Manchester United tactics
Bastian Schweinsteiger is edging closer to full fitness so Louis van Gaal started the German with the aim of affording him an hour. That meant a slight tactical change to United’s offensive play because Morgan Schneiderlin had to start as the main sitting midfielder with Schweinsteiger breaking forward more often.
In general, United started in a 4-2-3-1 formation with the plan of dominating the ball and switching play from one flank to the other in search of space to penetrate.
Schweinsteiger and Schneiderlin collected the ball from the defenders in order to initiate play from the back. Mata drifted inside from the right flank to float between the lines and link up play through the middle.
When United had pinned the Magpies in their own half, Memphis Depay picked a starting position on the left flank looking to cut inside to his stronger right foot. Memphis also linked up with the overlapping Luke Shaw with the aim of providing service to Wayne Rooney and the attacking midfielders.
Adnan Januzaj retained his place as the number 10, roaming centrally while also making runs beyond Rooney. Rooney was the focal point of United’s attacks and also worked with his back to goal looking to receive the ball to feet.
United wanted to win back the ball early so Rooney and Januzaj led a high pressing approach with Mata and Memphis engaging Newcastle’s full-backs. The central midfielders backed that high press through the middle while the full-backs completed the defensive formation by dropping to the defensive line.
Newcastle United tactics
Steve McClaren set his side up for a containing approach with a packed midfield and a lone striker. The Magpies boss wanted a good targetman to relieve pressure so he dropped Papiss Cisse in favour of Aleksandar Mitrovic.
Mitrovic led the defending from the halfway line when Van Gaal’s charges had the ball. Ayoze Perez and Gabriel Obertan started as wide midfielders, tracking back with United’s full-backs to deal with the threats from the flanks.
In central midfield, Jack Colback frequently pushed forward to help Georginio Wijnaldum in pressing Schweinsteiger and Schneiderlin. Those central midfielders had to close down Manchester United’s ball players to stop the hosts from comfortably building attacks.
When Van Gaal’s men had sustained pressure, Colback dropped to double-pivot with Vurnon Anita in order to protect the defenders. The back-four formed a compact line across the 18-yard box to shut the channels and force the hosts wide.
When in possession, Newcastle had the option of going direct with long balls towards Mitrovic and Obertan. They also worked the ball through midfield with Anita and Colback alternating in dropping between central defenders to collect the ball from Tim Krul.
When the Magpies had good possession in the offensive half, Obertan and Chancel Mbemba linked up down the right side looking to supply crosses. Perez drifted inside from the left flank to support Mitrovic in the box, so left-back Massadio Haidara pushed forward to add width from that flank.
Key tactical changes
Manchester United were bright in the first 25 minutes. They created chances with more frequency than in their recent games, plus they looked sharper in the offensive-third. Still, they could not break the deadlock because of some poor finishing.
Mata played a key role in United’s offensive play in that opening quarter of the game by finding pockets of space behind Newcastle’s midfielders from which he linked-up play. The Magpies’ central midfielders – Colback and Anita – dealt with that threat by tracking the Spanish playmaker’s infield runs and closing him down quickly.
With Mata’s influenced contained, United lost their tempo in the second-quarter of the game and Newcastle started enjoying more territorial advantage until half-time. Afterwards, the Magpies struggled to retain the ball, as they did in parts of the first-half, so Manchester United monopolised the ball.
With the hosts increasing pressure in the last quarter of the game, McClaren had to settle for a point as his players were virtually pinned back into their defensive-third.
Cheick Tiote stiffened the midfield by joining Colback and Anita as the three defensive midfielders in front of the back four. Wijnaldum and Florian Thauvin completed the five-man midfield by tracking back with the hosts’ full-backs.
Van Gaal threw caution to the wind by replacing Matteo Darmian with Antonio Valencia, who is a better crosser. Javier Hernandez completed the game as the centre forward with Rooney dropping to the number 10 position.
The changes from both sides meant that play was concentrated in Newcastle’s half with the Magpies relying on rare counter-attacks. Still, McClaren’s men held on for their point through admirable defending.
