Manchester United vs. Newcastle: Tactical Preview of Premier League Game
Manchester United host Newcastle United on Boxing Day in a repeat of the classic 4-3 encounter from 2012. The Red Devils' win streak came to an end at Villa Park on Saturday, and Louis van Gaal will be keen to right the wrongs of the previous weekend.
Let's take a look at this game from a tactical perspective.
Manchester United Setup
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Van Gaal has received a boost ahead of the Christmas schedule, with the Daily Mail reporting Daley Blind is on his way back from a knee injury sustained with the Netherlands earlier this season. It won't help United here, but he's running outside, and he's on the mend, which is good news.
Radamel Falcao's goalscoring start at Villa Park should be enough to earn him another start, and Angel Di Maria could return to the starting setup after returning from the bench on Saturday.
The question, once again, will be whether Van Gaal opts for a three-man or a four-man defensive line. He could go to a diamond formation with a back four, and with Jonny Evans struggling against Aston Villa, his place could be at risk.
If not, a 3-5-2, with perhaps Wayne Rooney further forward, is the likely option.
Newcastle United Setup
Per WhoScored.com, Cheick Tiote is suspended for the clash at Old Trafford. He joins an absurdly long injury list including Davide Santon, Siem de Jong, Gabriel Obertan, Tim Krul, Robert Elliot and Mehdi Abeid.
Alan Pardew has been fairly heavily married to a 4-2-3-1 formation this season, and that won't change here. It offers him protection in the defensive line and presence up front on the counter-attack.
Jack Colback will continue to mind the midfield, Ayoze Perez should earn another start up front, despite Papiss Cisse's improving fitness, and Remy Cabella could well come in for a start.
This is a Newcastle side who are tough to gauge; is it their five-game win streak or their atrocious start and recent blip in form we should judge them by?
Key Tactical Point 1: Moussa Sissoko's Deployment
The big question is how Moussa Sissoko is deployed: With Tiote out, could he slip back into the holding pivot with Colback, or will he retain his role further forward?
Taking Sissoko out of the No. 10 role could cause issues for the Magpies—their go-to attack method is Colback tackles and feeds pass for Sissoko to run at defenders—and may lessen the threat on the counter-attack.
United will monopolise possession and push the issue in front of the home crowd, and retaining Sissoko's immense strength and dribbling ability as a quick out-ball is vital. Pardew may be tempted to drop the Frenchman a little deeper and then play compatriot Remy Cabella in the hole.
With Vurnon Anita available, this switch might not be forced, but Pardew must do everything he can to keep Sissoko further forward.
Key Tactical Point 2: United's Midfield Re-Jig?
A continuation of the 3-5-2 is more likely, as Chris Smalling and Marcos Rojo both look set to miss this game due to injury. LVG does not trust Evans and Phil Jones without Michael Carrick to hold their hands—even if it's to the detriment of the flow of the team when losing Carrick in midfield.
The good news, though, comes in the probable start of Di Maria in what could be a central role. He isn't required to take the reins at left-wing-back because Ashley Young has been good, so he can file into a central midfield role and push Rooney further forward.
The casualty might be Juan Mata—a serious underperformer at Villa Park—and while he's been strong in general, the competition in this side is fierce. Ander Herrera and Marouane Fellaini battle for one spot, while Mata must fight someone else for another.
Should Di Maria come in, he'll provide that vertical drive and energy required to break down a Newcastle side set up to, first and foremost, stymie the hosts. He'll lift the crowd, thread passes and create far more chances for his strikers—a trait direly needed post-Villa.
