Revealed: The tactictal issue killing Amorim and Manchester United | OneFootball

Manchester United’s Struggles Against Long Balls Exposed Again

Manchester United’s persistent defensive problems, particularly against aerial and long passes. Six Premier League games into the season and the pattern is already unmistakable. For opponents, the simplest way to breach United has been to get the ball airborne. As reported by The Athletic.

Set-piece frailties and direct play

From Riccardo Calafiori’s opening-day corner for Arsenal, to Fulham’s Emile Smith Rowe equaliser from a cross, to Burnley’s brace courtesy of one cross and a long throw, the story has been repetitive. Manchester City and Chelsea followed suit with headers, before Brentford perfected the art with floated long passes in their 3-1 win at the weekend.

Photo: IMAGO

It is not a coincidence. Ruben Amorim, United’s head coach, even admitted before Brentford’s victory that he had highlighted this vulnerability. “The first goal was a long ball. We worked on that in the week, and on set pieces,” he said to TNT Sports. “We knew the long balls (were coming) and (with) one touch they had the opportunity.”

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For United supporters, it was galling to see a weakness so openly acknowledged yet still punished.

Brentford’s deliberate plan

Keith Andrews deserves credit for Brentford’s execution. His team enjoyed more first-half possession than United, not through brute force but by coaxing the press before launching targeted passes. After a controlled 14-pass move, they pulled United’s defence apart by drawing Patrick Dorgu high upfield, slipping Yehor Yarmolyuk into space, and exploiting the channel between Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire.

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Brentford’s intention was evident. Only 20 per cent of their attacking touches came through the middle, their lowest share of the season, with play deliberately funnelled wide. That focus was rewarded when Igor Thiago struck early, capitalising on Maguire’s isolation.

It was not reckless long balls, but carefully engineered patterns to expose United’s shape.

Structural flaws in Amorim’s system

Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 asks centre-backs to step high into midfield, preventing overloads on the pivot. In theory, it ensures balance. In practice, it leaves gaps when players mistime their movements.

Bruno Fernandes admitted after the derby defeat to Manchester City: “We need to get the moments of jumping right because if not, the midfielders get, every time, an underload.”

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The margin for error is minuscule. Matthijs de Ligt’s failed press on Mikel Damsgaard showed this vividly, leaving space for Brentford to launch an attack that should have yielded a third goal. United’s defenders do not appear suited to this high-wire approach, where one slip can unravel the structure.

Lack of cohesion in the back line

United sometimes default to a back four or even a flat five when opponents go direct. Yet even these adjustments were no safeguard. For Brentford’s second goal, simple movements from Dango Ouattara and Kevin Schade dismantled the line. What should have been a numerical advantage became a defensive mismatch, as Thiago punished the disorganisation.

Andrews’ plan was not crude. His long-ball strategy varied in height, angle, and intent. The repeated success highlights United’s failure to adapt. Statistics underline the point: 10 goals conceded from direct attacks under Amorim, more than any other Premier League side.

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For a club of Manchester United’s stature, with ambitions to challenge at the top, such defensive frailty is unacceptable. Opponents have clearly worked them out. Unless adjustments are made quickly, United risk tumbling further behind the standards set by their rivals.

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This issue feels far deeper than a tactical quirk. Watching Brentford carve through United with such ease, knowing they had openly planned to exploit their long-ball weakness, was deeply frustrating for United supporters. It makes us feel like United are telegraphing their flaws for every opponent to exploit.

Amorim talks about proactive football, but this is not proactive, it is reckless. The players they have at the back, from Maguire to Shaw to de Ligt, do not look comfortable in a system that leaves them one slip away from being exposed. They can talk about needing to “get the jumps right”, but that is not enough. If the structure itself puts defenders in impossible positions, then it is not sustainable.

Ten goals conceded from direct attacks already is staggering. This is not a minor detail, it is a fundamental flaw. Fans can accept transition pains with a new manager, but what they cannot accept is watching the same problem punished week after week. It erodes confidence in the project and risks turning players into scapegoats.

If United want to compete again at the top of the Premier League, Amorim must either adapt his tactics or find players suited to this style. Otherwise, every opposition manager will look at them and think: just put the ball in the air.