Preston vs. Manchester United: Tactical Review of FA Cup Game

Manchester United beat Preston North End 3-1 and progressed to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup on Monday night at Deepdale. The match was marred by controversy due to two contestable decisions from the referee, but the game also stood an interesting tactical battle between two reactive sides.

Formations and XIs

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Preston North End began in a 5-3-2 formation, with Kevin Davies and Joe Garner up front, five committed to the defensive line and three midfield workhorses in the centre.

Manchester United utilised a 4-4-2 diamond with Marouane Fellaini at the top, Angel Di Maria shuttling centrally and Wayne Rooney restored to a striker's role.

1. Flat United

Much of United's play this season, despite the strong results record, has been remarkably sterile. One loss in 19 games, certainly, but plenty of bored fans.

The stupor that's settled over the red half of Manchester plagued this side over the first 45 minutes, with the lone bright spots coming in the form of Di Maria and Rooney. The former provided several positive moments dribbling forward with the ball at his feet, while the latter made three or four excellent runs in behind or across the centre-back to drive Preston back.

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But overall, it was all a bit stale. No quickness in the passing, no purpose in the runs and another poor, poor showing from Radamel Falcao—a man who used to be one of the deadliest predators in the world, yet now couldn't trap a cement block of his life depended on it.

Per BBC's live broadcast, the Red Devils managed 65 percent possession in the first half, but the team looked thoroughly out of ideas. It was pointless possession, and while it gave off the idea of United dominance, Preston were rarely troubled.

2. Vertical Goodness

Conversely, Preston's game plan was obvious, simple and very effective. Defending with eight behind the ball and leaving Garner and Davies up front to hassle the centre-backs, the home side naturally opened themselves up to a vertical style of play.

Kevin Davies wreaked havoc up front, bringing down long punts out of defence, irritating Marcos Rojo to no end and even buying several yellow cards for defenders through simply knowing when to go down.

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Garner made himself available for the knockdowns and fashioned a quick shot on goal, or Davies would win the free-kick 30-40 yards from goal and allow the excellent Paul Gallagher to arrow in some inviting deliveries into the box.

Crucially, the Preston midfield three would sit goalside of United's Di Maria-Daley Blind-Ander Herrera trio as the ball flew toward Davies, then burst past them and pick up loose balls, starting attacks high up the pitch.

United's outside CMs (Di Maria and Herrera) didn't track or were slow to do so, giving Blind a tough assignment with two-three players running at him from different angles on the counter.

3. One vs. One

This matching up of players centrally (three vs. three) also stretched to the wide areas, and with United lacking wingers, Preston's wing-backs matched up one vs. one with the full-backs.

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Scott Laird took on Antonio Valencia mano y mano, while Luke Shaw faced up vs. Chris Humphrey on the opposite flank. They flew back and forth constantly as pairs, but it was Preston's wide men who had the jump as they were surging from deeper, starting earlier and hitting top speed quicker.

For the goal, Davies won the knockdown, Garner laid it off to the left and the onrushing Laird rinsed Valencia before firing home—the culmination of a well-worked game plan adapted to the flow of the game.

4. Van Gaal Finds a Time Machine

It's worth noting the referee played a part in United's comeback, though Ander Herrera's goal was not offside, as per a rule change in 2014. Rooney is stood offside and is interfering, but as the ball does not touch him, there's nothing illegal about it.

That said, Louis van Gaal deserves credit for changing the system and finding a rhythm. If we're to criticise the awful opening, we should praise the much-improved ending.

Falcao was withdrawn and Ashley Young sent on, and the winger immediately moved to the left flank to create an orthodox 4-4-2 shape. Fellaini headed up front alongside Rooney, and Di Maria filtered over to the right.

Credit: SportsNet

The transformation was immediate; Young was fed early and often in dangerous positions, and his crosses toward the head of Fellaini were dangerous as ever. On the opposite flank, Di Maria and Valencia both got forward and maintained the pressure, picking up stray clearances and firing them back in.

The equaliser came from Young receiving the ball in a pocket and squaring the ball to Herrera, then the second was a forced Fellaini finish following a classic Valencia byline cross. It's like Van Gaal had found a time machine in the away dressing room and dialed it back to 2010.

The comeback victory is understandably marred by a Rooney dive at the end of the game, winning a penalty to seal it, but the tactical talking point here is the restoration of United's width and subsequent drastic improvement. Food for thought for Van Gaal.

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