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We’re almost reaching the end of the Premier League season, and reigning champions Manchester United are struggling in sixth position on the table.
Following a mid-week loss to Greek side Olympiakos, many fans are calling for David Moyes to be sacked – and rightfully so. But there is still time for him to turn this sinking ship around, and there are two main ways he can do this.
The first is the formation. In Wednesday’s game, Moyes decided to go with a 4-2-3-1 formation, having Tom Cleverly and Michael Carrick as defensive midfielders.
While Cleverly is a solid player, there is no need to have him in the side; Moyes should instead be accommodating for more attacking midfielders such as Shinji Kagawa and Nani.
The formation Moyes should be using is 4-1-4-1 or 4-1-3-2. In both cases, Moyes can have his stars Juan Mata, Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie on the pitch, as well as others such as Antonio Valencia, Nani, Kagawa and Danny Welbeck.
The other way to improve this fledgling side is by selection. This ties in with formation, but it needs further addressing.
Four men who are regular starters in the side should no longer have a place in this team: Ashley Young, Rio Ferdinand, Chris Smalling and Tom Cleverly. These men are either past their best or not there yet.
Ferdinand, at the back end of his career, is now too slow to be playing first team football and is almost a shadow of his former self.
Young is nowhere near where he was a few years back, and is now just a man who sits back and gets involved when he feels the need.
Cleverly, who is still only 24, is a solid central midfielder who can drop back or push forward, but is not necessary due to the great attacking midfielders United possess.
Last is Smalling, a solid defender who can play full back or centre-back. He is a huge man with a great defensive physique, but too often is found being lazy and not seeming interested – he may as well have been a spectator during Wednesday’s game.
These four players should be on the bench for the foreseeable future, with men like Phil Jones, Rafael, Shinji Kagawa and Nani given far more first team football.
If Moyes wants to improve in the last few months of this competition – and save his job – he must get these two things in order, or else face the axe and be replaced by a smarter manager.
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