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It is no secret that Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is in a critical position this summer. The Red Devils have had a decent start to their Premier League campaign, winning four of their first six matches.
That being said, their loss against Aston Villa last weekend was a setback for the 20-time Premier League Champions. United's first few fixtures have been easier compared to other title contenders and dropping four points so far would hurt them.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is in his third season at Manchester United
After spending more than two seasons as Manchester United's manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has failed to win silverware. The closest United have come to winning a trophy under him was in the Europa League last season when they lost to Villarreal in the final.
United's start in the UEFA Champions League has been very disappointing as they lost their opening game to the Young Boys. The following week, they were eliminated from the Carabao Cup by West Ham United. Although United secured a thrilling late win over Villarreal courtesy of Cristiano Ronaldo in their second Champions League outing, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is not out of the woods yet.
There is still time for the Norwegian to turn things around at Manchester United but he will have to act quickly. On that note, take a look at five tactical changes that could help Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's cause at Manchester United:
#5 Devise a proactive attacking plan
One of the major issues seen under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's management at Manchester United is their tendency to wake up only after conceding first. United have started games slowly and have struggled to impose their authority until they concede. Some of the times, it has been too late for them to act upon.
The Red Devils have often found themselves trailing and then trying to make up for the goal conceded. Some of the top teams in Europe have shown that attacking from the very beginning of the game makes a lot of difference. Because of this cautious approach by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men, opponents have been fearless in facing them, which was not the case before.
Even last season, Manchester United started slowly and were frequently on the backfoot. Luckily, they were able to make a strong comeback in the majority of the games. But this approach has to change this season. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has to make sure his team are on the attacking front from the very onset. Only then can the Manchester-based club stand a good chance of winning the title this season.
#4 Make better use of the bench
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been blessed with a quality squad with good depth.. One of the criticisms the former Molde manager has faced is his use of resources at Manchester United.
It is not just about the players that are brought on but at times Solskjaer has been quite reluctant to bring on substitutes and has preferred to use his first-team. In last season's Europa League final against Villarreal, the 48-year old hesitated to replace David De Gea with Dean Henderson during the penalty shootout. The English goalkeeper was much better at handling the penalties than his Spanish team-mate yet Solskjaer persisted with De Gea.
Even in the current season, he has been reluctant to use Donny van de Beek. The Dutch midfielder is a fine footballer and can play in various positions as per the need of the team. Against Aston Villa over the weekend, the former Ajax player was not even given a chance off the bench despite performing well in midweek.
With quality players at his disposal, Solskjaer should rotate and really use them wisely. Considering the fact that the season will only get hectic from now on, it is imperative that Manchester United efficiently use all the players at their disposal.
#3 Manchester United should depend less on crosses
One of the major issues for Manchester United under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been the identity of the style of play. It is really hard to define the type of approach United have on the pitch.
It is true that there is an attacking mindset but to pinpoint it in a specific way is difficult. Manchester United have more than often tried to create space on the wings to make crosses and thereby score goals. While it is effective sometimes, it makes their game very predictive.
With that approach, it has been easier for the opposition to restrict and defend Manchester United. Also, the Red Devils haven't been great with their crosses this season. Out of the 125 crosses made by them in six Premier League matches, only 22 per cent have turned out to be accurate, making the approach less effective.
With the players Ole Gunnar Solskjaer possesses, attacking centrally is more feasible. Their star summer signing Jadon Sancho loves to play the little one-twos and come centrally to create and score goals. The presence of Bruno Fernandes, Paul Pogba and Cristiano Ronaldo is all the more reason why Manchester United can be deadly when attacking, not just from the wings.
The discipline of opposition is more tested when players link up centrally and at a quicker pace. It will certainly help Manchester United against teams defending deep, bringing unpredictability to their game. More than anything, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer needs his players to have better chemistry on the pitch and play as a unit.
#2 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer must stop using Pogba on the left wing
Recently, Paul Pogba has been seen starting on the left wing. It looked like an interesting idea at first but it has only constrained the Frenchman from the liberty to express.
Pogba's best performances have come as a left-central midfielder. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer likes the former Juventus midfielder to operate on the left hand side of the pitch but it hasn't effectively helped Manchester United's cause. Pogba has been easy to mark and contain on the left wing and it is only when he comes centrally that things look different.
The 2018 World Cup winner has seven assists in the Premier League right now and the majority came when he was positioned centrally. Even for the French national team, Pogba has been successful when playing as a central midfielder.
It is important that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer takes this into account and uses one of the best players at Manchester United smartly. Pogba and Bruno Fernandes seem to have a good understanding, which is another reason why the French midfielder should not be playing on the left wing.
#1 Stick to just a single defensive midfielder
Despite having a very good summer transfer window, it did feel that Manchester United lacked a defensive midfielder in the squad. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has preferred using Scott McTominay and Fred as a double pivot to offer more protection to his defense.
While the two have done well defensively, they do struggle to offer more on the attacking side. The passing and vision aspect is deeply missed when playing this combination as a double pivot in midfield. And it has so happened that despite playing them, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team have leaked goals.
The Red Devils have always been known for being a fearless and attacking team. It is time for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to make a bold decision and go with a 4-3-3 formation, using one defensive midfielder and two attacking central midfielders. This will allow Manchester United to have more fluidity in attack and with quality players available, there should be a lot more chances created.
Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes can play in tandem as two attacking midfielders, with Donny van de Beek and Jesse Lingard being two good alternatives. Nemanja Matic can also play as a back-up defensive midfielder.
The winger's position can be sorted out with Jadon Sancho and Mason Greenwood as options on the right and Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial similarly on the left. With experienced strikers Cristiano Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani, the two can be efficiently used and rotated considering their age.
