16/08/2016 08:37, Report by Adam Marshall
OPINION: UNITED'S NEW STYLE IS EXCITINGManUtd.com’s Adam Marshall enjoyed United's approach at Bournemouth on Sunday... There was a lot made in some quarters about the style of football Jose Mourinho would bring to Old Trafford but, from my point of view, the first impressions are extremely positive. Certain differences appear obvious and United looked more direct, which helped produce three goals at Bournemouth, and plenty for the forward players Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Wayne Rooney, Juan Mata and Anthony Martial to feed off. Indeed, each of the quartet managed at least two shots on goal in the game. There were many stand-out displays - Eric Bailly and Daley Blind continue to impress at the heart of the defence, while Marouane Fellaini and Ander Herrera covered a lot of ground and both performed well. But it is in attack where perhaps the clearest change has occurred because of the new face in the no.9 shirt. Watching United play with Ibrahimovic operating as a target man and a focal point for attacking moves was intriguing and, in my view, exciting. The Swede arrived with a big reputation and an even bigger ego but, even in these early days, he looks tailor-made for United. He will fight for every ball, unsettle defenders and the way he attacked an Antonio Valencia cross in the first half illustrated his unflinching desire and bravery. There was the gorgeous flick that released Rooney on goal and, of course, the sweet strike from outside the box that notched a goal on his Premier League bow, thus keeping up a remarkable run of debut goals in different competitions across Europe. But there were other things to note at the Vitality Stadium. The Reds were happy to clear their lines quickly and emphatically, rather than standing on ceremony, and this seemed to be the case regularly after the Cherries pulled a goal back through Adam Smith. It generated a sense of reassurance and I watched the final stages thinking how we had the fortitude to comfortably see out a fine opening-weekend victory. Defending comes first for people like Bailly and, knowing Zlatan would compete for possession, it was a worthwhile tactic. I was further buoyed by direct passes played by the likes of Herrera, who not only threaded a wonderful ball in to Valencia but also contributed to the opening goal for his pal Mata, even if it took a poor backpass by Simon Francis to tee up the Reds attacker. Yes, it was a mistake that led to the breakthrough but I have always felt you need to push to make these things happen. By asking questions of defenders with probing play, you can force such moments in any game. It is the same with goalkeepers - they need to be tested and why not have a shot from distance that keeps them thinking? I feel when long-range efforts deflect into the net that are usually declared fortunate that it's being proactive that generates such luck. If you don't buy a ticket, you won't win the raffle. The manager's tactics will become clearer as he fully imposes his influence on the squad. He has already declared he is focusing on two different systems, once of which is a 4-3-3 formation (the other would appear to be primarily 4-2-3-1), and his approach will make life simple for the players. "We make sure the players are comfortable with it and adapt it to their qualities so we can get the best out of them," he said. "And adapt them to the quality of the opponents if that needs to be done. More important is that the players feel comfortable on the pitch and they are only comfortable when they know what to do, so we will not be playing five, six or seven systems." I was fascinated and entertained in equal measure on Sunday. I appreciate it is too early to get carried away but victory at Bournemouth has only added to the buzz of expectation for the campaign and boosted the belief that the Reds can mount a serious challenge for the title. If this is the style of play we can expect, I am eager to see more.
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发表于 16-8-2016 12:24 PM
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