higher up the pitch. We have improved in that aspect, but it's still not as quick and effective as barca.
There has been improvements definately but again it feels like United need a kick up the arse on the pitch everytime they end up a goal down!
exactly! but i think we would solve the problem, not with an attacking CM, but more of a energetic DM. Someone who has the stamina to chase after players late in the game and win the ball back in order to start the attacks again.
I think Fletcher can do this job until Pogba is ready, while a new signing for that area would certainly improve the squad I dont think SAF will want to impede PP`s development or Tunnicliffes for that matter.
no, not at all. your current system is based mostly on pace, counterattacks and crosses. You're a lot more like Real Madrid in that regard. trying to be like Barca is an exercise in futility and your players and style are really nothing like them at all.
I know what you mean but even Sir Alex already stated that playing like Barca is the way forward, something just doesnt add up, missing something or someone!
I doubt he meant exactly like them. Probably more just aspects of their play. Fergie did that after Jose's titles and Benitez's success in Europe. You stopped playing the 'United way' and used two holding players for all the titles in Ronaldo's years. You didn't convert to a copy of Jose's 4-5-1/4-3-3, but you emulated clogging the centre and protecting the back 4 and then let a few flair players loose after prioritising the clean sheet. Emulating aspects of successful sides is very different to trying to be them.
Barcelona can play the way they can because of the players they have. It's all come together nicely in terms of players that compliment each other about as perfectly as you can get. The setup that we employed in the 2 games of the season so far is absolutely nothing like Barcelona. We played 4-4-2 to start off with and with a more high tempo. I just cannot see us going to 4-3-3 anytime in the near future. We don't have the players and it doesn't bring out the best in the players that we do have.
I think he means pressing and winning the ball back far up the pitch. Very few sides go for that sort of consistent, structured pressing game, most are still using Mourinho / Benitezesque stifling tactics in defence, flooding the midfield to take away space from the opposition. The Barca approach is more effective as you don't concede any territory, but your players have got to be fit, organised and fully committed to the high pressing game or you'll end up like headless chickens. It's also difficult to achieve with out and out wingers, cos if the winger presses the full back he leaves his own full back unprotected.
