Manchester United are ready to play Tottenham Hotspur today.
United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is firmly on the hot seat today with reports coming out this past week that the club have given Solskjaer the next three games, including the Spurs game, to save his job. The Norwegian led United to their worst-ever loss against North West rivals, Liverpool to the tune of 5-0.
Monday, the 25th of October was arguably the closest the Norwegian has been to the sack at United with Antonio Conte pursuing the job if Ole fails in any of the next upcoming games.
Solskjaer sees himself against Nuno Espirito Santo, a manager he has had many struggles against when the Portuguese manager was head of Wolves.
Today’s lineup Solskjaer has chosen shows one thing; he's ready to change his team up to win.
With United lining up as a 3-5-2 with Edinson Cavani and Cristiano Ronaldo up front, United have opted to match Tottenham's three-at-the-back while also trying this strike partnership for the first time in the starting XI.
This will also be the first time that United try the back trio of Raphael Varane, Victor Lindelof, and Harry Maguire. The Englishman has been under fire as of recent after recovering from injury, with Solskjaer being heavily criticised for leaning on the recently recovered Maguire.
It will be interesting to see how this back three works in possession if the wide centre-backs will cover the wing-backs allowing them to play further up such as how Antonio Conte did for Inter Milan and Chelsea. Or if the centre-backs will be more integral in possession, similar to the way Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea sets-up currently.
The usual three-man midfield of Fred, Scott McTominay, and Bruno Fernandes round out the team with the McFred double-pivot presumably being asked to do less in possession now with the extra defender being able to create and build up from the back.
The wing-backs of Luke Shaw and Aaron Wan-Bissaka will be put in positions they've barely played, with Shaw having normally played at centre-back in a back three under Solskjaer, and Wan-Bissaka not being known for his attacking ability after United primarily targeted an attacking right-back to give him competition.
With a back three normally being utilised to get the most out of creative wing-backs, this could hold United back in their game against Tottenham.
United and Solskjaer will need to hope that the Cavani-Ronaldo partnership can be a successful one and will be intriguing to see which striker will drop deeper to link the midfield to the attack. The two veteran forwards will be asked to shoulder a lot of the attacking as well as creating with the United XI looking a lot more industrious, rather than creative.
However the team is set up, Solskjaer will be asking for a lot more from his team and he must hope that this radical formation change could keep him in the United job.
If not, this could be a Jose Mourinho-esque problem where his changes ultimately come up short and make him look desperate with his days becoming even more numbered.
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