Manchester United vs. West Brom: Tactical Analysis

Manchester United started off the day two points behind title favorites Manchester City.

A couple of hours later, they find themselves on top of the table by a point and in pole position to give them their 20th league title.

While City fell to a late Luke Moore goal at the Liberty Stadium to Swansea City, Wayne Rooney scored two goals at Old Trafford to send the Red Devils to the top of the pile.

What on paper looked a boring game tactically, the tie was quite interesting tactically in the first half. However, it was all United in the second half.

Here is my tactical analysis of the game. 

Manchester United Lineup

United lined up in a typical 4-4-1-1/4-2-3-1 formation.

Carrick and Scholes sat slightly deep to control the play.

Welbeck consistently drifted inside, but we will discuss that later.

The fullbacks, Jones and Evra, marauded forward at every opportunity, and Jones especially found an extraordinary amount of space.

Rooney played his usual game, as he dropped into little pockets of space created by West Brom's midfield. 

West Brom Lineup

Roy Hodgson unsurprisingly went with a five in midfield.

Odemwingie played wide left and similarly drifted inside. However, he was troubled by Evra's forward runs.

Morrison and Andrews tried to press early, and Andrews nearly scored in the the first few minutes with a late run into the box.

Fortune looked isolated throughout the game.

Tactical Point No. 1: Problem with West Brom's Midfield, Rooney and Welbeck Exploit

One of the problems, defensively, with a 4-5-1 is the space either side of the holding midfielder. 

As Morrison and Andrews tried to press the United midfield high, United created a 2v1 against Mulumbu.

They created this by allowing Welbeck to drift inside and link with Rooney.

Mulumbu was left with a choice of who to press. He did neither, and United exploited. 

Tactical Point No. 2: Use of Inverted Wingers Give MUFC Easy out-Ball to Fullbacks

Evra had one of his best offensive games in a while, and that is indicative of how well United's inverted wingers played.

Young and Welbeck were a constant threat. This was due to the fact that the United fullbacks had the West Brom's wide midfielders tied up and allowing Welbeck and Young to have advantageous 1v1s against Ridgewell and Tamas.  

Tactical Point No. 3: Decision to Play Odemwingie on Right Side Does Not Pay off

Odemwingie started on the right side, looking to come inside at every opportunity. 

Instead of forcing Evra inside, it opened him up for unchallenged forward runs.

The Nigerian, in addition, provided almost no attacking outlet, thus rendering the decision a failure.

Tactical Point No. 4: Chicharito's Underrated Importance to Rooney's All-Around Game

Rooney's performances hinges a lot on the movement of his fellow strikers.

Playing with Chicharito, Rooney finds a lot more space.

This is due to the "Little Pea's" terrific movement.

He pushes the opposition centrebacks deeper and deeper, opening up the game for Rooney.

Tactical Point No. 5: Teams Must Attack United to Have a Chance in Beating Them

Both Mourinho and this man, Marcelo Bielsa, have put their finger on how to beat Manchester United. 

In Mourinho's autobiography, he talks about how you must play against United in United's half because if you lose the ball there, you still have time to recover.

Bielsa's Bilbao side played in United's half and completely outclassed them.

It seems it is quite futile in putting 11 men behind the ball against United when they are in this form.

Having no attacking outlet is suicidal.