For our money, to be a great manager you need three main qualities – transfer market acumen (ability to spot a player), man management skill and tactical nous.
Paul Scholes may not have all three, but he’s certainly got a great football brain (the tactical nous bit) and we could see him being a coach one day.
Because the Manchester United legend makes so much sense when he talks football. His latest piece, in his weekly column in The Evening Standard, refers to Louis van Gaal’s current tactics.
There is no doubt that 3-5-2 helps you keep the ball. The three centre-halves and the three central midfielders can pass it around to their heart’s content. The problem comes when you try to hurt teams in attacking areas. You can have all the possession you like, but if you are not creating “2 v 1” situations where you outnumber your opposition and get behind them, then you are not going to score enough goals.
We could not agree more. Manchester United may have the control of the ball that Louis wants. But it currently isn’t in dangerous areas of the park. Manchester United prod the ball around in a pedestrian fashion in front of the opposition midfield and it causes noone any problems – let alone offering goal threat.
Scholes goes on to comment on LvG’s decision to put Di Maria up front against Southampton. We think that this was a poor decision also.
Things are just getting a little too complicated at Manchester United right now. They have one of the best wingers and three of the best centre forward in the world, yet they play Di Maria in the middle and leave Falcao at home. Surely it would be better to get Di Maria beating his man out wide and providing the ammo for the strikers to gratefully feed off.
This is how we would like Manchester United to line up from now on. It’s simple but effective.
Engr Farouq
Jan 16, 2015 at 6:10 am
Absolutely, Agree with the legend.
Sanjay Harichurn
Jan 16, 2015 at 6:25 am
Wow! Paul Scholes is correct. I like his team. Defenders have to defend. The whole team cannot become defenders. The Manager is afraid to conceed goals, hence there is very little going forward.
xris
Jan 16, 2015 at 6:43 am
I i gree with scholes entirely
xris
Jan 16, 2015 at 6:43 am
I a gree with paul scholes entirely
Aikay
Jan 16, 2015 at 6:45 am
I agree with this formation. Di Maria is much better in assisting from the flank, not finishing from the middle to be precise. United should promote breaking defenses from the flanks coz that’s the advantage they have against their opponents, if u want to talk more about Di Maria and likes of Valencia, Rafael… There should be an attacking formation for each opponent based on their defensive weakness. And I’ve noticed United have neglected attacking from the flanks so much since the era of LVG.