Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Will the diamond work against Chelsea

We may have a noticed a new strategy by Sir Alex for the last three games.

He has been trying an attacking formation and as it's called in some quarters the diamond.

Manchester United have been successful in the last three games that they have employed this tactic - beating Newcastle, Stoke City and Braga on the trot and in the process scoring as many as 10 goals in these three games.

I would always welcome an attacking minded team than a Chelsea that would toil for the first goal and then sit back and absorb the pressure(park the bus) but my point that how long would such a strategy work.

So far we have conceded 4 goals and it's a matter of having the likes of Rooney, RVP, Kagawa, Hernandez etc. that have saved face by simply outscoring the opposition.

Coming to the next game against current table toppers let me play Mr. Obvious and call it a 6 pointer.

Now both against Stoke and Braga, we have conceded first and it took the toil of Rooney and co. to claw back into the game, would such a strategy work against a Chelsea squad that has let in just 9 goals so far this term? Or against a Chelsea team that would go all out and defend like their lives depended on it. You will know what I'm saying when you think of their Champions league 2011/12 season in spite of finishing a lowly 6th in the league.

If we let the first goal in against Chelsea then coming back against them would be a herculean task, let alone conceding a 2nd like against Braga. So the defence has to be plugged with support from Carrick and not Carrick as the CB. So it would be vital for us to play 2 regular and not make-shift CBs.

Whom would I choose against Chelsea?
De Gea
Rafael, Rio,Evans,Evra/Buttner
Welbeck,Carrick, Anderson, Rooney
RVP

Yes Buttner or Evra would be okay. Buttner for his energy or Evra for his big game experience and please no Carrick as a CB - whoever is fit or one of the youngsters. Kagawa's creativity will surely be missed, what a buy he is turning out to be. I would've had him instead of Anderson in the team and have Rooney partner Carrick in the CM role.

I reckon Fergie is going to play Scholes in midfield given Chelsea don't have an express midfield either and Scholes offers a new dimension to the whole game, in that case Anderson would have to be rested and brought on once a lead is established.

Lastly I've mentioned it before(link here) on why we need a DM and recently heard rumors of the possibility of signing Kevin Strootman(Link here). I hope it's true. It would almost complete this team. Anyway till the metamorphosis is complete we have to make do with whatever is on the plate.

GGMU