Sunderland vs Man Utd: 5 Changes Moyes Must Make After Appalling West Brom Defeat

1. Change The Formation

Now for the most controversial of all the changes. Manchester United have always played with wingers, from Giggs, to Beckham to Kanchelkis. This is embedded in the culture of the club. My point however, is that wing play should not be as embedded as Winning. Quite frankly, Young, Nani, Valencia et al are not consistent enough to guarantee wins. They may have good days in which United stroll to success (such as Valencia versus Leverkusen) but these are few and far between. This insistence on wing play leaves United without a Plan B when the wing play fails, as the midfield possess too few in numbers to effectively penetrate a defence. This is why Moyes needs to change to a 4-3-2-1 formation, better known as the Christmas Tree. Carrick can play as the deep-lying playmaker, covered either side my Fellaini and Cleverly. These two can pivot between defensive and offensive duties depending on the need for an agile presence or a strong presence. Further forward you would have Rooney and Kagawa, easily the most creative players in the team. They could have freedom to roam to the flanks as they see fit, but these too providing passes through the middle enables Van Persie to play to his strength. The formation has very few weaknesses in the current age, albeit there is a defensive vulnerability on the flanks, but very few teams hug the by-line in recent times, with most wingers preferring to turn inwards towards the centre backs anyway. Fellaini and Cleverly can always provide defensive duties to help out the Full Backs in times of need. I do not really believe Moyes is innovative enough for this system to work but it does enable Kagawa a decent chance to recreate his form in the Bundesliga. A simple look back to the successful Milan teams show how this system can work, with players of comparative skill set; Carrick/ Pirlo, Fallaini/ Gattuso, Roone & Kagawa/ Seedorf & Kaka.