What Manchester United must do to win their next match vs vs Brentford

A midfield that isn’t balanced has been a problem for Manchester United this season. But that could be fixed with an easy change.

Erik ten Hag’s center has been overrun since the first game of the season, which was at Old Trafford against Wolves. They haven’t been able to control games, and there are now famous gaps between the lines.

This is a big part of why United has been so bad this season; even though their results are getting better, the worrying signs are still there.

This was pointed out by Diogo Dalot after Manchester United’s 4-3 win over Liverpool. He told Sony Sports that the Red Devils need to fix the space between the lines in order to move on to the next level.

It might be easier to solve this problem than it looks, and a simple change in position could make a big difference. Let’s look into what this could be.

Erik ten Hag needs to put Bruno Fernandes back in the middle of the field for Manchester United.

One problem United has had this season in the middle of the field is that both pivots tend to move forward as if they were box-to-box.

Because of this, United has had a hard time keeping games under control. With a three-man center, this might change. Bruno Fernandes is a player who is wasting his talent right now because he is too far ahead of the game to make that much of an effect.

If United put him back in a three-man defense with, say, Mason Mount as the other defender and Kobbie Mainoo at the base, they might have a center with the speed and skill to really take over some games.

Mount would be the most advanced of the three, dropping between the lines to let Bruno sit deep and control play like he has done so well in the past, especially against Everton in 2022–23. Mainoo, on the other hand, would keep the pace steady while also being able to make progress with great dribbling and passing.

We saw how well he controlled play from deep, even though he was playing center back against Liverpool. Having Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, and Rasmus Hojlund all ahead of the three could be great.

Ten Hag would have to choose between playing a high line or pressing high for it to work, though, since it can’t be both. If the defensive line followed the middle in having a higher line, there wouldn’t be any big gaps, and Andre Onana is more than capable of playing as a sweeper.

Bruno Fernandes himself wants to play more deeply.
Bruno told A Bola in an interview while on international duty in Portugal that he thought he might do better in the future if he played in a more reserved middle role.

“I have played lower, though, especially last season with Mr. Ten Hag.” In fact, I played as a 6 against Everton, and I still think it was one of the best games I’ve ever played at any level.

“I think I’ll end my career further back because everyone who started there and went to 10 ended up falling back on the field at the end.”

“Playing low and facing the game more is a position I like.” When I have the ball, I can see more of the field, which makes my game much easier. It’s also great for the last pass we talked about, which can sometimes go out lower on the field.

“I set up the most goals in the game against Everton, even though I was playing lower and not as a 10.”