Why 3-4-1-2 isn't working for Manchester United's Louis van Gaal
Article by Terry CarrollClick here to follow e-Manchester United On Twitter!
Frankly, the 4-0 loss to MK Dons was an absolute disgrace. And yet there were some positives to emerge from a match that was characterised by ineptitude in front of the goal at both ends.
There are also some worrying similarities with last season. The players are not themselves. Last time it was probably because they were shell-shocked by the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson and they simply didn't rate David Moyes' capabilities.
This season they have collapsed from the most successful pre-season ever, during which all and sundry were swept aside and are once again playing with confidence shot to pieces.
It may also be that most of the players are simply scared of their new manager for different reasons.
While you cannot imagine the likes of Van Persie, Rooney, Herrera, Mata, Rojo or Di Maria having such difficulty, the rest may either fear criticism until they grasp the new system or, more likely, believe they are playing for their Old Trafford careers.
At the start of the summer there was speculation that up to six players might leave during this window. Only last week there was talk of as many as 12 being surplus to requirements and after last night the media has put most of the squad on the scrap heap.
But that simply cannot happen, because United need a squad with ability and adaptability in depth, even if it is only to take on the Premier League and the FA Cup.
And last night will have helped Van Gaal to finally resolve who must go and who he may rely on in the future. Because it was not all bad news. But there were two very clear concerns: the defence is by far the biggest problem; and 3-4-1-2 is simply not working.
Why isn't 3-4-1-2 working?
First of all we need to be clear why Van Gaal chose this formation in the first place. As he himself said, early on, he simply did not have the players to play his preferred 4-2-3-1.
Yes, he played 3-4-1-2 successfully in the World Cup (although there were signs towards the end that it wasn't working there either), but he did it for the same reasons. He did not have players good enough for his more traditional format.
4-4-2, 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 all require strength in central midfield, excellent full backs and wide players. Van Gaal still hasn't managed to sign the Arturo Vidal or Kevin Strootman type player to complement the creative skills of Ander Herrera and Juan Mata ahead of him.
If Michael Carrick had been fit he might have been able to wait on Strootman in January; it also looked possible that Darren Fletcher could fit the bill for the time being, hence his appointment as vice-captain.
The manager might also not be best pleased that his predecessor let Nemanja Vidic go, because there is not as yet the battlefield commander in the centre of defence.
Last night against MK Dons, he was entitled to believe that 26 year-old Jonny Evans could fill that role. He is an accomplished Northern Ireland international and should be ready now for a senior role. Instead, despite being captain, he was shockingly bad.
Phil Jones and (if he can overcome his nerves) Chris Smalling look much better than Evans, who seemed incapable of making the sort of uncomplicated decision that Vidic would have made before the first goal and hoof the ball into Row Z.
We should also not lose sight of the fact that Van Gaal has had up to 10 injuries (which is unprecedented in his experience) and that he simply must protect his first choice XI for a vital three points against Burnley on Saturday.
So the main reasons why 3-4-1-2 isn't working is that he has had to constantly change his back five, field some players who are not natural defenders and cannot play a settled team. This may be excellent for helping the players learn the new formation, but it was at the cost of an early exit from one of only three trophies United could win this season.
What seems to be the most obvious reason, however, is that opposition coaches have been able to work out how to beat the system. Swansea, Sunderland and MK Dons hit diagonal passes behind wing backs who are not all natural born defenders, especially Ashley Young.
Their wide players (like Reeve last night) ran at their respective centre back, pulling them away from their colleagues and opening up holes for the strikers to run through. This could be resolved by having experienced defenders like Rafael da Silva and Luke Shaw playing at wing back when they are fit, but it is more likely that Van Gaal will revert to a more traditional formation now he has signed Di Maria.
What else did we learn from the MK Dons debacle?
It is hardly a surprise that the media thinks most of last night's players should be shipped out en bloc. Journalists are not ordinarily blessed with patience and, having nailed their colours to the mast of the 'good ship' Van Gaal, they must castigate the players instead.
And boy did some of them deserve it...but not all.
With Marcos Rojo and hopefully Daley Blind installed, Jonny Evans should not start again for United until he has shown he can be more calm and astute in a red shirt. He was by far the worst player on the pitch and rustiness is frankly no excuse.
That woeful first concession and his general uncertainty affected the rest of the team. All four goals could be put down to errors. Michael Keane yet again showed the naivety he displayed at times on Sunday and he will learn, because he is an intelligent young man and a sound prospect.
It would be too easy to dismiss the chances of other debutant's. Marnick Vermijl actually played very well, out of position (he is a natural right back/wing back). He looked sound and, although he unluckily deflected a through ball to a MK Dons attacker, he was arguably the best defender on the park.
The main reason why 3-4-1-2 didn't work, however, was the utter ineptitude of Hernandez and Welbeck, compounded by the early substitution of Shinji Kagawa.
The latter had a point to prove and many United fans believe he is the obvious deputy for Mata. But if ever there was any doubt why Welbeck and Hernandez should be surplus to requirements it was the performance of James Wilson, ably supported by Andreas Perreira.
While the young Brazilian was simply outstanding, looking like a younger version of Ander Herrera, Wilson is surely already fit for the Premier League. He had the first shot on target with a blazing volley, only kept out by a desperate save by the largely untroubled Martin; and could also have scored with an excellent header late on.
Apart from the catastrophic defensive errors, the most shocking statistic of the night was United's 17 shots and no goals, with none of the first 11 attempts even threatening the target.
It is possible, of course, that Welbeck and Hernandez's thoughts were elsewhere, but if they wanted to impress the manager they utterly failed, especially Hernandez. He runs around a lot and puts the work rate in, but his impending departure was justified by his clumsy attempt to score a clever goal rather than trap and shoot.
Welbeck certainly added pace to the proceedings, but there is no end product. Wilson looks a far better and more complete striker and he also has pace, so surely he will have leapfrogged the other two into third choice, whether or not they stay. Meanwhile, coming along behind him is Tom Lawrence, who also looks far more composed than Chicharito.
The other disappointment last night was Nick Powell. Maybe he will get another chance, but Anderson won't. Given plenty of room to play he produced virtually nothing.
The other big plus on the night was Saidi Janko (who will surely soon be pushing for the right wing back place if, as expected, Varela goes to Real Madrid). Adnan Januszaj did not have a stellar evening, nor did Reece James, but both are clearly investments for the future.
Losing was not entirely surprising last night, with the scratch team United fielded still coming to grips with 3-4-1-2. They failed, largely because of schoolboy errors, but the defence had a right to expect that their seniors at the other end would have made the result academic with a string of corners and chances.
Van Gaal will have learnt much from this debacle, including some positives. He must surely consider ditching a system that isn't working, but do do so he needs more signings.
An international class central defender (Daley Blind) and a world class midfielder (Arturo Vidal) are a must, whether or not Cuadrado is also included.
But what Van Gaal needs above all are a fully fit squad, playing 4-2-1-3, starting against Burnley on Saturday. Even without late arrivals the following team should do the job:
De Gea; Blackett, Rojo, Jones, Smalling; Herrera, Fletcher; Mata; Di Maria, Van Persie, Rooney
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