Man Utd will be better suited to 4-3-3 formation than Rangnick’s experimental 4-2-2-2 until they improve squad
AS we arrive at a two-week winter break in the Premier League, Manchester United have entered in the top four for the first time under Ralf Rangnick.
It is also the first time since November 2021 they are in the mix as they slowly start to show the signs that they can turn this season around and end it on a high note.
Since the managerial change, United have picked up 17 out of 24 points available in the league, with important victories over the likes of West Ham, Brentford and Burnley.
However, the Red Devils have not shown the signs of a high pressing team or a side dominating the midfield battle in the middle of the pitch, some of the factors that majority of supporters were instantly expecting.
Nevertheless, the former Schalke 04 and RB Leipzig manager has recently made amendments to the formation and moved to a 4-3-3 setup.
The team are now looking more balanced and in control in the middle of the pitch.
Although it does not seem like the 4-2-2-2 system was working well with the current squad, Rangnick deserves to be credited for being proactive with his methods.
We investigate into the reasons of why the 4-3-3 formation is working and why the 4-2-2-2 did not…
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4-3-3 formation, control the midfield and attack through the wingers
United were utilising a double pivot midfield of Fred and McTominay.
Whether it’s through the 4-2-3-1 setup or 4-2-2-2 system, it does not allow the side to gain control of the game or assist the team in the build-up play from defence to attack.
Neither of the duo have the intelligence or qualities that are required for a player to be playing in the holding midfield role.
This is especially as both midfielders are seen as box-to-box players, due to their work rate and forward drive in possession.
Meanwhile, with a three-man midfield, the roles are equally shared out and each individual are playing to their strengths.
The central midfielder sits deep and dictates play, one of the side midfielders supports the team on both sides of the pitch and the final midfielder helps the team to attack and create chances in the final third.
Looking in the midfield department of the squad, the ideal midfield trio for Rangnick’s starting line-up would be Nemanja Matic, Fred and Paul Pogba.
Rangnick utilised the 4-3-3 formation against Aston Villa, where the side’s first-half performance was considered as one of the best 45 minutes they had so far this season.
Although the side drew the game and dropped two points with a poor defensive showing in the second half, the Red Devils kept to the same setup against Brentford.
This led to the side’s first Premier League win of 2022 as they continue to aim to return back into the top four positions.
And in the recent fixture against West Ham the side showed they have the ability to work as a unit as they prevented David Moyes’ side from creating a single big chance in the game and limited the opposition to just one shot on target.
Despite lacking creativity of their own in the final third, with the likes of Jadon Sancho and Pogba not being available the team bagged the winner late in stoppage time through Marcus Rashford.
Lack of intelligent and technical quality to fit into the 4-2-2-2 setup
Within the 4-2-2-2 setup, each individual plays an important role and especially the two strikers up front.
They are expected to press high up the pitch and ensure they drop deep from time to time, allowing one of the wide attacking midfielders to overlap and take advantage of the space ahead.
As Cristiano Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani have been starting regularly, two veterans who do not have the legs to play in this proactive and intense style the team have found it difficult to link up play from midfield to attack.
They have also struggled to create chances from the wide areas where the full-backs and the two number tens should be playing off one another and forcing the opposition into making space.
How the 4-3-3 formation is slowly working for Rangnick
The Red Devils do not have the technical quality in the midfield area with the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Scott McTominay and Marcus Rashford not wanting to hold on to the ball for long.
They prefer to play in quick moments rather than helping the team by dictating the tempo of the game, understanding when to slow down the pace and when to raise the levels.
A good example would be from the 1-1 draw against Newcastle United at the end of last year.
The side had a 26 per cent success rate in crosses and a 45 per cent success rate in long balls – showing they did not have the composure or knowledge of how to overcome a deep block.
The team wanted to pick up the victory in the last 20 minutes of the match but the direct approach to go from defence to attack.
With the sole presence of Ronaldo in the box against a very deep Newcastle side the tactics made no sense.
In the same game against the Magpies playmaker Bruno Fernandes lost the ball on 26 occasions, completing four out of 15 attempted long balls.
Rashford lost the ball on 19 occasions and did not pose a threat in the final third.
If the two number tens within this setup are not technically complete and do not have patience with the ball, then the 4-2-2-2 system is ineffective to all parties.
On the other hand, this does not come up as a huge surprise, as the side have been used to an open style under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer over the last three years.
The team have thrived in transition and the 48-year-old Norwegian did not want to complicate things with specific tactics and systems.
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