Manchester United begin their Premier League season in a week, and they will be determined.
The away record is without a doubt one of the most in need of improvement. United won just one game away from home against teams in the top half of the table.
In terms of home form, the Red Devils were only four points behind Man City, who topped the table, while away from home, Man United finished 12 points behind Arsenal, who had the best away record in the division.
United’s -11 goal differential on the road was clearly the worst in the top half of the table, and you have to go all the way down to 13th-placed Bournemouth to find worse. That in itself tells a narrative.
It’s a clear area for improvement that may benefit from some tactical tweaking from Erik ten Hag.
The Dutchman wants his team to be positive and play on the front foot, pushing high and delighting supporters, but in the cauldrons of the Premier League, tightening up and playing the percentages is often more vital.
In away games against teams in the top half of the table this season, it might be a good idea to use two defensive midfielders. Last season, it was primarily up to the trinity of Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez, and Raphael Varane to block counterattacks and provide defensive transition protection.
Another body to assist them this season could be a wise decision. Sofyan Amrabat appears to be on his way to Old Trafford, and he could be a perfect choice to provide consistency on difficult away days.
Ten Hag’s intention to rotate the Moroccan with Mount in midfield may be to capitalize on the success of his last campaign.
When attacking, another alternative is to leave one of the fullbacks in the rest defense. Ten Hag often has both fullbacks underlapping to create a center overload and help push the ball up the pitch, but in the Anfields of the world, it may be beneficial to leave an additional defender back in case of a turnover.
Last season, Man United used a hazardous 2-1 rest defense – this is the structure of players who were left back when the team was attacking. The simplest way to avoid the blitzkrieg goals United has experienced on the road is to play a 3-1 rest defense. As a result, the defending players would be asked to do less during defensive transitions because there would be more guys available to offer coverage.
There were also times when United were too easily caught in possession, but with the addition of Andre Onana, we can anticipate this to be less of an issue. The Cameroonian is constantly eager to receive the ball and is skilled at playing through the press, so this should become less of an issue as his new teammates grow accustomed to him.
There may still be mistakes, as there were in each of United’s last two preseason games, but these will be straightened out as the team settles.
Ultimately, both the manager and the players must adjust, but Manchester United can improve on their away record from previous season. They really should.
