October 4, 2022
Written By: William Birch
Manchester United 3-6 Manchester City
3 Negatives and 3 Positives From United's Derby Defeat
Manchester City beat United 6-3 in last weekend's derby. In this piece, we're going to go over 6 of the many talking points that came out of the match, 3 negative and (somehow) 3 positive. Was this game really worse than the 2-0 humiliation of last year?
Ten Hag's Naivety
Ten Hag decided to go with the same lineup that had been successful for him prior to the international break. On one hand, this could be a long-term culture play, keeping the precedent that each and every player earns their way in and out of the team. On the other hand, a double pivot of McTominay and Eriksen was always going to get overwhelmed by City, piling more pressure on the backline. To play devil's advocate, a duo of McTominay and Casemiro does not offer very much in terms of ball progression. It's a very fine line to walk as a Manchester United manager. You don't want to set up your team so defensive that you're just trying not to lose. However, it's quite bold to believe this version of Manchester United could beat Manchester City at the Etihad by outplaying them on the ball.
Weaker City Side
This might be more of a testament to just how good City is, but this wasn't City's strongest IX by any means. Everyone saw how poor it went for City in the Champions League final against Chelsea when Pep opted to play Gundogan in place of Rodri. Unfortunately, United could not capitalize on the absence of the number 6 in the same way. Not only was Rodri out, but so was City's first choice center-back pairing. One would think that this lineup could have been gotten at had United shown the same intensity it had in the 4 wins before the break. It's a little worrying that United couldn't even put pressure on this side for large portions of the match.
No Adjustments
The next step for Manchester United to take is making adjustments throughout games. There seemed to be some tweaks made at halftime, but it was already too late. At that point, it was 4-0 and Varane left with an injury. It was easy to see, early on, that whatever the initial plan was, was not going to work for 90 minutes. McTominay man marking Bernardo Silva may sound decent in theory, but as soon as it's apparent that City are countering that, there needs to be an adjustment. City started bringing Bernardo (and in turn, McTominay) out wide and allowing Cancelo to come into midfield where there is now a gaping hole, and United failed to counter City's counter. This is just one example, but Manchester United need to be able to make changes throughout matches to make winning more achievable and sustainable.
Ten Hag Ball?
There were more glimpes into how Ten Hag wants to play in posseession. United had their chances in the first half, but a lack of composure and decisivness cost them. They improved in the second half and scored 3 goals. Yes, the game was over at that point, but Manchester City are not a team that completely shuts off, just watch their manager on the sideline. All 3 goals were scored after periods of sustained possession and the ability to break the City press. The first 2 followed the pattern of a series of short passes, drawing City in, followed by a long Eriksen switch that opened things up. Again, the match was out of reach at this point, but this was a small silver lining and something we haven't seen in a Manchester Derby in some time.
Martial Returns
If pre-season was anything to go by, then Martial is going to be a key player for Erik Ten Hag. At his best, he is an extremely versatile forward who has shown he can do a bit of everything. He can press, link up, hold up, move out wide, and is solid in the air. After sustaining an injury in training before the first game of the season, he returned to the pitch and scored twice. Ten Hag has talked about wanting a fluid, interchanging front 3 and Martial is most likely the best-equipped player to play in that kind of system. He looks hungry again, and one has to credit Erik Ten Hag for creating the sense of competition in the squad that now exists.
6-3 Better Than 2-0?
Last season, on November 6th, United lost this fixture 2-0. It may have been the most embarrassing 2-0 in Premier League history. That day, City completed almost as many passes in Manchester United's half (476) than they did in the entirety of the match last weekend (485). That night in November looked like a training session. Almost like they took pity on United and didn't run up the score out of respect. This feels different though. Yes, it was still terrible, but this feels more like a blip rather than an absolute. Not to say that United are on the same level as City, but this team beat Liverpool and Arsenal (who are above City in the table). Maybe on another day, Varane doesn't get hurt and Haaland doesn't put them up 2-0 on the ensuing corner. But that is not how it went, and United will have to respond on Thursday in Cypress and this weekend against Everton to prove that this was a bad day and nothing more.
Manchester United 3-6 Manchester City
3 Negatives and 3 Positives From United's Derby Defeat