Manchester United's Struggles with Gegenpressing

TLDRManchester United's pressing is poor and ineffective, resulting in a high number of conceded shots. The team needs to be more compact and aggressive in their pressing to improve.

Key insights

🔴Manchester United's pressing style is known as Gegenpressing, but it has not been successful this season.

⚽️The concept of Gegenpressing is to win the ball back quickly after losing possession and counterattack with speed and purpose.

🔁Manchester United's pressing structure has not been effective, resulting in a high number of shots conceded.

📊Statistically, Manchester United ranks poorly in terms of pressing metrics, such as passes allowed per defensive action (PPDA) and challenge intensity.

👥Manchester United should learn from successful pressing teams like Liverpool and Manchester City to improve their own pressing style.

Q&A

How does Gegenpressing work?

Gegenpressing is a pressing style where a team immediately tries to win the ball back after losing possession, usually with the players closest to the ball putting pressure on it and the surrounding area.

What are the consequences of Manchester United's poor pressing?

Manchester United's poor pressing has resulted in a high number of shots conceded, putting pressure on their defense and goalkeeper.

What are some pressing metrics to evaluate a team's performance?

Passes allowed per defensive action (PPDA) and challenge intensity are two common metrics used to evaluate a team's pressing performance.

Which teams should Manchester United learn from to improve their pressing?

Manchester United should learn from successful pressing teams like Liverpool and Manchester City, who implement effective pressing structures and have achieved great success.

What changes can Manchester United make to improve their pressing?

Manchester United should focus on being more compact and aggressive in their pressing, forcing the opposition down one flank and using the touchline as an extra defender.

Timestamped Summary

00:00Introduction to Manchester United's pressing struggles, highlighting their lack of success with Gegenpressing.

05:35Explanation of Gegenpressing and its concept of winning the ball back quickly and counterattacking with speed and purpose.

19:00Analysis of Manchester United's pressing structure and the issues they face, such as being too wide and open to balls over the top.

30:00Discussion of Manchester United's pressing data and statistics, revealing their shortcomings in terms of high turnovers and goals scored.

44:00Comparison of Manchester United's pressing performance to successful pressing teams like Liverpool and Manchester City, emphasizing the need to learn from them.