Varun Pai
Ralf Rangnick reveals playing with a three-man defence is an option for Manchester United ahead of facing Aston Villa
Speaking to the club’s official website, Ralf Rangnick revealed that playing with a three-man defence is an option for Manchester United ahead of facing Aston Villa in the FA Cup.
The German manager had a tumultuous start to the New Year, as we lost 1-0 to Wolves at Old Trafford. However, we have the chance to get off on the right foot in the FA Cup by defeating the Villans on Monday. But fans would be curious about the formation the team adopts.
The Red Devils started off with a back four against the Molineux outfit and switched to a back three towards the end of the game. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer also used a back-three towards the end of his tenure and often found success in doing so.
Rangnick has now explained that playing with a three-man defence is an option for us, but it depends upon a couple of factors.
“I think with our team, we have those two options. In order to play with a back three, we need to have most of our centre-backs available.
“I think we can play in the back three. This could be an option for us. but, as I said, it also depends on the players available, on the current shape and form of the players, and also, to a certain extent, to the team against which we are playing.”
Playing three at the back could work wonders
Playing with a back-three has been successful for our rivals this season. Chelsea won the Champions League with a similar formation, while Tottenham Hotspur are adopting the same methods to revitalize their season under Antonio Conte.
However, it also depends on the kind of personnel we possess. If Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof, and Raphael Varane are fit, a formation switch could work wonders. The trio produced a wonderful performance in the 3-0 victory against Tottenham at the end of October, but have since not played together.
Additionally, with Diogo Dalot and Luke Shaw excelling in the attacking phase of the game, it could give us the option of providing our strikers with the service they deserve in the penalty box. Aaron wan-Bissaka could be a good defensive option but hinders our progress going forward.
Our midfield could also be a little more solidified due to the presence of three defenders at the back. Bruno Fernandes could also thrive playing behind two world-class marksmen in Cristiano Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani. This formation could cause some tactical problems for our wingers, but Rangnick can make the necessary adjustments accordingly.
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Regardless, it remains a viable option, but only time will tell whether the gaffer employs this method in the coming weeks. It wouldn’t be the most unwise idea to have a look at Wan-Bissaka playing as a right centre-back akin to what Cesar Azpilicueta has done at Chelsea, or Shaw as a left-sided centre-back, similar to Ben Davies on occasions at Spurs.
