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Alexis Sanchez's career is at a standstill right now. The Chilean has failed to hit it off since making the move to Old Trafford last winter and has been a shadow of his former self in recent times.
His move to Manchester United had generated a lot of hype for the right reasons. Unfortunately, the curse of the United No. 7 did not spare the Chilean.
Much was written earlier this season about the Chilean being wasted under Mourinho's negative tactics. The two of them were even rumoured to have fallen apart in the later stages of Mourinho's reign as the United manager. After Solskjaer's appointment, it was expected that Sanchez would finally regain his old form, thanks to the Norwegian's attacking tactics. Unfortunately, that has hardly been the case.
Sanchez has just 4 starts under Solskjaer and is further down the pecking order due to his lack of form. As such, the current injuries to key players provide him with the perfect opportunity to make a mark and stake a claim to a first team spot.
Today, we discuss 5 changes that Alexis Sanchez needs to make to his game to turn his season around at Manchester United.
(All Stats are courtesy of Whoscored.com)
Also see : Fantasy Premier League , Fantasy Premier League Tips, EPL Transfer News
#5 Stop Dropping deep
The Chilean is full of energy and is always running, which means that he covers a lot of ground in every game. He is not shy to put a shift in, and almost always works extremely hard. However, it is a certain nature to his game off the ball, which has been hampering his performance so far.
Sanchez likes to drop deep and at times, almost takes the ball from the defenders. As such, he is frequently out of position and has to make up a lot of ground to be in the mix of things. Often, he is missing from the area where he needs to have an impact on and this has hurt his abilities.
While it is important to drop down and win back the ball when United are under pressure, the Chilean needs to ensure that it does not keep him away from all the action. Alexis Sanchez needs to control his positioning and station himself frequently in areas from where he can hurt teams the most.
#4 Take less time on the ball
One problem with the Chilean is that he takes too much time on the ball. Solskjaer’s tactics depend on a fast movement of the ball, which helps his speedy forwards to catch the opposition off guard. The Norwegian wants his players to transfer the ball through the length of the ground as soon as possible and for this, he requires his players to take as less time on the ball as possible.
One of the big issues Sanchez has faced in recent times has been his indecision on the ball. Once the Chilean receives the ball, he has been guilty of taking some time to pick out his teammates. This is because he tries to carve out the exquisite ball on more occasions than is required and in doing so, often complicates things and loses the ball.
As an immediate change, the Chilean needs to stick to the easier options on the field around him. It could help him and his teammates significantly.
#3 Play more passes
Since moving to the Premier League, Alexis Sanchez has averaged around 42 passes per game. During the 2016/17 season, he averaged 43 passes per game with Arsenal and was a livewire in the final third.
This season though, Sanchez is averaging just 20 passes per game in the Premier League and 27 passes per game in the Champions League. Even though Solskjaer's tactics should enable him to play his natural game, Sanchez has failed to flourish under his Norwegian manager. One of the reasons for his debacle is his tendency to try too hard.
Once he gets the ball, the Chilean has often tried to take the opposition defense on his own, instead of looking for the obvious pass. He is averaging less than 1 successful dribble per game, which is his lowest return in the Premier League in a season. A lack of form could be a defining reason for this.
As such, Sanchez should return to his normal playing style and attempt more passes per game. It could go a long way to turning his season around.
#2 Run through the channels
One of the main reasons why the trio of Martial, Lingard and Rashford have been so successful is because they continuously run through the channels. This gives the midfield as well as the other forwards an option to spray those passes or conjure up that final ball. This has been the highlight of the team so far, however, in their absence, United have lacked the personnel to have the same influence in the team.
This is where the Chilean could prove vital to Solskjaer. Sanchez has been excellent in the final third in his career, however, of late, he has not been making as many runs through the channels as is expected of him. With the creative force of Pogba behind him, and the passing abilities of Herrera and Matic, the Chilean should have been far more effective for United and this is where he must improve.
Sanchez needs to make himself available in dangerous positions and also needs to stretch the opposition constantly when he is on the field.
#1 Attempt more shots on goal
During his time with Arsenal, Alexis Sanchez was well known for being a threat in front of goal. The Chilean averaged a goal almost every 2 games played in the Premier League during his time at Arsenal. However, ever since joining United, the goals have dried out and one of the reasons could be his reduced efforts on goal.
In his last full season with Arsenal, he scored 24 goals from 38 appearances in the Premier League. He registered 129 shots that season, 49 of which had been on target. This season, Sanchez has recorded just 17 shots on goal, 9 of which have been on target. While his lack of chances are a main reason for his inferior attempts, Sanchez has been poor in front of goal as a whole.
In the first half of last season, before making the move to United, Sanchez was averaging 3.6 shots per game. After his move to United, it came down to 1.6 shots per game. This season, he is averaging just 1 shot per game in an average and it is this area that Alexis Sanchez needs to improve immediately.
