Without a 'boss' in midfield, MU finds it difficult to raise their heads

MU bought Cunha, but did not recruit a classy central midfielder.

Graeme Souness once said: “The team that touches the ball first wins the game.” This is perhaps the most obvious truth for a Manchester United team that is losing its strength in midfield – the place that determines the control, pace and balance of the game.

MU and the gap lasting more than a decade

In fact, MU has not had a true central midfielder for a long time. After the golden era with Roy Keane, Paul Scholes, David Beckham and Ryan Giggs, the team has not been able to recreate a midfield capable of controlling the game. Since the Glazers took over in 2005, Sir Alex Ferguson - constrained by financial burdens - was forced to focus on defense and attack, while the midfield gradually became open.

MU's 2007/08 Champions League-winning squad, despite having the superb trio of Ronaldo-Rooney-Tevez, still exposed weaknesses in midfield. Barcelona exploited that vulnerability thoroughly in the two Champions League finals (2009 and 2011), causing MU's defense to be stretched and the attack to be suffocated due to lack of ammunition.

From Owen Hargreaves in 2007 until Ferguson retired, United only recruited Nick Powell - a player who was more of an attacking midfielder than a central midfielder. Instead of building a midfield brain, Ferguson chose to assemble a group of talented attackers to solve the game. This strategy was successful in the short term, but laid the foundation for United's decline in the following decade.

MU once expected Paul Pogba to lead the midfield, but failed.

Over the past 12 years, MU has spent hundreds of millions of pounds on names like Fellaini, Pogba, Fred, Herrera, Matic, Schweinsteiger, Di María, Eriksen, Casemiro and most recently Ugarte. But apart from Bruno Fernandes - who is in charge of the attacking style of play, almost no one has met expectations. All that has done is make the club's midfield a shapeless mess.

Even under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the team had impressive seasons thanks to their quick counter-attacks, but when they tried to dominate, they immediately exposed their weaknesses. The lack of flexibility and muscle in midfield made the defense vulnerable, while the attack lacked the ball to finish. The money spent on Harry Maguire in 2019 should have been spent on a Declan Rice, but the board did not see that.

Ruben Amorim and the Median Problem

Ruben Amorim, who is rebuilding United, has recognised the problem. After the 0-0 draw with Leeds, he frankly admitted: “We lacked speed in midfield, the distance between the lines was too big. Winning the ball became very difficult . ”

Amorim wants United to play a modern, high-pressing, space-controlling game, as Guardiola and Klopp did. But he doesn’t have the midfield “machines” to do it. Casemiro is past his prime, and Ugarte – a hasty fix – isn’t up to the task.

Although the Portuguese coach has added Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo to his attack, that is not enough. No striker – not even the “Alien” Ronaldo in his prime – can shine without receiving the ball from midfield. Conversely, with a powerful and creative midfield, names like Zirkzee, Højlund and Chido Obi can absolutely explode.

Ruben Amorim faces a midfield problem at MU.

Modern football demands dominance in the midfield. Guardiola uses intelligent midfielders like Stones or Bernardo Silva to dominate the game; Klopp has used physical players like Wijnaldum or Henderson to destroy opponents. United, on the other hand, are still struggling with misplaced signings and lack a “boss” like Keane or Carrick to lead the team.

It’s time for a change for the Red Devils. Amorim can’t just split his budget on a striker and a mid-range midfielder and expect miracles. They need to focus squarely on finding the best central midfielder possible – a player who can compete, dictate the tempo and has the personality to carry the team.

After all, football is not just about “xG” or “progressive passes”, but also about the ability to gain possession. MU does not lack attacking players, but they lack “first touch” players - as Souness emphasized. Without solving the problem of midfield, all of Amorim’s rebuilding plans are like building castles in the sand.

MU needs a true “revival”, and the heart of that revival must start from the midfield. Only when they find a “monster” in the middle of the field, can the “Red Devils” return to being the team that makes all of Europe wary.

Source: https://znews.vn/thieu-ong-chu-tuyen-giua-mu-kho-ngang-dau-post1571459.html