Man Utd will be better suited to 4-3-3 formation than Rangnick’s experimental 4-2-2-2 until they improve squad
AS we arrive at a two-week winter break in the Premier League, Manchester United have entered in the top four for the first time under Ralf Rangnick.It is also the first time since November 2021 they have been in the mix as they slowly start to show the signs that they can turn this season around.
Ralf Rangnick cannot rely on his favoured 4-2-2-2 as the players are not good enough
Since the managerial change, United have picked up 17 out of 24 points available in the league.
There have been important victories over the likes of West Ham, Brentford and Burnley.
However, the Red Devils have not shown the signs of a high pressing team or a side dominating the midfield battle, some things that majority of supporters were instantly expecting under Rangnick.
Nevertheless, the former Schalke 04 and RB Leipzig manager has recently moved to a 4-3-3 setup.
The team are now looking more balanced and in control in the middle of the park.
We investigate why the 4-3-3 formation is working and why the 4-2-2-2 did not…
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4-3-3 formation, control the midfield and attack through the wingers
United were utilising a double pivot midfield of Fred and Scott McTominay.
Neither the 4-2-3-1 setup or 4-2-2-2 system allows the side to gain control of the game or assist in the build-up play.
Fred and McTominay do not have the intelligence or qualities that are required for the holding midfield role.
This is especially as both midfielders are seen as hard-working, box-to-box players.
With a three-man midfield, the roles are equally shared out and each individual plays to their strengths.
Ralf Rangnick may look to go with this when he has everybody fit
The central midfielder sits deep and dictates play, one of the side midfielders works to help out both full-backs as much as possible and the final midfielder helps the team to create chances in the final third.
Looking in the midfield department, the ideal trio for Rangnick’s starting line-up would be Nemanja Matic, Fred and Paul Pogba.
Rangnick utilised the 4-3-3 formation at Aston Villa, where the side’s first-half performance was considered as one of the best 45 minutes they had so far this season.
Although the side drew the game after a poor defensive showing in the second half, the Red Devils kept to the same setup against Brentford.
This led to the first Premier League win of 2022 as they continue to aim to return back into the top four positions.
And in the recent fixture against West Ham the side showed they have the ability to work as a unit as they prevented David Moyes’ side from creating a single big chance and limited the opposition to just one shot on target.
Despite lacking creativity of their own in the final third, partly due to the likes of Jadon Sancho and Pogba not being available, United bagged the winner late in stoppage time through Marcus Rashford.
Ronaldo and Cavani will have to adapt their game if Rangnick is to trust playing them both
Lack of intelligence and technical quality to fit into the 4-2-2-2 setup
In this formation, each individual plays an important role and especially the two strikers up front.
They are expected to press high up the pitch and ensure they drop deep from time to time, allowing one of the wide attacking midfielders to overlap and take advantage of the space ahead.
As Cristiano Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani have been starting regularly, two veterans who do not have the legs to play in this intense style, the team have found it difficult to link up play from midfield to attack.
They have also struggled to create chances from the wide areas where the full-backs and the two No10s should be playing off one another.
This is one potential option if Rangnick wants to revert back to 4-2-2-2
How the 4-3-3 formation is slowly working for Rangnick
The Red Devils do not have the technical quality in the midfield area with the likes of Bruno Fernandes, McTominay and Rashford not wanting to hold on to the ball for long.
They prefer to play in quick bursts rather than dictating the tempo of the game, understanding when to slow down and when to raise it.
A good example would be from the 1-1 draw against Newcastle United at the end of last year.
United had a 26 per cent success rate in crosses and a 45 per cent success rate in long balls – showing they did not have the composure or knowledge of how to overcome a deep block.
They then panicked a bit and went direct in the last 20 minutes.
But with Ronaldo on his own in the box against a very deep Newcastle side, the tactics made no sense.
Bruno Fernandes has been asked to modify his role under Rangnick
In the same game against the Magpies, playmaker Fernandes lost the ball on 26 occasions, completing four out of 15 attempted long balls.
Rashford lost the ball on 19 occasions and did not pose a threat in the final third.
If the two No10s within this setup are not technically complete and do not have patience with the ball, then the 4-2-2-2 system is ineffective.
On the other hand, this does not come up as a huge surprise, as the side have been used to an open style under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer over the last three years.
United have thrived in transition and the 48-year-old Norwegian did not want to complicate things with specific tactics and systems.
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