Crystal Palace vs Man Utd: Oliver Glasner has proved a 3-4-2-1 formation can work in the Premier League – so why does Ruben Amorim struggle? | Football News

Just when there was a little momentum at Manchester United, and doubts about Ruben Amorim’s much-maligned line-up had faded, came the loss to Everton.

It was a game that brought Project Amorim back to square one in terms of how much faith it had in this specific era. Gary Neville said United’s complacency would erode confidence in the team – but there was just as much criticism about the 3-4-2-1 system.

Despite playing more than 75 minutes with an extra man after Everton’s Idrissa Gueye was sent off, Amorim chose to stick with his preferred plan – keeping three centre-backs and two full-backs on the field.

“You have five in the back, why?” Neville asked, while Jamie Carragher added: “I don’t understand how you can hold on to something so firmly in a situation like that. You don’t need three [centre-backs] there.”

Next up for United is a trip to Crystal Palace, where Oliver Glasner plays He has He succeeded with the 3-4-2-1 formation. The Eagles sit in the top five – where United want to be – having won the title via the FA Cup, which has eluded Amorim during his year in charge so far.

Glasner’s formation even survived the departures of Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze, highlighting how the system thrives on more than a few high-level players – it is a team structure that works. How much United need that right now.

“We have found a system where we are very balanced, where we can threaten the opponent’s goal and be very consistent in our defence,” Glasner said last month. “That’s why we’re committed to it.”

So why does he bring such success to Palace, but less success to Manchester United? Using the Palace Master’s words, we take a look at Glasner’s formation from back to front.

The three backs

The back three Chris Richards, Maxence Lacroix and Mark Guehi They set things up brilliantly against Dean Henderson – one of the best goalkeepers statistically in the division.

Palace have the second-best defense in the Premier League in terms of goals conceded – and are one of only two back lines that allow a number of goals after twelve Premier League matches. The other team is league leaders Arsenal.

The central areas are the most important part of the pitch for Glasner, as it is the most vulnerable area for either side. “The midfield is what determines the way the game is played,” he says. “It starts with the back three, you are talking about the centre-backs.”

One of the reasons the three midfielders are such a good system in the modern Premier League era is the way the wide midfielders protect the ‘half space’.

It is the area from which most dangerous attacks emerge via defence-breaking passes or runs – these areas are also described as ‘pockets’.

As Glasner says: “He runs the half-court, which is where most of the assists come from. In defense you have to protect those areas.” Palace appear to have the right profiles in the centre-back positions.

No defender in the Premier League has had more interceptions this season than both Richards and Lacroix, while only six defenders have had more possession in the defensive third this season than Palace captain Guehi.

Even Neville spoke about the importance of the position of the three midfielders on Monday night against Everton. “Matthias de Ligt is more dominant and assertive in this central role,” he said. “When Harry Maguire plays, De Ligt goes into the right channel where he gets caught and doesn’t look comfortable.”

Palace have improved their back three, but based on recent performances, United need more work.

Fourth midfield

The four in Palace’s midfield are divided into two areas: the full-backs and the sitting midfielders.

Flying wings to appear Daniel Munoz and Tyreek Mitchell They are crucial to the Palace team because of the strength they bring.

Munoz is the most intense player in the Premier League, clocking almost 14.5 kilometers per game at high intensity this season – almost 1.5 kilometers more than the next best player.

It’s not something unique to Munoz, it’s part of Glassner’s instruction. This is because Mitchell, on the other hand, ranks fifth among current Premier League players on the same scale. Palace are the only team in the Premier League to have two players in the top ten Premier League players in this category.

What’s even more surprising is how Palace’s wing-backs compare to Manchester United’s wing-backs. For example, Munoz runs farther per game with high intensity than Amad Diallo and Nassir Al Mazroui combined.

Meanwhile, Mitchell is a far cry from what United’s left-back options, Patrick Dorgou and Diogo Dalot, offer.

Then comes the importance of sitting midfielders – alternating between them Adam Wharton, Daichi Kamada and Jefferson Lerma – Who set the tone for Palace’s play.

“Central midfielders, we call them centre-backs,” says Glasner. “They are responsible for the speed of our attacks, if we go forward or have possession. So they are important.”

Palace and United’s midfield lineups are similar. At Wharton, the Eagles have their own version of Bruno Fernandes – a player who sits back and tries to break the opposition’s lines.

“That’s why the manager wants me there,” Manchester United captain Fernandes said on Monday evening. “To get more of the ball and control the tempo of the team.

“he [Amorim] “I know I can run a lot, press high and get my body back out there when we need to get into the box and defend.”

Meanwhile, another midfielder – Kamada at Palace or Casemiro at Manchester United – sits and shares defensive duties with the other player.

For Palace, the system works defensively as well as offensively. Kamada is in the top five midfielders this season in terms of tackles won per 90, with a slightly better record than Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo.

But for United, how Casemiro and Fernandes operate in midfield as players has come under heavy criticism. They were cut wide at times against Everton on Monday, with Gay showing signs of weakness during the opening minutes.

But even after the Everton midfielder’s red card, the Toffees were still happy to play around United’s midfield number two – with the winning goal coming from a direct pass across the middle of the pitch.

Number 10 is behind Matita

But it’s not just Palace’s sitting midfielders playing for Glasner as they advance the ball down the middle – the two No. 10s also help create overload in the most important area of ​​the pitch.

“We try to play the No. 10 narrowly, with the striker – so maybe we have eight midfielders to combine together,” says Glasner. These eight players are three midfielders, two midfielders, two attacking midfielders and one striker.

“You can’t pass with one touch if players are 30 or 40 yards away from each other in the spaces,” Glasner added. “You need connections on the field.”

Two digits are 10, usually Ismail Sarr and Jeremi Beno In this Palace team, they help them penetrate the middle of the pitch by creating a four-man box with the sitting midfielders. Regardless of whether you are facing a team with two or three midfielders, you will always be overmanned.

But they also help pin opposition teams at the back. “Some teams celebrate our number 10 with the number 6 [defensive midfielders] “So they’re pretty much playing with six players at the back,” says Glasner.

If the attacker is busy e.g Jean-Philippe Mattita He can occupy several centre-backs at once – as he usually does – so the number 10s should be marked by the midfielders. If not, the likes of Sarr and Benno have more space.

All eight of these central players could create a very crowded area in midfield, but Glasner has plans for that. “If the opposition closes down the centre, someone can withdraw and you can increase the pressure on the flank,” he says.

Palace’s front three is an ideal system set up with the right profiles. “You need pocket players, you need runners — the combination creates that,” he says. The pocket players are Sarr and Pino, and the runners are Munoz and Mitchell.

It allows Mateta to do what he does best, which is be physical and hold the ball. Mateta ranks first in the number of stoppages in the English Premier League this season.

“You need the right players for that,” Glassner says of his offense. “You can’t ask all the running backs if they’re used to playing in the pocket.”

United have tried to address these forward areas in the transfer window, imposing big fees on Benjamin Sisko, Brian Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha.

They fit into United’s structure in places, as we’ve seen this season in bright attacking moments. But any injuries — like Cunha and Cisco last week — will leave holes. These are holes that the palace does not appear to have.

Follow live coverage of the Crystal Palace and Manchester United match on Sky Sports digital platforms via the dedicated match blog from 10.30am on Sunday morning…