Why Antoine Griezmann Would Give Manchester United The X Factor They Need

Why Antoine Griezmann Would Give Manchester United The X Factor They Need
13:58, 17 Oct 2017

It perhaps wasn’t quite as constipated as the infamous Red Monday dross dished up in January, but unless you’re obsessed with the minutiae of tactical blinking matches Liverpool versus Manchester United was difficult to watch. The defining narrative, agreed upon unanimously by the press following Jose Mourinho post-match comments, was one of two gladiators circling each other for 90 minutes, their clunking armour scarcely hiding their fear of the counter-punch. Mourinho wins, of course, because he didn’t want to win in the first place; he got what he wanted from Anfield, frustrating Jurgen Klopp and buffing Liverpool’s sharp edges.

Except this is not a fair reflection of what actually happened. Klopp deserves praise for curtailing his side’s high-pressing instincts and refusing to open up as the frustration levels increased – which is to say, he refused to be lured into the Mourinho web. But, more importantly, Manchester Utd did not park the bus from the outset, and the goalless scoreline merely created the illusion of same-old-Mourinho. In fact, had it not been for David de Gea’s impossible, brilliant, beautiful save in the first half then the narrative would have shifted dramatically, and United’s inability to counter would have been brought sharply into focus.

It should not be forgotten that United began the match with a considerably higher defensive line than most predicted and in a 4-2-3-1 formation, as opposed to the more defensive 4-3-3 Mourinho ordinarily picks for top-six encounters. Upon arriving at Old Trafford the Portuguese made it clear he respects the attacking traditions of the club and, as a long-time admirer of Sir Alex Ferguson, Mourinho hinted at an expansive managerial approach in Manchester – one that chimed more with his free-scoring Real Madrid than the fricative power-struggles at Chelsea.

But his markedly more open approach predicated on Liverpool’s dreadful defensive record in 2017/18 and the allure of sending a bold message to their Manchester rivals, diminished very quickly. Romelu Lukaku and Henrikh Mkhitaryan were like ghosts in the United attack, both conforming to expectations as United struggled again and again to move up the pitch despite their initial intentions. Between them, Lukaku and Mkhitaryan had 66 touches of the ball. Lukaku mustered three touches in the opposition penalty area.

United have been gradually slowing down as the 2017/18 season progresses, which is a pretty worrying trend considering the winter schedule is just around the corner and the Champions League has only just got underway. What Saturday’s result teaches us, despite Mourinho’s successful attempt to reframe the narrative as a stifling job, is that United do not possess the necessary players to counter-attack with speed against top clubs.

Lukaku’s critics have been muzzled by his superb start to the campaign, but this result highlighted some old issues, namely his lack of energy when things aren’t going his way – which manifests as an inability to hold up the ball successfully or run-in behind on the counter. Mkhitaryan is a flaky player who tends to dip in and out of matches and thus a poor choice to support Lukaku in these matches, which left United incapable of gaining territory or taking advantage of Liverpool’s high back line.

This all points to the need for a more dynamic and energetic attacking midfielder in the squad in the mould of Antoine Griezmann, a player Mourinho tried to sign in the summer. Lukaku’s goals make him a crucial asset to the United team, but his arrival has not solved a long-standing problem at Old Trafford. Another playmaker is needed before United and Mourinho will be ready to play attacking football against the big clubs.

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