The 2023/24 Premier League campaign is up and running, and – at the time of writing – Manchester United have welcomed three high-profile signings to Old Trafford. As anticipated, Erik ten Hag is being dissected from pillar to post, with many people questioning his playing style and, more recently, his decision to splash the cash on Chelsea youth product Mason Mount. Keeping all of this in mind, I have decided to supply my interpretation of the manager’s tactical impression – while also taking a deep dive into player’s roles – including that of Mr. Mount.
Supporters of the famous club have witnessed a marked transformation of their team under Ten Hag, with several news faces opting to join the manager on his Manchester journey. The former Ajax supremo has made no secret of his desire to play an attractive possession-based system at the club. To ease the transition toward this new-look structure, he has turned toward several of his past players to aid in developments at the Theatre of Dreams.
During his opening season, the Haaksbergen man acquired the signature of former players Lisandro Martínez and Antony, with Dutch defender Tyrell Malacia and veteran midfielders Casemiro and Christian Eriksen also making the switch. Fast forward to the present day, and the squad continues to be shaped in the manager’s image with the arrival of André Onana (another former player), Rasmus Højlund and the previously mentioned Mount.
A tendency to trust previously known players has surfaced, and a decision to back his managerial philosophy is evident. Following a successful opening season that supplied silverware and a top-three finish, supporters are now frustrated with the lacklustre start to the league campaign – despite collecting six points from a possible nine on offer. Injuries have added to the growing frustration, but I remain confident that Ten Hag’s vision is growing, and we will soon see this manifest on the football field.
The goal for United’s chief is to implement a possession-based 3-1-6 attacking formation. He cultivated this tactical perfection through several years of player development at Ajax – implemented with great success in the domestic league and against some of European football’s most recognised names. We have seen limited success with this in England thus far, but his transfer strategy identifies a clear pathway toward this versatile setup.
Ten Hag is known to have always deployed possession-based tactics with a patient build-up play, utilising various rotations and a dynamic high press to control a variety of fixtures. Occasionally, he has opted to form a defensive approach, intent on creating deep blocks that generate explosively quick transitions. He has claimed that he wants his United side to be the best in the world at the transitional game, and we will dive into the how and why below.
This United squad is being carefully assembled with a clear vision toward achieving a specific strategy with and without the ball. On paper, the XI lines out as a traditional 4-3-3, with a single pivot in Casemiro shielding the defensive line. The aim is to gain confidence in a structure that will allow a shift to an attacking 3-1-6, which places an array of bodies in the attacking third to overload the opposition for turnovers.
Ten Hag’s 3-1-6 strategy at United has typically involved one of the full-backs dropping into a back three during build-up phases. A sole defensive midfielder will act as a pivot, responsible for distributing the ball-and-breaking play. Within this structure, six players occupy space in the opposition half with continuous movement and flexibility in wide and central positions.
The aim is to create space through movement – while constantly dragging opposing players out of position. It was a frequent sight during his time at Ajax, especially against sides that would use a low block and attempt to disrupt attacking phases. The fundamental factor in this structure is the inclusion of inverted full-backs. They allow teammates to congest the centre of the field to pressure central defenders and formulate a high press with the ability to retain a possession-based system.
This brand of football is becoming increasingly popular among the elite sides in European football, with Pep Guardiola opting to achieve dominance via overloads in wide situations. Ten Hag instead focuses on using a minimum width structure, allowing the wingers to operate within half spaces, constantly making themselves available for a pass – while the opposition defenders are inevitably dragged out of position, creating open space behind them.
From here, the six attacking players will overload the defence with a high press, forcing the opponents to defend deeper and increasing the likelihood of turnovers through misplaced passes or long balls. Ultimately, the setup will allow the side to create opportunities from various angles in advanced positions, as we have seen with United during this campaign. At the time of writing, Ten Hag’s side is joint top with the most big chances created (ten), missing seven of those in the process. The goal is to make the pitch small for the opposition in their half.
As we have already covered, the mentality is attacking possession-based, and this switches to a controlled-based philosophy against the more prominent sides. This system is played out through a meticulously disciplined structure, focusing on a central control platform and a high defensive line. The central system opens a counter press effectively.
Typically, his sides will look to hold possession through the centre of the field when facing a rival top-tier opponent. The decision to concede possession will often arise, instead focusing on maintaining tight coverage to disrupt the opponent’s play from defence to attack. Antony has proved crucial in holding the team’s structure to date. He has taken time to adapt to the attacking output of the side – but his understanding of his manager’s tactical instruction is evident from their relationship at Ajax, with many feeling the balance in formation is more effective with the Brazilian in the starting XI.
This setup aims to alleviate pressure from the source by forming congestion at the route of the opponent’s build-up while relying on quick breaks to release runners behind the opponent’s back line. While there is ample room for improvement, the benefits of this system are already on display through Marcus Rashford. The Englishman enjoyed his most prosperous season to date under the tutelage of his new manager, contributing an astonishing 30 goals and 11 assists in 56 appearances.
When focusing on the 3-1-6 philosophy, the goalkeeper acts as a sweeper-keeper and is vital for the functionality of the formation. Club legend David de Gea struggled to adapt to this philosophy, and his weaknesses on the ball were evident. Ten Hag turned toward Onana, knowing the shot-stopper was more than comfortable on the ball. His acquisition will allow United to execute smooth defensive build-up while maintaining possession. The Cameroonian will orchestrate the play between himself and the back three, allowing a solid back four shape throughout the initial build-up phase.
The central defenders will act as ball-playing defenders and offer a necessary role to drag the opposition forward, ultimately creating space behind them. Typically, Shaw operates as the left-sided centre-back and harnesses his technique while delivering balls from deep. Additionally, he prioritises the role of nullifying counterattacks with his pace. Considering this, the manager’s decision to prioritise Shaw instead of Harry Maguire makes sense.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka will act as an onrushing full-back to stretch play, drawing players out of position and creating space with over-lapping runs. His relationship with Antony is a necessary addition, with a primary task to deliver accurate passes between midfield and attack – linking play and adding to the final onslaught.
Casemiro will act as an anchor ahead of the defensive line. He sits ahead of the back three, monitoring the space vacated by the onrushing full-backs. In this system, his primary focus is to break up attacking transitions and fill space to hold the systematic structure. We saw this particular portion of the setup exploited throughout the opening fixtures. Given his experience in the game, I am confident that the Brazilian will grow into the role.
Bruno Fernandes and Mount will be utilised as roaming playmakers. During previous campaigns, Bruno was often the side’s sole creator. Understandably, this offered a relatively easy task for the opposing team to plot a defensive structure against him. The Portuguese favoured the left side for his buildup – allowing for predictability in attack and an easy defensive setup for the opposing manager.
Mount is viewed as a strategic solution to this problem. I have read labels describing him as a ‘luxury player’, but his ability to occupy the right half-space and supply underlapping runs will provide an invaluable link-up passage with the right winger and marauding right back. His movement will create space, while his flexibility to operate in multiple positions will offer a variety of switches between each wing.
The manager described Mount as the perfect midfielder – this is shared by others, including Thomas Tuchel. He does not mean that the midfielder is extraordinary in every aspect of his play; instead, he is aware that his versatility will allow him to shift into different positions under multiple assignments. As a footballer, he has no glaring weakness and can comfortably defend and attack, on and off the ball. Furthermore, his creativity will supply a secondary outlet alongside Bruno, alleviating predictability.
Another notable asset is his high work rate and engine. When we viewed last season, we saw Eriksen control many games with his technical ability and eye for a pass. We also saw several games pass him by with an accelerated pace and tempo that he could not keep up with. Mount will not fade, and in an ever-changing system that will see positions rotating through multiple phases, Mount will supply an engine that can accommodate all. He has had three games – give him time.
In attack, United’s approach will focus on occupying the final third, with each attacker assigned to an individual defender. Players will interchange positions to affect various situations, with Antony pulling wide to create space behind. He will act as an inverted winger – similar to Ajax with Hakim Ziyech. In this system, the right-back will move forward and draw the full-back toward him. This momentary gap allows Antony to cut inside and use his favoured left foot. Additionally, he will track back to aid in defensive transitions and break with speed to alleviate pressure.
Rashford will act as an inside forward. His inside runs allow space to be created on the left flank by Bruno, Mount or Shaw. His ability to execute these runs was evident last season, and his goal contributions will be pivotal for a successful campaign. Alejandro Garnacho is a mesmerising talent with a brilliant future at the club. However, his place on the flank left Rashford isolated as a striker, and his lack of experience in a fluid system was telling in the opening two fixtures. With Rashford shifted to his favoured left position against Nottingham Forest, his running terrorised the Forest defence and yielded two assists.
Finally, we touch upon Højlund and what could be one of the final pieces of this systematic jigsaw. The Dane is a player who will work diligently out of possession and possesses a notable physical approach in the box. While he is young, and many have turned toward his lack of goals in Serie A, his agility in movement and ability to hold the ball will create ample space for onrushing wingers and central players. Furthermore, he has proven to have advanced knowledge in effective positioning, with his spatial awareness among the best at his age.
A striker in an Ten Hag system is required to be a notable pressing machine. This allows for high-intensity pressure on the opposition to disrupt build-up play. Wout Weghorst was wasteful in front of the goal, but his work rate and dedication to the press were notable. Højlund is versatile with dribbling, and his finishing accuracy is more than credible. He ranked in the 92 percentile for shots on target last season and in the 79 percentile for goals per shot ratio. Furthermore, he was in the top 82 percentile for non-penalty xG.
Ultimately, the aim is to generate fluidity and versatility through interchange in position. The counter-press will focus on a narrow positional stance, with the maximum ability to win the ball high up the field through reduced space in a congested central standing phase.
The manager is targeting players to suit his specific setup, and he is fully aware of the abilities of every signing. While the early stages have been frustrating, I urge you to appreciate the requirements for achieving the desired structure. Perfection takes time, and there are clear indications that his side is growing toward this goal.
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Thanks Shaun. Fascinating analysis of Erik’s overall tactical destination for Man Utd. But it’s a massive overhaul and I can see many more squad changes taking place before he gets there. It’s gonna be an exciting ride, that’s for sure. Great article.
pretty bizarre to write such an article after the opening three games – 3 games in which united have been pretty awful (and have generally played poorly since around feb)
the guy has spent 400m and however many words you write about so called tactics, he is playing ole ball whether you can see it or not.
two players and their prominence in the team (bruno and rashford) prove that ETH is not a possession based manager at all and certainly not a high pressing either.
the team is a mess and ETH will be gone by seasons end – probably with united languishing in 7th in april.