Sleeping derby
By: Thinking Too Much
Tags: Derby, Analysis, Premier League, Football, Tactics

Manchester United ; Luke Shaw in place of Telles, defensive -2nd line press — Bruno Fernandes played round-way really much, made him tired in 2nd half— Not much short pass playing with midfield blocks, mostly going wide as Fernandes closes to them — Pogba chasing for blank whenever Fernandes reaches to wide — trying to get dispossed along the box — long balls through Fernandes — crossing possessions, good chances — no risk by taking Fred out or substituting with a more dynamic and attacking player. Shaw defended Mahrez. Whenever Bissaka was off his line, Steve m. was closing there to defend, wide gaps on the middle, makes it quite harder for producing rapid passing attacks and running off the ball to get much wide gaps around the box

Manchester City ; not preffered an attacking play. Stucked with defensive midfielders, did not subbed them either. Just found 2 opportunities by high pressing on the 3rd line and passing play. Tried some cutting in and found opportunities — needed to sub in an attacking midfielder for organizing tiki taka passing and to find for an openings along 3rd line, as did with dispossessing shaw.

A silent evening, on-going covid19 protocols, unfortunately Manchester is not one of cities which able to allow 2000 fans on stadiums due slight-decrease of positive cases. Rumors were claiming that Pogba would not be playing on derby and a lose for the reds might yielding to sack Ole, since fans were unhappy over a time about playing style. On the other hand, Manchester City was not playing high attacking game as before. They tend to play much defensive play, instead of 4–2–3–1 tiki taka and gegenpressing.

Starting XI (ManUtd) : De Gea- Wan Bissaka(RB) — Lindelöf(PCB) — Maguire(DCB)- Shaw(LB) — Fred(MC) — McTominay(CMR) — Pogba(CML) — Bruno Fernandes(AMC)- Greenwood(LF) — Rashford(RF)

United tactical analysis and formation XI

Starting XI (ManCity) : Ederson- Walker(RB) — Stones(DCB) — Ruben Dias(PCB) — Cancelo(LB) — Fernandinho(MC) — Rodrigo(MC) — Riyad Mahrez(AMR) — Kevin de Bruyne(AMC) — Raheem Sterling(AML) — Jesus(CF)

ManCity tactical analysis and formation XI

Manchester United started with 4–3–3, Bissaka playing wide back, Shaw is defending the line and pressing to Mahrez(that is why preferred instead of Telles), Fred was covering the mid block and McTominay was coming closer to Bissaka for getting the ball and allowing a passing play to move forward. In addition, Bruno Fernandes came too much behind of his playing-area and played really wide, including round way till forward, starting from slightly behind of midfield area, to approach Bissaka whenever McTominay is blocked cause of high front gegenpressing on the side by Jesus and Raheem Sterling. However, this front pressing yielded a gap, since Kevin de Bruyne was also pressing on front and Rodrigo was covering the gap and gave a support both for pressing and offense. Manchester United, on the first half, tried to make use of that opportunity, with trying to play through, as Pogba dribbles towards left and Rashford comes closer for taking the ball from Luke Shaw and organizing from the middle. However, United could not used that much of the mid-block, instead, tried some long ball for dispossessing Bruno Fernandes on the box and approaching on flanks with Pogba. Manchester City played a defensive and protective strategy and that is why did not left a wide-gap, even if they did, opponents were not able to play close to each other, which made promising mid-block attacks a bit difficult. On the 2nd half, Manchester United focused on to play through the right, since, Bissaka got much opportunity to go through and this is why Bruno Fernandes came more closer to right side to play a passing and switching play along-side of Bissaka and Greenwood. This much round play made Bruno Fernandes really tired after 60 minutes, yielded slowing down offensive side and also Greenwood’s performance resulted weakened offensive chances. Ole was not willing for taking risks, even he subbed an injured Fred off a bit late. I think he could sub Fred with van de Beek, with bringing more dynamic play on the midfield and could help Bruno Fernandes by playing on offense as well. Since managers, did not wanted to lose and be secured, there was no more deep analysis or strategies to discuss about home-team.

On the Manchester City side, however, could not started to game from the GK by passing the ball, due high pressing and covering players, yielded Ederson playing long balls. They preferred to play defensive, by choosing Fernandinho as a central but a defensive midfielder, did not subbed of with an attacking player during the game, corroborated evidence of visitor’s defensive strategy. When they found an opportunity for a passing play, Cancelo tend to play a passing wide, as long as Rodrigo approaches much closer to him for allowing a gap to play a passing game and letting Raheem Sterling and de Bruyne to approach for yielding more pass opportunities and attacking with direct passing play, from the wing through mid-part. Jesus also approached to Sterling for a rapid passing, streching the attacking play and leaving a gap for de Bruyne as well. Actually their plan, once worked really fine, when they started with passing between Cancelo and Rodrigo, then, Sterling just got closer and played a rapid passing with Jesus, then to de Bruyne and they somehow dispossessed Riyad Mahrez and he had a hammer chance for scoring on the derby. Fernandinho remained on the midfield, for covering Pogba 1 to 1, Rodrigo played closer to wing and mostly de Bruyne. As players covered on the middle, since Manchester United was pressing more on the 2nd line, blues needed to play on wings,however, they only got few chances by cutting in with Sterling and a chance with Mahrez. Subbing Mahrez with Ferran yielded more playing on a wing line instead of cutting in. Pep Guardiola neither took any risk during the game, giving rise to silent and all squared game with clean sheets for both red and blues together.

I think 1 point was not any good for both sides,however, fear of losing the position for Ole and turning more defensive mentality for Manchester City, caused kind of a boring derby, made it a bit hard to focus on 90 minutes.