The Tactixology @tactixology Twitter profile

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The Tactixology

5 months

DEATH OF GEGENPRESSING - A game model reaches its natural end Last night against Villa, Liverpool were once again unable to hold on and control the game, conceding two late goals to squander the lead. This inability has cost them a trophy-filled final season under Klopp; more

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

5 months

As we approach the final league game of the season, Manchester United of 2023/2024 have had: • 1.34 xG (13th) • 1.87 xGA (18th) • -0.53 xG difference (17th) • 40 open play goals (10th) • 392 open play shots created (9th) • 643 shots faced (19th) • 200 set pieces shots

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

18 days

Thought Amad in particular was great today. What makes him so dangerous - and a great fit for ETH’s model - is the ability to combine a more technical, pass-first playmaking role with aspects of traditional isolation wing-play. He’s fast & mobile enough, but also reads the

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

5 months

Saying Manchester United’s terrible season is all down to injuries is an elegant argument because it’s impossible to completely refute. It goes into counterfactual territory, offering a pleasant alternative history for everyone refusing to look into managerial and tactical

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

1 month

@htomufc @kai679630022906 This last point was absolutely key.

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

28 days

Remember “we can’t play a high line with Lindelof and Evans?” Remember “it’s the players dropping back, not the manager telling them to do so?” Remember “we’ll play a higher line once Martinez is back?” Remember the nonsense about starting positions and lack of technical

EPL - Analytics

@DataAnalyticEPL

28 days

🚨Pressing Intensity against Defensive Height for the teams in English Premier League 2024-2025, UPDATED after GAMEWEEK 3. 🔥When it comes to Pressing Intensity, High block defending, and Pressure High up on the Pitch, TOTTENHAM 💯 👀MANCHESTER UNITED THOUGH #PremierLeague

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

1 month

DID UNITED DESERVE TO BEAT BRIGHTON? An in-depth data analysis There is a sense, mostly due to our disallowed goal and Amad’s 1st half chance, that United should have won against Brighton. There’s a number of threads claiming our pressing & buildup were good, much better than

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

2 months

UNITED’S SYSTEMATIC ISSUES IN DEFENSIVE TRANSITIONS When things repeat over and over again, they cease to be isolated instances and they become systematic occurences. If United concede the same goals over and over again, if they get exposed in the same way, over and over again,

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

1 month

You can blame the players, the referees and the weather; you can cling to dubious notions about “technical > tactical”; you can delude yourself with cup wins and sporadic triumphs; you can see individual greatness and convince yourself you’re actually seeing a masterstorke of

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

1 month

It’s interesting that many United fans now seem fine treating Brighton as our equal. Like, “who thought we go there and win, anyway”? Brighton, who had a subpar season last year and finished lower than us (11th), way below their 6th place in the year before. Brighton, who just

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

2 months

THE MAGUIRE HIGH LINE REDEMPTION For almost two years now, whenever one mentioned that ETH should press with a higher line, the usual response from online clowns, ragebaiting pundits, casual watchers and hired haters was: a higher line with Maguire?! Yes, a high line with Harry

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

1 month

Arsenal were Premier league runners-up last year, while rotating two right-footed left back. Liverpool, coming in 3rd last year, often played with a right-footed left back. Italy won Euro 2020 while playing a right-footed left back. Chelsea won stuff with a right-footed left

Stretford Trends

@StretfordTrends

1 month

🚨 ⚠️ Lack of left footed players is affecting United in all phases. @tekzts analysed the left hand side issues in detail dating back to last season, showing coaching solutions applied & the positive + negative effects of these. A SHORT segment taken via his discord. ⤵️

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

1 month

Ever since Erik Ten Hag declared he wants us to be vertical, transitional & exciting, I’ve tried to argue that’s a legitimate way forward. The issue has never been in our general idea to be dynamic & fast, but in our tactical solutions to get there. If you pump the ball

SilvaOB.

@Silvakn0ws

1 month

This is all I want for Manchester United. To start off moving together for a few metres, so that if we lose the ball, the opponent can’t take advantage of our lack of unity. That when we hit long passes forward, we do so from the center of the field, not in or around our box.

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

1 month

Watching some of the highlights - in hindsight, Liverpool’s out of possession plan was clear and line with what Slot stated afterwards. Whenever Casemiro had the ball, 2-3 of their players were immediately rushing towards him, knowing he would likely be isolated, slow and easy

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

6 days

Eriksen starting yet again. Once ETH finds something that works, ETH never lets go, until it stops working. Would have preferred for us to rest him here and have him ready for the weekend. Very strong lineup here.

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

1 month

And so it ends. Scott McTominay was one of the more extreme victims of United’s poor squad planning and severe misprofiling in the post-SAF era. Born to play as a dynamic, advanced 8 & make those late runs into the box, Scott McTominay was forced to spend many seasons in a

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

10 days

- When Mount is our extra midfield presence, we prioritize counter-pressing and creating from high turnovers. - When Zirkzee is our extra midfield presence, we prioritize small-space passing and creating from sustained pressure. - When Casemiro is in the pivot, we prioritize

The Tactixology

@tactixology

10 days

The obvious problem with being so player-dependent for your tactial vision is that parts of your tactical vision are gone the moment a player or two are gone. With ETH, it goes to the extremes, so much that your final 3rd intent completely changes with or without a deep-playing

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

4 months

Any decision on Ten Hag should not be based on our wonder triumph yesterday; rather, it should hinge on whether he’s able to implement a style that would make triumphs like yesterday’s less wondrous and more common. The problem for ETH is that there hasn’t been much evidence of

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

3 months

WHAT KIND OF A MANAGER IS ERIK TEN HAG: Cooking lessons for United’s manager The best way to think about Erik Ten Hag and United’s upcoming season is to consider two different dining establishments: a very good, family-owned local restaurant and a 2-star Michelin

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

4 days

In a general well-meaning and balanced analysis here, @bey0ndthem4sk still resorts to some common myths and misconceptions about United’s issues. Namely, he goes back to resurfacing debunked theories about ETH allegedly sacrificing a year to build something amazing & players not

UtdDistrict

@UtdDistrict

4 days

A genuine analysis: Has Erik ten Hag's Manchester United actually improved? @bey0ndthem4sk breaks down what fans have seen from #mufc so far this season ⬇️

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

1 month

Erik Ten Hag is free to defend & frame his tenure with any argument he wants, but this one is particularily cynical and weak. It compares what cannot be compared: a long-running dynasty under Pep, a brutal trophy-winning machine that’s been dominating English football for a

UtdDistrict

@UtdDistrict

1 month

🎙️ | Ten Hag: "Listen, behind [Man] City, we have won the most trophies over the last two years - so we performed better than anyone else. That’s the reality. Those are the facts. This year, we want to win trophies - and I am quite confident we will build up to this..."

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

4 months

The notion that Erik Ten Hag shouldn’t be blamed for anything this season, that it was all down to injuries & external factors, is quite persistant but simply not true. Here’s why: 1️⃣ We know the tactical model was changed from last season. ETH himself said: “I want us to be

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

1 month

For two years now, if you dared to write that ETH’s intention was *not* to play a high defensive line, you’d get a flurry of insults about being too negative and agenda-driven, not understanding that our defenders are crap. Against Brighton, 60% or 3/5 of our backline were

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

1 month

The weird thing about this United team is that you can absolutely see hints of how it could be fantastic. When we keep the passes short and quick, when we look to progress and break the lines, when Dalot & Rashford combine in small spaces to overload and manipulate their backline

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

5 months

“We had less than 60 points two years ago, 58 points” is a passive-aggressive way of hinting United lack football heritage, because I did slightly better this season than you guys did before me. It’s a terrible argument and ETH should not be mentioning that, at all. Two years

centredevils.

@centredevils

5 months

🚨🚨🎙️| Erik ten Hag on #mufc ’s worst finish in Premier League: "It is not good enough by far. Although we had less than 60 points two years ago, 58 points, eighth is the worst performance. It is the truth but we should have done better. We know the reasons behind, everyone

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

6 days

If you’ve watched United for the past 2 and half seasons, it’s not a team that seems to be developing in any meaningful way. The same tactical problems present on day one will still be here in any given game - namely, today, the rest defense. How well we play depends entirely

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

2 months

ETH’S THIRD SEASON: A tactical preview Based on first two preseason games, public quotes and transfer intent, it’s safe to assume Erik Ten Hag’s game model won’t be changing too much this season. His basic United vision is still that of a transition-oriented team, with backline

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

23 days

Finishing 8th, playing like a bottom half team and then not changing much in the summer surely represents a great and glorious victory for the "tactics come last" movement. The thread is not easy to digest - which I guess is the point of such pythian takes, also common in

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@tekzts

24 days

some thoughts. project | results. ✍️🔻

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

3 months

Rumors might just be rumors, but the more credible ones about United’s targets indicate we will be looking to optimize and improve, not radically change, ETH’s game model. 1. Zirkzee - considering ETH’s preference for verticality and third man runs, it fits the system to have a

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

10 days

A team with Dalot, Mainoo, Amad, Eriksen, Zirkzee, Martinez, Mazraoui & Onana has the potential to dominate almost anyone in possession. They can use their skills for opposition baiting, small spaces passing, positional rotations, a good mixture of short & long progressive

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

1 month

Also: - getting butchered by Liverpool while conceding 3 goals & blaming it on players - reminding the media of his past trophies

The Tactixology

@tactixology

11 months

The most surprising thing about ETH, I believe, is how similar his tenure has been to Mourinho’s. • pragmatic football, relying on direct attacks, transitions, second balls and isolated tatical ploys • ability to squeeze out less than impressive 2-1 and 1-0 wins, but often

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

5 months

There's a pervasive myth that Manchester United would be playing much better, with more proactive defending, if players like Martinez had been available all season. While I love Licha, one or two players, even key players, usually don't make such a drastic difference. That

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

1 month

Exactly right. Ugarte is about as perfect a fit for ETH as you can find, both in and out of possession. Thus the real question is: if Ugarte is the ideal fit for the game model, what does that tell us about the game model? And if a game model requires someone like Ugarte as

SilvaOB.

@Silvakn0ws

1 month

you just need to understand that for Erik ten Hag’s game-model, Manuel Ugarte is of the right profile. there are better players with the same profile, but he is still the right fit. Ugarte is a high-volume ball-winner and that’s what the model requires of the DM. short 🧵.

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

2 months

ETH has stated that United can’t play like his Ajax teams due to not having the personnel of his Ajax teams, but now that we’ve bought so much of his Ajax teams - as well as the Eredivisie and the Dutch national team - for his United team, does that mean United will finally be

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

4 months

For what might be his final game at United, Ten Hag went back to what worked last season and occasionally worked against top opposition this year. It was a much more compact OOP structure; we used a good mid block instead of running around like headliness chicken; we tried to

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

21 days

WHAT NOW? A simple plan to patch up Man Utd, at least for now It's much easier to convince yourself that better players and more recruitment is needed, but look at the stats and the games: Man Utd's biggest problems are tactical & structural and not technical & individual. 🧵

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

4 months

Yesterday we got upset about leaks from someone with intimate knowledge of United’s plans. But today the manager himself grants an interview, aired on the day of the FA Cup final, in which he: - declares own squad not good enough to compete - praises opposition clubs' squad

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

1 month

A team that struggles to build, struggles to progress, struggles to break lines and manipulate blocks, struggles to pin defenses and sustain pressure, a team that struggles to stop transitions, struggles to prevent entries, struggles to keep its block compact, is usually not a

The Tactixology

@tactixology

1 month

You can’t be watching this game and claim there are no structural buildup, progression nor out-of-posession issues with this United team.

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

3 months

So, it seems like ETH did not get a new deal; rather, the club extended his current contract, keeping his title and transfer veto. It’s safe to assume this compromise is a result of two key factors: • ETH not willing to agree to curb his role and powers, especially in

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

1 month

Two games in, it’s way too early to be discussing a potential manager change. Erik Ten Hag earned this second chance and got the INEOS vote of confidence; they are obviously trying to support him in all areas, inculding the bespoke summer buys. And I really hope he makes the

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

10 days

The obvious problem with being so player-dependent for your tactial vision is that parts of your tactical vision are gone the moment a player or two are gone. With ETH, it goes to the extremes, so much that your final 3rd intent completely changes with or without a deep-playing

The Tactixology

@tactixology

3 months

WHAT KIND OF A MANAGER IS ERIK TEN HAG: Cooking lessons for United’s manager The best way to think about Erik Ten Hag and United’s upcoming season is to consider two different dining establishments: a very good, family-owned local restaurant and a 2-star Michelin

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

2 months

Superb post and context here by @TheDevilsDNA . In my recent thread I argued that valuing Ugarte highly seems like a bit of a throwback to peak pressing era, when this profile was extremely sought after. It was meant as less of a dig at the player and more at what United under

The Devil's DNA

@TheDevilsDNA

2 months

Thoughts on Manuel Ugarte to Manchester United 90% of my analysis of Ugarte's profile is covered in the piece I did 1.5 years ago (see quote tweet). I don't think a player changes drastically in such a short time. Majority of it still holds good IMO. Here are some additional

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

2 months

Fantastic news. Bruno is integral to our squad and it’s great to hear he’ll be integral to the INEOS reconstruction project, as well. Really want us to start seriously challenging for the league while he’s here - and, dare we dream, win a league title with Bruno as our captain.

Fabrizio Romano

@FabrizioRomano

2 months

🚨🔴 EXCLUSIVE: Manchester United have reached an agreement with Bruno Fernandes to extend his contract! New deal will be valid until June 2027 plus option included for further season, June 2028 — salary at top #MUFC level. All set to be signed before end of the summer window.

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

2 months

Ugarte is a throwback to peak pressing era, when many elite teams were looking for mobile, super-aggressive DMs with ball-winning skills, in order to: • help push up their defensive lines by vertical movement up the pitch • counter-press, usually through very aggresive support

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

1 month

Friendly reminder that Onana went for €59m and Joao Neves for €60m + add-ons. In that context, the rumored Ugarte fee seems positively outrageous.

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

4 months

Some of Manchester United’s previous projects and managers were derailed and sabotaged by terrible recruitment; Erik Ten Hag, however, is not one of them. Ole in particular suffered from two bad summer windows, with the club’s vanity targeting, severe misprofiling, idiotic

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

3 months

With new additions and fewer injuries, ETH will most likely go back to his initial blueprint for Manchester United. It consists of: • keeping the ball in the back, baiting the opposition and patiently looking for progression openings (Onana, Shaw, Licha and De Ligt very

SilvaOB.

@Silvakn0ws

3 months

🤔💭 with Ugarte, De Ligt, & Zirkzee coming in, the first XI could look something like this in-possession. <MINI-THREAD🧵>. rationale points⤵️ • Mainoo/Mount with freedom to roam vertically between deep & advanced pockets. • flexible 3-1/3-2/4-2 build-up structure.

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

2 months

A lot has been said about our new 4-2-4 pressing structure, but as I wrote previously, it’s really our traditional 4-4-2 that morphs into 4-2-4 during games. Here you can see our starting position: a narrow 4-4-2- block with our FBs pinned back & gaps pretty large between our

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

30 days

In the spring of 2023, Erik Ten Hag was basking in glory. United are on the way back, the headlines said; here’s the first trophy in years and many more to come; the man has shown an excellent recruitment nous and a pragmatic streak to finish 3rd. United are on the way back.

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

1 month

I see many people claiming that we had many chances and lost only due to bizarre defensive errors. In truth, Brighton had: 🟢 a higher xG (2.12 vs 1.41) 🟢 more shots (14 vs 11) 🟢 more shots on target (5 vs 4) 🟢 more box touches (32 vs 27) 🟢 more passes into final 3rd (92 vs

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

27 days

BUILDING FROM THE BACK - United still have a serious build-up problem It's really hard to accept that a backline / central midfield with options such as Onana, Martinez, Dalot, Mainoo, Mazraoui, De Ligt, Maguire & Mount should somehow be incapable of short build-up. Maybe not

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

15 days

Guys, the rules are clear. We can disagree all we want on football, even fiercely so. We can debate each other, challenge assumptions and question all takes, with arguments, facts and civility. But if you come to my replies to troll, peddle personal insults & spread hateful

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

2 months

ETH’S THIRD SEASON: A prediction With De Ligt, Mazraoui, Zirkzee, Yoro and presumably another DM / CM coming in, Erik Ten Hag should be able to implement his desired game model and have a good season - comparable, at least results-wise, to his first one in charge. As an

The Tactixology

@tactixology

2 months

ETH’S THIRD SEASON: A tactical preview Based on first two preseason games, public quotes and transfer intent, it’s safe to assume Erik Ten Hag’s game model won’t be changing too much this season. His basic United vision is still that of a transition-oriented team, with backline

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

4 months

@markgoldbridge What a total clown and liar. Almost nobody left from LVG & Jose eras, and your corporate sponsor Ten Hag brought in 10 new players and got rid of 20 old ones. Not the same team, not even close.

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

4 months

So excited about Mainoo, man. In him we have our starting all-phases LCM for the next 10 years, able to help out in build up, progressive carrying and passing, third-man runs... The whole package. He still needs to work on some aspects of his game such as defensive awareness

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

4 months

United’s league campaign was calamitous, but there are a few things to feel positive about: ✅ youth intake: Garnacho cementing his place, Mainoo entering first team, Amad showing glimpses of talent ✅ captain Bruno: showed his worth yet again with 27 G/A contributions (18 in

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

6 days

@TheDevilsDNA I would say we tried same mechanics that have worked in recent games (3-2-5 with Dalot inverting into pivot & Maz staying behind, Eriksen dropping left etc.) but Twente were less passive OOP than Palace, less open than Barnsley, less ponderous IP than Southampton. After

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

10 months

@FabrizioRomano “The worst manager in the history of the Premier League… Frank de Boer”.

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

1 month

Back in June I predicted that this would be a transitional season for us, since INEOS personnel just barely took over and will need time to implement their plans. In the tactical sense, too, it seemed likely we would be looking to optimize, not change, what ETH sees as the ideal

The Tactixology

@tactixology

3 months

Rumors might just be rumors, but the more credible ones about United’s targets indicate we will be looking to optimize and improve, not radically change, ETH’s game model. 1. Zirkzee - considering ETH’s preference for verticality and third man runs, it fits the system to have a

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

1 month

This is a key point after this transfer window - it was tailored-made for ETH, his profile preferences and his broader tactical plan for United. The pragmatic bargain between INEOS and ETH this summer seems to have been: we're just getting started and want to support you fully,

The Devil's DNA

@TheDevilsDNA

1 month

Guess all this is a long-winded way of saying: "Erik ten Hag has to deliver now. No more excuses." That's the TL:DR version.

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

1 month

Three years of “it’s up to the players to create solutions”. In those 3 years, we’ve replaced most of our squad, bought 14 new players, promoted 2-3 academy players, had some loanees, and not much has changed. Perhaps - perhaps - it’s time to start thinking it might not be

Ashley Tedd MUFC

@tedd_ashley

1 month

@tactixology @TheDevilsDNA Everything on the pitch is flawed when you have an opposite number it’s up to the players in those situations to create solutions

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

4 months

POCHETTINO AT UNITED? Mauricio Pochettino is charismatic and knowledgeable, a mixture of experience and modernity known for attractive football. His Southampton was intriguing: his Spurs side mostly impressive; and Chelsea under him played better than it might have seemed. And

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

4 months

Toxic fans that are now refusing to acknowledge problems with ETH’s game model will be the first to dump ETH if things go bad again.

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

5 months

The most frustrating thing about this United team is that we actually have so many good players who would thrive in a possession-based system, with central progression, buildup patterns and combination in small areas. Onana, Mainoo, Amad, Dalot, Martinez, Bruno, Shaw, Maguire,

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

17 days

ETH needs his players to be near-perfect and of correct profiles; Sancho is an imperfect player who needs to his teammates to be near-perfect and of correct profiles. It was never going go work.

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

1 month

A huge problem with ETH’s tenure has been this obsessive reliance on players, not in terms of execution, but in terms of vision, and not just a reliance on player profiles, but on specific individuals. Simply said, without very specific individuals in the team, we are reluctant

The Tactixology

@tactixology

1 month

@TheDevilsDNA I know it sounds simplistic, but it seems me he decided to build through the middle as soon as he had his favored CB partnership. As if that alone would solve things & make up for a lack of patterns and build up ideas. Which seems like an insane way to coach a team & set tactics.

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

2 months

Towards the end of last season, there were a lot of takes claiming Erik Ten Hag was throwing it away on purporse, for long-term benefit of the United team. According to this theory, ETH’s tactical approach was designed to raise the physical and fitness level of the team. By

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

5 months

“We want to be the best transitional team in the world. We want to be really successful in that particular style” - Erik Ten Hag, July 2023 “What fits this team is transition, both ways” - July 2023 “Never. We will never play like Ajax here. We play much more direct football

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

18 days

And his excellent carrying & passing contribution:

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

25 days

I’ve seen a lot of comments about INEOS deciding to keep ETH after last season & how long their support might last should things go really bad. The key piece of information we have is that Ten Hag never got a new contract - the club merely triggered the extension clause in his

The Tactixology

@tactixology

3 months

So, it seems like ETH did not get a new deal; rather, the club extended his current contract, keeping his title and transfer veto. It’s safe to assume this compromise is a result of two key factors: • ETH not willing to agree to curb his role and powers, especially in

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

3 months

Yoro and Zirkzee would be a very good start of the transfer window, but it’s equally impressive that we were able to strike a good deal for Greenwood. Can’t help but feel very optimistic regarding our new sporting setup.

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

2 months

In the 2 years since Erik Ten Hag became the Manchester United manager, the club have spent: 💰 €270m on 5 of ETH’s ex-players from his peak Ajax teams 💰 a further €120m on 3 players ETH liked and was familiar with from the Eredivisie ⚽️ 3 more players signed for free /

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

4 months

I see this thread making rounds again, basically saying ETH sacrificed the season on purpose to improve physicality of the team, especially out of possession. It’s seems like intriguing thesis, but if the goal was increasing physicality level at any coat - why didn’t we opt for

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@tekzts

5 months

why physicality (& technical players) is biggest issue, not tactics. EtH stated he has focused this season on addressing the physicality through volume & intensity [to set a benchmark] — and stuck to that plan, despite a decrease in performances — as did Ole.

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

4 months

Now that ETH has been confirmed to stay, it makes absolutely no sense - and it does him no service - to keep clinging to delusional fantasies about his game model. - being unable to play a higher line because players are unable or unwilling to do so - insisting on end-to-end

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

5 months

TRANFER TARGETS 2024/2025 Is Olise a top young player? Yes, but I don’t think he should be Manchester United’s priority this window. For almost a decade now, central midfield has been the biggest personnel issue, only coming close to having the right balance with Matic, Herrera

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

1 month

@TheDevilsDNA I know it sounds simplistic, but it seems me he decided to build through the middle as soon as he had his favored CB partnership. As if that alone would solve things & make up for a lack of patterns and build up ideas. Which seems like an insane way to coach a team & set tactics.

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

5 months

Alarm bells were ringing the moment it became clear our midfield priority in the summer was not a ball controller with elite progression & receiving skills in deeper areas, but an all-phases CM / advanced 8 like Mason Mount. This clearly indicated ETH thought in-possession

The Devil's DNA

@TheDevilsDNA

5 months

I genuinely believe ETH's biggest mistake at Man Utd is the choice he made in summer 2023 to go in this direction of game model. It was always a low ceiling model that even RB teams & Bielsa couldn't master at a high level & even it's biggest proponents like Klopp & current Buli

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

23 days

@tekzts My man, last year you were peddling the theory that ETH is a mastermind who is throwing away the season on purpose to build physical levels. And now, from what I understand, you’re basically saying it didn’t matter at all, because we need to buy different players.

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

2 months

He actually said this 🤣

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

1 month

You can’t be watching this game and claim there are no structural buildup, progression nor out-of-posession issues with this United team.

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

4 months

I have nothing against football YouTubbers; many of them add great value to public discourse. I don’t even mind fan media outlets that sometimes dabble in rage-baiting; not my thing, but fan culture has always been, at least in part, about honest outcry and rage-baiting. What I

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

4 months

Good point by Adam here, with Kompany & McKenna headlining the summer window thus far. It’s been really interesting to observe - don’t remember when was the last time top clubs went for managers from relegated teams and lower levels (other than club legends). Style and

Adam Crafton

@AdamCrafton_

4 months

we appear to be entering a world where coaches with proven track records of world class performance and coaching are basically being entirely dismissed and people who have had some success at substantially lower levels are being entirely believed in.

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

2 months

Pleased with how we did in regular time - lots of positives and some caveats, the biggest one being that we approach these big games differently than most regular season games. We’re content to defend low, absorb lots of pressure, prioritize compactness and hit the opposition on

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

10 days

It’s really interesting that Eric *always* sticks to something that worked in the previous game or two. The Weghorst as #10 experiment was effective - but only briefly, for a specific purpose, in a specific game, at a specific time. But then we kept going for re-runs of that

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

4 months

According to Gundogan here, the manager accounts for 70-80% of a team’s success. One can argue about the percentage - I certainly think it seems excessive - but the underlying logic is spot on. “Coaches create the whole pattern that a team follow. A really good coach can make a

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

1 month

@EBL2017 What a poor take. Look at the extremely deep defensive line height and the high PPDA. Nothing great about the pressing

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

1 month

The kind of tactical analysis that I really don’t like is taking some isolated clips from a match, labeling them with fancy sounding terms, non-existant in any known coaching methodology - “the wide isolated inversion forward run” - and claiming it’s an ingenious pattern of play,

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

4 months

BREAKING NEWS: Sports journalist has no real info on United manager situation, decides to publish article anyway.

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

5 months

While having Shaw and Martinez would obviously make us a better team, these are the unfortunate facts: • even when most of these players available, same tactical issues were evident • many of the injured players wouldn’t have been starters even if they were fit (see: Mason

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

30 days

Technical > tactical crowd: technical security is everything, tactics come last Tactics: hold my beer

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

1 month

Assuming we do no more business, this was a very solid transfer window for United: I’d rate it at around 8/10. THINGS THAT WERE GOOD: 🟢 A return to common sense - First and foremost, we’ve seen no irrational fees, emotion-driven decisions and panic buys aimed at providing quick

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

6 days

The next 3 games against Spurs, Porto & Villa will be key for Erik Ten Hag and this season's project. The games come against stronger opposition than what we've recently faced, but opposition that is very beatable and not without flaws. I think we should be aiming for 2/3 wins

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

3 months

England doing their best to emulate the legendary Manchester United 2023 / 2024 game model.

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

4 months

The personnel quality gap between the two sides was immense, especially when it comes to game-dedicing talent up front and in the back, but Ragnick’s well-drilled team managed to compensate for a lot of that. As I keep saying, of course better players allow your team to play

Premier League Panel

@PremLeaguePanel

4 months

The way Rangnick has imprinted his aggressive style of play on a national team is very impressive. Their high pressing had France’s build-up rattled at times. They were just lacking some attacking quality with the final action. Tactically, he closed the gap to France’s quality.

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

2 months

If United buy Mazraoui, we could end up with 3 out of 5 back line players = ex ETH players. If De Ligt is acquired as well, it would be 4/5. Not saying it’s inherently wrong to go for players already familiar with the manager’s personality and methods, but it’s a peculiar way to

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

29 days

There was an unfortunate, though somewhat understandable, tendency last season to think that injuries to key players distrupted our intent, structure & gameplay. It’s not a trivial issue; it goes right to the core of what tactics are, and thus it caused a lot of confusion and

Pauly Kwestel

@pkwestel

29 days

Wrote a thread about this problem last year and everyone rushed to my replies to say “Martinez fixes this.” I was very skeptical because, as Aaron pointed out, the problem isn’t the passer, the problem is there’s never anyone to pass to

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

2 months

Always had a somewhat irrational affinity for Aaron Wan-Bissaka. He was the first big signing of Ole’s tenure, a young English fullback with a good season behind him, giving him an aura of romantic nostalgia from a bygone era, when clubs like United could simply acquire the

The Devil's DNA

@TheDevilsDNA

2 months

Where did it go wrong for Aaron Wan-Bissaka? Selling Aaron Wan-Bissaka for £15m at age 26 after buying him for £45m at age 21 signifies that a lot did not go as per plan. The main reason AWB is leaving Manchester United is because he isn't a great fit for any of the 4 popular

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

4 months

Jarrad Branthwaite & João Neves are highly skilled wonderkids, probably the best available young talent this summer in their respective positions and their respective profiles. And yet, not entirely enthusiastic they seem to be the first two targets we seriously considered under

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

1 month

Saying that United’s pressing structure is much better this season because we have Mount up front is like saying air pollution in central London is much better this summer because someone planted a few massive oaks on Oxford Street. Excess ≠ process. Sample ≠ organization. And

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The Tactixology

@tactixology

2 months

Back in June I stated this will be a transitional season, without major disturptions to ETH’s game model; the goal will be to optimize rather than change. As we move further into the pre-season, based on transfers, games and statements, I would say it was the right take on the

The Tactixology

@tactixology

3 months

Rumors might just be rumors, but the more credible ones about United’s targets indicate we will be looking to optimize and improve, not radically change, ETH’s game model. 1. Zirkzee - considering ETH’s preference for verticality and third man runs, it fits the system to have a

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