Analysis: Manchester United 1 West Ham United 0

Premier League, Wednesday 28^th November 2012

This win over West Ham was rare; it was Manchester United’s first clean sheet since the 7^th October. A goal inside the first minute from Robin van Persie won the game, but only thanks to a sublime defensive display amidst disjointed attacking. Here’s some analysis on the match:

Defensive diamond

United lined up in the ‘diamond’ formation (4-3-1-2), mainly due to the number of in-form central midfielders and out-of-form/injured wingers. This formation was used the last time United kept a clean sheet in a league, and there is no coincidence its return coincided with another shutout. The big positive of the setup is its potency in midfield, and the protection this gives to the defence.

Against teams like West Ham, who setup very defensively at Old Trafford, the narrow diamond formation can struggle to break them down because of its lack of rigid width. United did well to get an early goal though, and from that point in the setup enabled defensive solidity. Michael Carrick sat in front of the back four to good effect, while Tom Cleverley, Anderson and Wayne Rooney all did their bit in tracking back and shutting the opposition midfield. The diamond may well prove an effective defensive setup away from home against the ‘bigger’ teams.

Young blood

Rafael da Silva, Chris Smalling, and Jonny Evans all started in a relatively youthful United back four, and were the stars of the show. Rafael kept Matt Jarvis in his pocket all evening with brave and clever defending, combining it with his usual attacking presence. Smalling proved his prowess in the air, something that is essential against opposition who pump forward a lot of high balls. Evans meanwhile continued to show his quickening development with a confident and assured display. Evan’s ability to break forward with poise from defence adds a welcome dimension to the attack. Along with Phil Jones, these players are proving themselves as a future bedrock of United, and are more than deserving of their current selections.

Going Forward

This performance was typical of any champions; grinding out small wins are part and parcel of winning any league. A long overdue clean sheet was promising, largely due to the solid performances of the back four. United midfielders Anderson and Carrick also had vibrant games. The anticipated return of Antonio Valencia from injury is now vital as United begin a busy winter period of games where all options are needed.

Ratings

[4-3-1-2]: Lindegaard-8, Rafael-8*, Smalling-8, Evans-8, Evra-6, Carrick-7, Anderson-7, Cleverley-6, Rooney-6, Hernandez-6, van Persie-6

(Young-6, Welbeck-6, Jones-6)

*Man of the match