Man Utd disjointed as Erik ten Hag’s tactics expose stranded Amrabat and team’s lack of athletes

WE do not have to go too far back to remember a time when Sofyan Amrabat was the most coveted midfielder in world football.

The Moroccan international was sensational as his nation reached the semi-final of the World Cup in Qatar.

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Sofyan Amrabat’s initial struggles are a byproduct of Man Utd’s failings this season[/caption]

Amrabat is yet to really get up to speed in England

Amrabat, 27, felt like the answer for any team who needed to add steel to the centre of the pitch. 

And it appeared to be a no-brainer for Manchester United to sign him considering the early season struggles of Casemiro and the rest of the Red Devils’ midfield.

However, two months into his time at Old Trafford after arriving on a loan transfer, we are yet to see Amrabat have a real positive impact for Erik ten Hag‘s side.

Part of this is down to him being played out of position at left back at times.

But he has also struggled to adapt to the pace and intensity of the Premier League.

In this article, we will look at some of the key tactical aspects that are holding Amrabat back at the moment.

Amrabat is struggling to control space

Amrabat has struggled to control his zones on the pitch

Under Ten Hag – who is calling his flops in for showdown talks after the Newcastle drubbing in midweek – we have seen Man Utd struggle to fully control games this season, with the teams defensive, midfield and attacking units failing to operate coherently.

This has resulted in a less than ideal pressing structure, meaning the midfield must cover the large gaps left when the press breaks down.

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Now, consider the players that United have in their midfield.

Casemiro and Amrabat are perhaps best categorised as the deeper midfielders but then Christian Eriksen and Mason Mount have also played in those areas.

What do all four of those players have in common? None of them have range.

Here Amrabat is slow to react to get the ball back after a heavy touch from Erling Haaland

Amrabat has struggled so far with United because there is a significant amount of space that he is expected to cover.

We saw him defend space effectively for Morocco in the World Cup, but international tournaments often have an intensity and pace lower than the Premier League.

He almost seems caught in two minds in terms of his positioning which means he is slower to react to danger.

A fatal combination given his relative lack of agility.

A structural defensive failure here means Amrabat is left trying to track back and defend the space

There are also points when it seems players around Amrabat are unsure of their own roles, leading to Amrabat trying to solve all of the problems himself which leads to him being pulled out of position.

In order to put Amrabat into a position where his lack of mobility is not as big an issue United need to put better structures around him.

Structural problems around Amrabat

Structural issues have been heavy at Man Utd this season

It is easy for fans to pin the blame for poor performances on a single player, with Andre Onana, Casemiro and now Amrabat being on the end of criticism.

However, many of the problems facing the team at the moment are caused by a poor understanding of positioning and roles as a whole.

Amrabat has been relatively poor, but he has been made to look even worse by the poor structure in the team’s midfield.

Here Amrabat is caught out by Julian Alvarez who spins and attacks the space behind him with Eriksen being too far away

Positioning in football is very important and when defenders leave spaces between themselves and the fullbacks the opposition will make runs to attack these spaces.

This is particularly when you play one of the top teams where the movements of midfielders from back to front will be designed to stretch your defensive structure. 

Man Utd players have been consistently played in unfamiliar positions or roles which don’t suit them, causing the likes of Amrabat to struggle to control their zone of the pitch.

Here Amrabat is having to move right across the pitch to pick up the run of an opposition player as his teammates remain passive

Having player profiles such as Amrabat’s or Casemiro at the base of your midfield means you need to make sure the rest of the team is well positioned to stop them from being isolated.

Man Utd are not doing this at the moment.

Amrabat is slow in possession

Amrabat has often been too passive with his passing

Another issue Man Utd have struggled with so far this season has been the lack of intensity and progression in possession of the ball.

This is part of the reason that Ten Hag has tried to use the likes of Eriksen and Mount as deeper midfielders, though both are weaker when facing the ball.

Amrabat has proven to be too passive with his passing which has seen Man Utd struggle to build up from the back.

He looks for the safe option more often than not and it causes Man Utd counter attacks to break down as the pace of play is slowed.

Amrabat plays a sideways pass rather than trying to play through the opposition press

United are, of course, best known as a team who thrive on the counter attack and in transition.

For this to be effective they need to have midfielders who willing to play forward passes to find attackers or put the ball into space.

By playing shorter and more passive in possession and with his passes Amrabat will encourage the opposition to press higher.

If he was more willing or capable of playing slightly longer in possession then the opposition would be pinned further back.

Here Amrabat plays a safe pass which invites the opposition press rather than playing to the space on the left

Passing progressively has never been a real strength of Amrabat’s game but United knew this when they recruited him.

Again, they need to be better structured and better positioned in build-up so that even the likes of Amrabat can use the ball better when they are looking to move the ball forward.

Conclusion

While Amrabat’s lack of pace and mobility have been found out to an extent in the opening months of his Man Utd career, the lack of structure in the team as a whole has not helped.

He is being exposed in space against good teams and Man Utd need to do a better job of creating a more effective defensive structure to make the most of players like Amrabat.

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