If Manchester United need to know what a well-structured efficiency looks as if, they will have to rewatch Tottenham Hotspur’s 3-0 victory at Impaired Trafford. Towards a dull press and non-existent secure at the transition, Spurs ripped Erik ten Hag’s aspect to shreds.
The rotations in Ange Postecoglou’s midfield proved extra for United’s organisation with out the ball, era a focal point on attacking the large boxes snip via United time and again.
In ownership, the rotations between Tottenham’s midfielders and full-backs stretched United’s 4-4-2…
… and created gaps within the midfield order that have been exploited by way of the losing Dominic Solanke or the alternative central avid gamers.
Right here, Dejan Kulusevski and Pedro Porro’s transfer creates an opening between Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo as they alternate their markers, and Solanke drops to deal Cristian Romero a passing possibility via that length.
As Romero performs the go to Solanke, Kulusevski begins shifting ahead…
… to deal a motivated way to his striker, with Brennan Johnson pinning United’s left-back, Diogo Dalot.
Solanke flicks the ball in opposition to Johnson…
… and Kulusevski’s third-man run is located by way of the right-winger. Tottenham’s assault i’m sick the proper aspect draws Manuel Ugarte, which means that that James Maddison is detached at the alternative aspect as a result of United’s right-back, Noussair Mazraoui, has Timo Werner (out of shot) to fret about.
Because of this, Kulusevski switches the play games to Maddison, with Ugarte dragged to the alternative aspect.
In every other instance, Kulusevski and Solanke are to begin with marked by way of Mainoo and Lisandro Martinez. The Tottenham centre-forward drops to deal himself as a passing possibility…
… and Kulusevski dashes ahead, forcing Martinez and Mainoo to modify markers as Future Udogie is occupying Ugarte.
Once more, the generation Tottenham exit the ball is after they transfer their positions, so they are able to catch out United era exchanging their markers. Then again, Solanke returns the ball to Romero as a result of there is not any passing possibility.
As Romero performs the ball large to Porro, Solanke assaults the length in the back of Mainoo. In the meantime, Kulusevski drags Martinez deeper and Ugarte has to mark Udogie…
… which means that United can’t secure the length in the back of Mainoo when Porro’s go unearths Solanke. The centre-forward nearest performs the ball to Johnson i’m sick the proper wing…
… and by way of the week Ugarte strikes throughout to backup, the Wales ahead performs it again to Rodrigo Bentancur, who unearths Maddison in length.
Maddison nearest switches the ball to the alternative aspect, sooner than combining with Kulusevski to almost double Tottenham’s manage.
Tottenham’s motion within the central zones saved stretching United’s out-of-possession construction. Right here, Mainoo and Ugarte are to begin with marking Kulusevski and Maddison…
… but if Spurs walk the ball in opposition to their valid aspect, the Uruguay midfielder strikes throughout to secure for Mainoo. Ugarte’s shift way Alejandro Garnacho can’t decide to endmost i’m sick Micky van de Ven on account of the slender positioning of Maddison and Udogie (out of shot).
Romero performs the ball again to Guglielmo Vicario…
… and when the goalkeeper passes it to Van de Ven, Garnacho is overdue to the clicking.
With Ugarte shifting as much as mark Maddison and Mazraoui pinned by way of Werner i’m sick the left wing, Van de Ven very easily unearths Udogie in length.
The dominoes nearest fall with the proper aspect of United’s defence overdue to press Udogie and Werner, which permits them to mix i’m sick the left wing, sooner than the left-back unearths Kulusevski in entrance of the penalty department and Johnson hits the put up.
Moreover, Tottenham’s full-backs and Bentancur located themselves neatly to barricade the transition in case United received the ball again.
Right here, Udogie unearths Werner i’m sick the left wing then Tottenham play games via United’s prohibit, and Bentancur strikes in opposition to that aspect to secure.
Bentancur’s positioning deals a security internet for Tottenham’s left aspect. When Werner’s cutback doesn’t in finding Udogie’s run throughout the penalty department and United get started their attacking transition…
… Van de Ven and Romero can aggressively barricade the central length and the proper aspect as a result of Bentancur is monitoring Garnacho’s motion.
In every other instance, Porro and Bentancur shed deeper era Tottenham are nonetheless attacking within the aftermath of a collection piece.
When the assault fails and United wish to crash at the counter-attack, Postecoglou’s aspect are ready to barricade 3 other lanes with Bentancur’s positioning enabling Udogie to barricade the central length.
Tottenham’s skill to barricade United’s transitions additionally allowed them to assemble their very own within the alternative route. Because of United’s gung-ho way when counter-attacking, they’re all the time inclined when it’s reversed.
On this instance, Udogie’s slender positioning lets in him to recuperate when United win the ball in midfield and assault the vacated length.
Van de Ven strikes throughout to barricade Udogie’s place and the left-back enhances that by way of losing into the central length…
… which permits him to intercept Garnacho’s go towards Joshua Zirkzee and opposite the transition.
Tottenham’s transition within the alternative route unearths Kulusevski, who places Werner via on purpose…
… however Werner shoots immediately at Andre Onana.
Within the build-up to Tottenham’s first purpose, Udogie is in place to trace Garnacho in case the ball is misplaced.
When United win the ball again and get started the attacking transition…
… the left-back is in place to barricade towards Garnacho era Van de Ven and Romero are protecting the alternative areas. Fernandes tries to seek out Garnacho’s run…
… however Udogie’s presence forces the right-winger to play games it backwards in opposition to Rashford. In the meantime, Bentancur is losing to backup the defence…
… which permits Van de Ven to dash and beat Rashford to the ball — in case Van de Ven is overdue, Bentancur is already losing to secure for him.
Tottenham opposite the transition within the alternative route and Van de Ven surges via an unorganised United defence, sooner than discovering Johnson in opposition to the some distance put up…
… and the Wales ahead ratings into an unfilled internet.
“We knew that the main threat that Manchester United have is on the transition — they are pretty lethal with the front guys they have got,” stated Postecoglou then the sport.
“We wanted to make sure we kind of locked them in today and that was the full-backs, and particularly Maddison and Kulusevski to be really disciplined in their football.”
(Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Pictures)
At the ball, Tottenham’s rotations in midfield allowed them to play games via United’s prohibit, era their positioning safe them at the defensive transition, from which they may counter within the alternative route.
A well-constructed plan and very best execution from Tottenham — one thing that may’t be stated of Ten Hag’s aspect within the extreme date.
