Manchester United Tactical Changes We Will See Under David Moyes

The new Manchester United manager David Moyes will not tinker too much with a winning team, but it is clear his main tactical changes will be made in midfield this season.

The pursuit of first Thiago and now Cesc Fabregas during the summer transfer window, as reported in The Mirror, proves Moyes wants more dynamism and goals from the United midfield over the next nine months.

Moyes is well aware he has inherited an underwhelming stable of midfielders that does not contribute nearly enough goals to the team.

Last season the eight players who featured for United in central midfield, Darren Fletcher, Nick Powell, Paul Scholes, Michael Carrick, Anderson, Tom Cleverley, Ryan Giggs and Phil Jones, combined for a pitiful total of nine goals in the Premier League.

The United defence managed to comfortably outscore their midfield counterparts by combining for 14 goals in the Premier League last season.

Even the opposition came close to scoring more goals for United than their actual midfield last season by contributing six own goals.

Moyes wants a midfield with more cut and thrust, able to both provide more chances for the forward line and score more goals of their own.

At Everton, Moyes always liked to have a midfielder capable of getting in to double figures in the scoring charts, from Tim Cahill who managed 68 goals in eight seasons to the improving Marouane Fellaini, who scored 11 league goals last season.

Tactically by having midfielders more adept at running with the ball and surging forward, they will score more goals and provide more openings for Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney.

The hunt for goal-scoring midfielders suggests United will play with a more direct style this season.

Last season the United midfield could be too static; too prone to pass the ball sideways to the flanks rather than playing through the middle.

The signing of Fabregas would help Moyes make this tactical change to his midfield.

The Spaniard is comfortable on the ball and running directly at defences, which helped him scored 11 times in La Liga for Barcelona last season. In the 2009-10 season he did even better than that scoring 15 times for Arsenal.

Unsurprisingly if United fail to recruit Fabregas, it has been reported in The Guardian that Moyes will return to his former club Everton to sign Fellaini to help provide more goals from midfield.

Moyes can see that his defence and forward line is strong, but that his midfield needs urgent attention.

Before the season starts, Moyes needs to recruit new personnel to execute the tactical changes he wants to see at Old Trafford.