Pressing

Tactical Analysis: Pressing concerns at Manchester United

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‘Playing out of defence’ is an abstract concept which has established hegemony at the elite level compared to its binary abstract opponent of ‘the long ball’. This is predominantly due to the greater degree of control exerted, through using numerical superiorities and goalkeeper involvement for instance, and the potential to quickly create transitional moments through …

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Tactical Analysis: How Manchester United should press Villarreal in the Europa League final

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Manchester United are preparing to play Villarreal in the Europa League Final on Wednesday May 26th. Under manager Unai Emery, Villarreal have been interesting to watch, especially in possession, and even more specifically, during deep possession. This article will analyse Villarreal’s build-up structure and their general principles when progressing from deep, before switching attention to …

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Tactical Analysis: Tottenham Hotspur 1-3 Manchester United

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Manchester United completed another comeback away from home to see off Tottenham Hotspur to cement their position in 2nd place in the Premier League. This article will provide a tactical analysis of the encounter which saw United dominate the second half and score three goals to complete yet another comeback for United this season. United …

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Tactical Analysis: An overview of Manchester United’s pressing structure

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This article is intended to be holistic, thus looking for general patterns and common occurrences rather than focusing on particular plans which varying according to opponent and players available. Manchester United typically defend in a 4-2-3-1 structure where, when the ball is central, the wingers occupy the half-spaces as to ensure compactness and prevent central …

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Tactical Analysis: Manchester United’s pressing against Chelsea

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Since the beginning of the 2020/21 season, Manchester United’s pressing has been largely inconsistent. Sometimes, United have displayed organised, aggressive and cohesive pressing from the front, in matches such as the 5-0 win vs RB Leipzig in the UEFA Champions League and the 0-2 win vs Manchester City in the Premier League. On the other …

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