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The Sun
8 minutes ago
- The Sun
Man Utd's new front three of Mbeumo, Cunha & Sesko showed flashes against Arsenal – but will £200m revamp really work?
MANCHESTER UNITED may have lost their opening game of the new Premier League season to title-chasing Arsenal. But there were flashes of brilliance from their new-look front three, which will be a significant upgrade for Ruben Amorim this season. Amorim's men looked more like a collective team than they did last season. United came into the match following a busy off-season, having revitalised their attacking options at a cost of a whopping £200MILLION. Two new attackers, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, started the match, while new star striker Benjamin Sesko was on the bench - although he did feature in the final 30 minutes. At the start of the game, it seemed that Cunha would be playing as the central striker, with Mason Mount and Mbeumo playing as the narrow attacking No. 10s behind him. The positioning and role of Cunha, however, was more versatile than that – until the introduction of Sesko in the second half. The game was just a taste of what United's three new attacking players can bring over the coming weeks and months. So with that in mind, SunSport's Tactics Exposed team is on hand to take an in-depth look at each of United's new attacking options and break down what fans can expect to see from them this season. Bryan Mbeumo When United secured the signing of Mbeumo from Brentford for a £71m fee, it was off the back of a strong season in which he finished with 20 goals and nine assists in all competitions. He appears to ideally suit the 3-4-2-1 system that is favoured by United's Portuguese head coach Amorim. 16 16 It is likely – and this was supported against Arsenal – that Mbeumo will start for United as the right-sided No.10 behind the main striker. From this position on the right, one of the biggest threats from Mbeumo comes from his off-the-ball movement. During his time at Brentford, he looked to make attacking runs in the channel, starting from deeper positions. Mbeumo can then accelerate to attack the space between the opposition's fullback and central defenders. Against Arsenal, we saw early signs of these runs and the danger that they'll bring. Glamorous Man Utd fan rocks up at Old Trafford in nothing but bodypaint but is 'not allowed into Arsenal game' 16 16 Here, we see the kind of movement that we can expect this season from Mbeumo. As Cunha and Mount work to collect a loose ball, Mbeumo starts a run to attack the space through the channel The positioning and movement of Mbeumo throughout this match were interesting. He showed a clear tendency in the build-up phase, and when the ball came into the middle third, to come out wide to receive and support the attack. Mbeumo dropped back to goal to receive the ball and showed his touch and technical ability when receiving and linking up with teammates behind him. Also, he looked comfortable when getting the ball on the turn and looking to attack forward with aggression. As the play progressed into the middle third he narrowed off as he likes to play closer to the area and to goal. This was supported by the longer overlapping runs from Diogo Dalot from the right wingback position, and then the higher attacking positions from Amad Diallo when he came into that role. Mbeumo was difficult to play against for the opposition defenders as he varied his approach. At points, he released the ball to play in the wingback when he moved from deep to support. And at other points, he took the ball and drove inside towards the area. In this example, Mbeumo is in possession of the ball as United are on the attack. 16 The defender is isolated and cannot commit as he does not know which way Mbeumo will go. This time, he uses the overlap and plays the ball for Dalot to carry forward. The movement and attacking intelligence that Mbeumo showed throughout the match against Arsenal should excite United fans. Matheus Cunha United moved very quickly at the end of last season to trigger the release clause of the Brazil star Cunha to take him from Wolves for £62.5m. Similar to Mbeumo, United made the move for Cunha on the back of a strong season in which he scored 17 goals and had six assists. 16 16 While we think as the season goes on that Cunha will end up playing as the left-sided No.10 behind the main striker, he actually started against Arsenal as the main striker. Cunha was, however, still very versatile with his attacking positioning and movement as he moved and dropped deep to get on the ball. He would then either turn and driving in possession of the ball or link the play with teammates and move into advanced areas with his off the ball movement. Cunha consistently got into positions in which he could take the ball and then look to hurt the Arsenal backline. 16 16 There were moments when Cunha dropped very deep, even as the central striker, and was deeper in the United half to help progress the ball. We see an example of this here as Cunha has dropped very deep and taken possession before turning and driving forward. It was interesting to see how effective Cunha was in the final third in terms of giving United a platform to attack from. He played as the main striker until the final 30 minutes, when Sesko was introduced for Mount, before dropping back to play as the 10. During the match, however, he completed all 11 passes that he attempted in the final third as he linked the play. He was consistently willing to take possession of the ball under pressure in advanced areas and to link the play with teammates moving to support the play. The Brazilian is also a threat in these situations, however, to take the ball on the turn and drive to goal in order to get a shot away. 16 Here, Cunha takes possession of the ball from a short forward pass from Bruno Fernandes on the edge of the Arsenal penalty area. He holds off the pressure from the defender and plays the ball back into the path of Bruno as he moves forward to attack the edge of the area. The positional versatility that we see from Cunha combined with his ability on the ball to combine with teammates and drive through space in the final third will help United to break down opposition teams. Benjamin Sesko The final new attacking player is Slovenian international striker Sesko, who was recruited from RB Leipzig for £74m. While he was not quite ready to start the first game of the season, we did see him come off the bench for the final 30 minutes. And in that time, we saw what the striker will bring to the squad. Sesko likes to run at defences. He is far less effective when playing back to goal and receiving into his feet. This means he provides a very different option to Cunha as the No.9 in this game. The willingness of Sesko to make these runs and stretch the game provides a threat, but it also creates space underneath that the likes of Cunha and Mbeumo could take advantage of. 16 16 As United are in possession in their own half with the man in possession under no pressure, Sesko times his run to break beyond the last line and allow the ball to be played over the top and into space. Sesko is a very physical and is 6' 5' tall, with the ability to routinely threaten space for his team. His off-the-ball movement is similar to that of Rasmus Hojlund, who is still in the United squad. But Sesko should provide more consistent threat through his ball striking and ability to maintain that pace when in possession of the ball. 16 Here, we see a clear example of Sesko making a diagonal run to force the opposition defensive line backwards and create space for teammates underneath. Cunha has taken possession of the ball and turned his man before driving towards the opposition half. As Sesko makes a darting diagonal run the entire defensive line for Arsenal is pushed backwards. A striker like Sesko, when compared to the profiles and positional tendencies of the likes of Cunha and Mbeumo, will create a lot of threat across the season for United. Conclusion We have gone through the three new attacking players for United and not even mentioned their best attacking threat from last season in Bruno Fernandes. The United captain will likely find himself moving deeper to play a more deep midfielder as opposed to one of the No10's. But his passing ability and aggressive nature from this role will be very strong for United. As the season progresses we are likely to see Sesko established as the main striker with Cunha and Mbeumo as the No.10's behind him.
BBC News
8 minutes ago
- BBC News
'Reeking of desperation?' - who could Spurs turn to next?
It's been a nightmare few days for reaching an agreement to sign England international Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace on Wednesday, they received the news that instead he is set to join bitter north London rivals are in the market for a high quality attacking midfield reinforcement. James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski have both suffered serious injuries while Yves Bissouma missed the opening game of the season in the Premier this summer, a proposed move for Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest fell have been speaking to BBC Sport to vent their frustration at the situation, with one saying: "Spurs now enter the final few weeks of the transfer window reeking of desperation."However, another said: "If he's a Gooner we don't want him. Simple."With less than two weeks of the window left, the options for Spurs in the transfer market are limited, but there are players that could prove to be smart targets should Spurs choose to pursue will be important to ensure any new midfield signing is physical, a good carrier of the ball over distance, technically secure when deeper, and a strong Sport looks at Spurs' possible transfer options and speaks to fans to analyse the situation. Who could Spurs target? Mikkel Damsgaard (Brentford) Spurs boss Thomas Frank's former midfielder was pivotal to Brentford last season, with two goals and 10 assists. In describing what Frank may be looking for in his attacking midfielder, there isn't a better place to look than the Denmark provided Frank with solutions to their build-up play, frequently dropping into wide areas, deeper. Opposition defenders were unsure whether or not to follow him into these areas and Brentford could get up the pitch more would help Brentford with smart passes to the wingers or turning on the ball and driving with it himself. When under pressure, he would bounce it back to a defender with a first-time pass, not taking unnecessary playing well-weighted direct through balls often, Damsgaard was a large factor in Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo's goal the ball, Damsgaard pressed in a front two, intercepting the ball in dangerous situations. His pressing intensity and willingness to defend embodied the culture Frank has tried to instil in his teams throughout his slightly on the nose, the well-rounded midfielder would slot into Frank's system at Spurs with ease. The familiarity ensures questions about tactical fit are a only 25 years old, he combines experience, Premier League know-how and technical and physical quality, allowing him to scale up to a Champions League side. Bilal El Khannouss (Leicester) It is important to contextualise El Khannouss' Premier League performances and statistics, given he played for a poor Leicester side who spent large parts of last season defending he only scored two goals and assisted three times in the league, his performances have caught the eye of teams in the Premier League, most recently being linked to Crystal Palace as a potential Eze stands out immediately is his technical quality. El Khannouss is accomplished with both feet and is often seen playing passes and crosses with either, depending on what flank he has floated manner in which he dropped as deep as the defensive midfielders, to improve the Foxes' build-up, is something Frank would appreciate. In these situations, he would carry his team upfield using deceptive feints to create space from opponents pressing El Khannouss is an attacking midfielder, he often found himself in wing positions and showcased great crossing quality and high-level ball has good pace in big spaces but on the ball plays at a slower pace appropriately. His two-footedness provides balance and additional creative solutions alongside left-footed only real question mark in his game is how quickly he gets his shots off. He has a powerful strike of the ball and is excellent on set-pieces but takes time to set up his shot, leading to his strikes being blocked. This makes scoring for El Khannouss more difficult in crowded spaces, but he should be a threat when shooting from distance. Maghnes Akliouche (Monaco) Akliouche, just like Eze, is a natural winger who moves to play more centrally during the game. With five goals and 10 assists in Ligue 1 last season, the Frenchman took a step up, although he underperformed against his expected goals total of as a winger, he has a tendency to drop deep. From such areas, he can drive the ball over large distances quickly, showing strength to hold off defenders. His ball manipulation is impressive, often using his studs and ball rolls to confuse deep defences, the Monaco winger has been seen moving into central midfield positions to find solutions. Here he passes well and can find team-mates at a variety of angles. As a talented passer, he would help to provide balance to Spurs' group of impressive ball his on-the-ball quality, he doesn't neglect his off-the-ball work. He tracks back diligently if his team have lost the ball. In attack, he makes good runs behind the opposition's back likes his versatile attackers, particularly those that can play multiple roles. Akliouche provides a different profile down the middle and would work well with Porro on the right flank. This would free Kudus to play centrally displays a goal threat greater than the rest of the names in this list. However, he is the most naturally attacking player, playing in a more dominant side compared to Brentford and Leicester. Tyler Dibling (Southampton) Like Eze, Dibling is a winger who can play centrally. For Southampton last season, there were games in which he stayed fairly a winger, Dibling resists pressure well from defenders on his back, getting used to being closely marked in the Premier League with pressure from behind him. He takes this quality with him when playing in starting centrally, he often dropped deep and towards the right side of the pitch to provide his team's defenders with an extra passing option. To find space in these situations, he would fake to run in behind, dragging a midfielder with him, before dropping deep quickly to receive the there is the opportunity to turn with the ball, the Englishman does so and impressively avoids being tackled by riding contact well over large distances and having quick feet in small can be less active than others on this list when he doesn't have the ball and prefers to receive the ball to feet, rather than making runs behind a defender. This is almost exclusively done towards the right side of the pitch, given his preference for using his right times, Dibling would suit playing down the middle more than on the wing if he were to sign for the middle, he is able to showcase his ability to shift the ball and shoot quickly. Out wide, he can be susceptible to not quite getting the right flight on in-swinging crosses from the right flank, a method of chance creation that Frank likes to use. 'Selling clubs know how to squeeze us' - Spurs fan reaction By Bardi, fan writer from The Extra Inch, externalDaniel Levy's reign has seen an upturn in fortune and fortunes at Spurs, but they still seem unable to compete and complete Morgan Gibbs-White's move to Spurs in pieces, Eze seemed the next logical step, especially with top-four rivals out of the equation, but somehow Levy and Spurs failed to get it over the moved the line depends on where you stand in the great Levy debate, but what's clear is that he seems unable to work with other Premier League League chairmen know what to expect from him. They expect to be "drawn over the coals" and they've had was probably not the player we needed. He's not a high-volume creative passer or a dribbling sensation, but he represented far more than that. He's a player at the peak of his powers, and his signature would be a statement of intent. It would also ultimately deny Arsenal a player they now enter the final few weeks of the window reeking of desperation. Selling clubs know what we're holding and how to squeeze us. We have no other option but to pay what they want. A selection of fan responses to BBC Sport on ThursdayBrian: Totally embarrassing. Over a week to get Eze signed and still couldn't manage it and Arsenal do it in hours. A kick in the teeth to Spurs fans. We spend so much wasted time on negotiating deals, it's pure frustration!Bob: Can't say I'm that bothered. He is 27 years old and his career so far has been QPR and Palace. He's not been wanted by anyone like Barca or Real - move Spurs' mentality is like being a multi-millionaire and driving 25 minutes out of town because the petrol is 5p cheaper. By the time you get home you haven't saved anything, wasted a bunch of time, and everyone else is confused by what you're doing and laughing at Eze is a fantastic player and would strengthen any team he plays for. But, we can't look back. He isn't a Spurs player so let's not cry about him. Onwards and upwards!Christopher: Can't help but feel that Ange would've sounded Eze out and identified if his heart was in joining THFC or if he was stringing them along. If anything, it would have prevented this song and dance from playing out at Levy's Completely get it from Eze's perspective, it's his boyhood club. For me, it's another case of Levy and co. taking far too long to wrap something up. Realistically this only reportedly happened because of Havertz's injury, but in football you should never take anything for granted. Not sure where to go now, put the extra funds towards Savinho and find another 10 If he's a Gooner we don't want him. For once I don't think we can blame Levy for dragging his heels on this outcome. I don't think Eze ever wanted to sign for us, all we did was set it up for Arsenal to step in. Fair play to their buying team and no doubt our smug North London neighbours will be letting us know how good they feel.
Daily Mail
8 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Italian giants 'willing to include clause with obligation to buy' Man United striker Rasmus Hojlund after stepping up talks to sign Dane
Napoli are 'willing to include an obligation to buy clause' in any deal for Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund. The Italian champions have been stepping up talks with United for Hojlund, as reported by Simon Jones for Daily Mail Sport. And according to Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, rather than simply a loan with a buy option, Napoli are now willing to commit to an obligation to buy. The Italians want the Denmark international following injury to Romelu Lukaku and Hojlund is interested in a permanent switch after being told he will receive limited opportunities at Old Trafford this season. Napoli faced competition from AC Milan, who have also expressed an interest in the striker, though their move for Victor Boniface appears to have them covered up front. Daily Mail Sport last week revealed Milan offered a £4.5million loan fee with an option to buy for £39m. It came after Fulham showed a tentative interest in Hojlund. The Cottagers has been weighing up a move for the player as Rodrigo Muniz is the subject of bids from Atalanta. However, Hojlund has been digging in his heels saying he wants to stay and fight for his place - despite Benjamin Sesko arriving for £73m as part of a new look £200m frontline. In a clear sign his future lies away from Old Trafford, Hojlund was also left out of the squad by manager Ruben Amorim for United's 1-0 defeat by Arsenal in their Premier League opener on Sunday. He has scored 26 goals in 95 appearances for United since signing from Atalanta for £72m in the summer of 2023. If he moves to Napoli, Hojlund will re-unite with former United teammate Scott McTominay, who won the league with Antonio Conte's side in his first season in Italy. Given the additions of Mateus Cunha, Sesko and Bryan Mbeumo, in addition to Joshua Zirkzee's role in attack, United are now well stocked at that end of the pitch. Evidently it could suit both the club and Hojlund to make a fresh start in the league that he impressed United enough to splash out £73m on him. There have been flashes of his potential at Old Trafford but the striker failed to deliver on a consistent basis last term in what was a nightmare season for United. Given the outlay on Sesko, he will now be the man expected to lead the line for Amorim this season.
