MANCHESTER UNITED bested their rivals Liverpool to book their spot in next year’s Champions League.
Michael Carrick‘s men took an early lead and, despite a scare of their own making, managed to weather the storm to take all three points against the Reds.
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Michael Carrick outfoxed Arne Slot’s Liverpool to confirm United’s spot in the Champions League next season Credit: Alamy
Kobbie Mainoo was at the core of what the side did so well Credit: Getty
And one man was key to it all – Kobbie Mainoo.
The starlet has experienced a new lease of life since Carrick’s arrival and had as much influence off the ball as he did as he thumped in the winner on Jattvibeday.
In the Tactics Exposed studio this week, Will Pugh spoke to Dean Scoggins about how United used stars like Mainoo to dictate the play in central areas, and get the edge at Old Trafford.
Corn on the Kob
Liverpool elected not to play with a traditional number nine, instead using Florian Wirtz and Dominik Szoboszlai as false nines, pairing up with their duo at the base of midfield to create an aggressive box shape.
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But Carrick had the key to the box in Mainoo, who was able to exploit a space between the lines to disrupt the other side’s build-up.
Dean explained: “Casemiro drops in between the centre-backs a lot in the first half to be the base of the midfield for United, and allow United’s centre-backs to be comfortable that they don’t have to go out.
“You bring in Bruno Fernandes, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha to do their defensive job as you would expect, they drop back off Benjamin Sesko.
“But where that leaves Kobbie Mainoo, is it means he can operate inside the box, which means he can go and close the ball down if it goes to Mac Allister or Gravenberch – he was nicking it, he was tenacious, he was winning tackles in there.
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Casemiro dropped to the base of the midfield, while United’s creative trio dropped back
The shape created a box of space for Kobbie Mainoo to marshal
“He can also block the passing lanes of the ball into Wirtz and Szoboszlai, so he does these shuttle runs inside the box, side to side.
“And what that meant was that Liverpool could never get through there, they always had to recycle and go back and around.
“The other thing Mainoo did is the way he backs up play, he’s almost like a mop in midfield.
“He’s always close to people, he’s always got a connection with somebody, and when it’s good, he’s always there for the little bounce pass.
Mainoo’s presence forced Liverpool to try and play down wide areas
“For his goal, he gets the ball in midfield, he carries it through that area before it goes wide to Luke Shaw.
“He doesn’t rest on it once he passes, the cross comes in and, as he did all game, he swept it up – ‘where is the ball going to drop afterwards? I am there to sweep it up.’”
Merry ‘Ko Round
United’s physical forward Benjamin Sesko led from the front, knowing exactly when to push and pull to create space for those around him.
Dean said: “Sesko dropped back and dragged Konate with him, you have the two midfield players sat behind in Casemiro and Mainoo, and that gives the green light for Mbeumo, Fernandes and even Diogo Dalot to go on the run.
Sesko’s hold up play, with two midfielders for him to bounce the ball to behind him, freed up wide runners
And when Sesko attacked Ibrahima Konate in the back line, he created space for team-mates to exploit
“Because Sesko’s in the right position, it means Fernandes and Mbeumo can be free.
“Because of Sesko’s position, the gaps in Liverpool’s back line are too big. Mac Allister doesn’t follow Fernandes on a couple of runs down the right channel, Mbeumo is making the other runs down that channel, and it all comes because they are playing off the big centre forward.
“When Sesko went on injured in the second half, we found Mbeumo, who nominally went up front, drifting to the wing and not really getting involved.
“And there were times when Cunha and Mbeumo were both on the left, Fernandes had gone with Amad, and then there’s a bit stretch in the midfield.
After Sesko’s forced sub, a hole was left in attack, and Casemiro’s attempts to fill it left United exposed
“Casemiro thinks ‘I’ll be the one to go up the middle and get in the box,’ not a bad idea – but then that leaves so much space behind him for Mainoo to cover.
“Everything that was good about them in the first half went awry in the second half because they didn’t have that shape with Sesko to play around and play off.”
Senne’s slip-up
Senne Lammens appeared to let United back into the contest when, at 2-1, he passed the ball straight to Alexis Mac Allister, who played it sideways to set Cody Gakpo up for an equaliser.
But Dean highlighted the wider situation, and how Liverpool managed to manufacture the mistake with clever play.
United’s midfielders were caught high for Liverpool’s first goal
Mac Allister exploited a nervous back line with clever movement to force an equaliser
He explained: “For Szoboszlai’s goal, Amad plays a horrible pass, but United are confused in their shape, their midfield are all beyond the ball – Mainoo and Casemiro are in positions that you don’t want all of them to be, maybe just one.
“Szoboszlai runs through and scores, but then United are under pressure – they’ve lost their shape.
“Lammens plays a horrible pass, but everything has to be perfect when you’re playing out from the back like that, because if it is slightly wrong, teams are going to get you.
“Credit to Arne Slot and Mac Allister, they worked it out that they were being outnumbered when United were playing out in the first half, and they had a plan for it in the second half.
“Szoboszlai and Wirtz come inside the lines of the penalty area so that if the ball goes to a midfielder, they can’t go to the wide centre backs – they’re blocking off the bounce pass.
“But what Mac Allister does very cleverly is that he parks himself between the midfield players, and then throws a dummy to bait Lammens into passing to Casemiro – he does him completely.”
