Will Manchester United be able to gain a foothold in the top 3 of the Premier League after the match with Leeds: the forecast of the game on April 13
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- Will Manchester United be able to gain a foothold in the top 3 of the Premier League after the match with Leeds: the forecast of the game on April 13
The English Premier League will host the Rose Derby on April 13, which will feature Manchester United and Leeds United. Since the arrival of Michael Carrick, the Red Devils have shown a brilliant result: in the last 10 matches, the Mancunians have won seven times, drawn twice and lost only once. A drawing of Carrick's game in the derby, the prickly Leeds and the main problem of Manchester United is in the Izvestia material.
How Manchester United plays under Carrick
Under Michael Carrick's leadership, Manchester United have acquired a clear, controlling pattern of play, markedly different from the straightforward style of the sacked Ruben Amorim. Carrick rebuilt the team to a 4-2-3-1 pattern, returning key performers to their natural roles.
The Athletic cites the main aspects of his tactics: extended periods of possession with a large number of combinations of 10 or more passes (12.2 versus 9.7 under Amorim). United began to score less (13.8 attempts per game versus 17.1 under Amorim) and less often resorted to long takeaways, focusing on short and medium passes.
The attack is now built through overloading the right flank — almost 48% of the chances are created where right-back Diogo Dalot rises high and combines with Amad. At the same time, left-back Luke Shaw regularly shifts to the center, forming a trio of defenders. Without the ball, Carrick lowered the starting pressure range, moving to a lower and more compact middle block (often 4-4-2, as in the winning mast against Manchester City), which dramatically improved the defense.
However, there are notable drawbacks to Carrick's approach. The attacking acuity has decreased: The Athletic reports that the expected goals without penalties have dropped from 1.6 to 1.3 per match, and the total number of shots from standard positions has decreased by almost a third — United have completely abandoned long outs, which were constantly used under Amorim.
In addition, the game has become more predictable due to the hypertrophied role of the right flank: the left edge is used much less often, and attempts to cross with the left foot have almost disappeared. A lower pressure start means that the opponent gets more time and space to get out of the defense under pressure.
What Leeds need to do to win
To beat Manchester United, Leeds must act in three directions. Firstly, to saturate the central zone and force the "MU" to transfer the ball to the less dangerous left flank, where the threat is minimal — there are no regular overhangs or system combinations.
Secondly, use quick vertical transitions after losing the ball: the Dalot often stays high, and the Show shifts to the center, leaving an open area behind the right defender of the "MU" — that's where the "peacocks" can direct their high-speed wingers.
Thirdly, Leeds should actively press the starting phase of Man UTD's possession: although Carrick lowered the line of pressure, his team still allows long series of passes, and if Leeds aggressively meets in the first third of the field, this may force United to make mistakes or resort to risky long passes (which, if necessary, Carrick became a rarity).
Finally, it's worth paying attention to the standards: under Carrick, MU reduced the threat from corners and outs by itself, but at the same time its defense does not demonstrate outstanding play on the second floor — Leeds may try to impose a fight there, given that the opponent now rarely uses long outs and is less prepared for such non-standard draws.
Prediction of the game pattern
The meeting at Old Trafford looks like a particularly intriguing test of Michael Carrick's philosophy. After a disappointing 1-2 defeat to Newcastle, which exposed problems with the intensity and narrowness of attacks, Manchester United will enter the field with a clear intention to regain control of the game. The pattern of the Red Devils' game will be predictably asymmetrical and calibrated to the millimeter, and it is precisely in this predictability that the main intrigue of the match lies.
In positional attacks, the Dalot will rise higher, creating a numerical advantage in conjunction with the Amad. Against the prickly Leeds, who will surely saturate the central axis and force United to drive the ball across the field, Bruno Fernandes and Cobby Mayne will have to look for non-standard vertical corridors.
Mainu becomes a key figure in this context — his ability to connect the lines and withstand the opponent's high pressure will determine whether Manchester United can deliver the ball to Brian Mbemo or Mateus Cunha in the penalty area, or whether the attacks will choke in endless rolls between Casemiro and the central defenders.
Despite the obvious tactical limitations and a slight decline, Manchester United is still seen as the favorite in this meeting. The reason is not so much tactical flexibility, which the current "MU" lacks, but rather the nature and status of the field.
Old Trafford, under Carrick, is learning to be a fortress again, and the mental stability of the team, multiplied by the individual skill of Fernandes, who is able to squeeze a goal out of half a moment, should outweigh the youthful enthusiasm and physical strength of Leeds.
The match promises to be viscous, nervous and not too rich in scoring chances from the game. Most likely, we will see another victory for United with a minimum score, where Carrick's rational control will be slightly more effective than the chaotic onslaught of the guests. The game will be played on April 13 at Old Trafford Stadium, with Paul Tierney appointed referee.
All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
