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On Saturday, Manchester United clawed their way through to their 20th FA Cup final at the expense of Mauricio Pochettino's Spurs who lost 2-1 after taking the lead in the opening ten minutes.
Mourinho's side came back from behind yet again this season showcasing the incredible change in character and mentality the United dressing room has witnessed. As the Red Devils get prepared for their trip back to Wembley for the final, let's examine the tactic that has provided success to United in the past few months against the more attacking sides:
#5 The defensive setup
Jose Mourinho is infamous for his defensive methods. Whether you love them or you hate them, you cannot deny that he has succeeded everywhere Jose has managed. So, as you would expect, this tactic is also built upon a very solid defensive foundation.
There is nothing complex about United's defending. It's a simple containing tactic in which every outfield player except Lukaku gets behind the ball and guards their box.
All United players except Lukaku get behind the ball and try to contain the man in possession. This results in a lack of options for the opposition man on the ball and forces him to play risky passes which often result in the loss of possession. After some patience when United win possession back they hit the opposition on the counter utilising the pace of their front three.
#4 The midfield arrangement
Against the bigger sides, United line up with a midfield three with Matic playing as the anchor instead of the more traditional 4-2-3-1. As said above, Matic plays as the anchor, while Pogba and Herrera often switch their respective roles of an advanced playmaker and a box to box midfielder as the situation demands.
This nifty midfield arrangement allows United to have the numerical advantage at all times. While defending, Alexis and Lingard drop back and sit next to Pogba and Herrera to form a wall in front of Matic and the back four.
And when United start to counter, Alexis and Lingard dart forward into one corner of the pitch and either one of Pogba or Herrera joins them and Lukaku to form the "fluid four" while the other operates just in front of Matic to provide support to the attackers.
#3 The counter-attack
Possession is the number one priority for teams like Manchester City or Spurs. Their whole game plan is based on controlling the ball and dictating the pace of play. As a result, sides like these are infamous for their high pressing. Whether it be Guardiola's City or Pochettino's Spurs, these sides are renowned for their work off the ball and their high pressing.
As a consequence of the high press, these teams leave huge gaps between the goalkeeper and the backline, and United have learned to exploit that gap incredibly well.
As soon as United win possession back, the ball is launched forward with urgency, whether it be a long ball aimed at the tall figure of Lukaku or a pinpoint diagonal played by Pogba to either flank, the players move forward with immense pace and induce a state of panic amongst the opposition defenders.
#2 The front three
On paper, while playing the 4-3-3, Alexis Sanchez and Jesse Lingard line up on the flanks for Manchester United, but in reality the two play more of a number 8 or an inside forward role. The two "wingers" rarely hug the touchline, in fact, they play very narrowly allowing the fullbacks to dart forward and provide the width for United.
This narrow positioning of Sanchez and Lingard allows the United front three to effortlessly exchange roles, leaving their markers in two minds. Lukaku, Sanchez and Lingard constantly press into either corner of the pitch and constantly exchange their positions in order to deceive the defenders.
#1 The "Fluid Four" system
To complete the "fluid four" system, either one of Pogba or Herrera join the front three on the counter. These four now play short passes amongst themselves while moving cleverly at the same time. The clever movement along with the technical ability of these four allows them to draw defenders into one area of the pitch.
As seen in the above image, the four are able to draw as many as eight Tottenham defenders which leaves a huge gap behind them for Valencia to exploit.
Once the fullback is in the right position, either one of the four plays a simple pass to him and the entire Tottenham defence scrambles in a panic to press Valencia.
From there, the United fullback can attempt a shot himself or try to find one of the four who has found space in between the panicking Tottenham defenders.This exact situation was replicated during Herrera's winner.
After winning the ball back, De Gea launched it upfield for Lukaku, who flicked it on for Sanchez in support. After dribbling past one defender and finding space on the left flank, Sanchez played it back into Lukaku whose underwhelming touch luckily fell to Ander Herrera who was darting into space in behind the Spurs defenders.
