Some suggestions for Mourinho to improve United's play

Although Manchester United lost 2-1 against Hull City in the second leg of the EFL Cup semi-final, this result was enough for them to get the 3-2 aggregate win that took them to the final. Nevertheless, after the game Jose Mourinho claimed that his team actually did not lose the game, but the penalty given to Hull City was the wrong call. Although it would be interesting to write a piece on why goals change the course of the game rather than only changing the scoreboard in a stable storyline, I believe United have more serious problems to talk about. As I mentioned in my earlier pieces, Jose Mourinho's team started to get some decent results by the end of 2016, but their gameplay has been one-sided since the beginning of the season, and it seems that it is still the case. So I thought it would be cool if someone did Mourinho's job and created some new tactics for United's game.

First of all, as I said in many pieces before, United's defense needs complete revision, both individually and tactically. They have an insufficient center-back pool for a team like United, and I have some serious suspicions about the defensive skills of those players. Added to that, the defensive midfield position has no other specific role for defending than covering the positions of the center-backs. But Michael Carrick and Ander Herrera must be used dynamically in that area, so that they can press wings as well as the middle by moving like blocks with other defenders. Defensive midfielders are not defensive joker cards that should run everywhere to help, rather they should be seen as the bridge between defense and attack, a position that requires certain tactical roles. If Mourinho stops dividing his team into two different blocks and making defensive midfielders the backbone of his game, United can significantly improve both offensively and defensively.

Secondly, there has to be a certain passing model between the three forward players and the rest of the team, because right now the only option for sending the ball to the forwards is kicking the ball into the opponent's half. A decent counter-attacking strategy requires a swift shift from defense to attack with precision, and that requires a team that knows a certain plan to carry the ball into the opponent's half. Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Paul Pogba and Wayne Rooney are capable of organizing attacks in the final third, and carrying the ball to them at the right time and place would create many opportunities for United. In order to do that, first United must use center-backs like Jerome Boateng, who can deliver precise passes 30-40 meters. Secondly wing-backs must create passing opportunities on the wings by be positioned further into the opponent's half, making the opponent's defense wider and harder to control too.

To sum up, United need better center-backs, more collaboration between defenders and defensive midfielders, and a certain passing model that would allow counter-attacking be effective. However, if David de Gea continues to kick the ball to the other side of the pitch at every opportunity, all of these tactics are meaningless.