Manchester United and Leeds United Share Points, Highlighting Need for Tactical Flexibility

Manchester United‘s draw with Leeds United on January 4 adds to their disappointing record, now sitting at 29 points from 20 matches. For a club with United’s resources, 31 points is far from acceptable. However, they are still in contention for European football next season.

Meanwhile, headlines announced the sacking of Ruben Amorim on January 5, following a tense post-match press conference after the draw with Leeds.

Ending level with a team ranked 16th in the league is not a good result. Yet, the standards at the club have dropped, making this draw seem somewhat acceptable.

Manchester United’s Draw with Leeds Highlights Their Issues

Currently, United is missing three key players: Amad Diallo, Noussair Mazraoui, and Bryan Mbeumo, who are away on international duty. Their absence is noticeably impacting the team.

Additionally, Bruno Fernandes, the main creative force in midfield, is sidelined due to injury. This has left United struggling for ideas, with Matheus Cunha being the only player showing the desired level of performance.

Cunha scored United’s only goal in the match, reflecting his dedication. However, the shortcomings of Amorim’s team were clear when they fell behind following Leeds’ goal.

Amorim opted to substitute Lenny Yoro for Joshua Zirkzee. The formation changed from 3-4-2-1 to a 4-4-2, placing Zirkzee alongside Benjamin Sesko as the second striker, with Cunha and Patrick Dorgu on the wings.

Nevertheless, the midfield duo of Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte in a 4-4-2 lacked the creativity needed. Zirkzee tended to drop back, while Cunha struggled to stay on his side. Though they combined for the equalizer, the team’s issues with formation flexibility were apparent.

After equalizing, United posed little threat to score again. Sesko has now only two goals in 17 matches, while Zirkzee has two from 14, making their partnership one of the least effective in the Premier League in terms of scoring.