ICONIC Sir Alex Ferguson Tactic
Sir Alex Ferguson – his chewing gum, his wristwatch, his stern look…iconic.
And equally iconic is what he managed to achieve as Manchester United’s football manager.
He is called Sir for a reason, right?
He played football for quite some time before becoming a manager. He stepped into management at East Stirlingshire, in 1974, a part-time job.
He then moved clubs and in the late 1970s, he arrived at Aberdeen. Where, I might say, it all started.
And in November 1986, he was appointed the new manager of Manchester United. Who, at that time, were not the club we know they become.
Sir Alex Ferguson had a rough start at Manchester United, but silverware stated to come, eventually. Cementing his reputation as the greatest manager the club ever had.
And the best managers, must coach the best players, right? He changed so many generations and developed so many players. His most iconic one being, maybe, Cristiano Ronaldo, who is rumored that the players convinced him to buy.
The 2007-2008 season might not be the most iconic in club’s history, but it’s a highlight one. And one that we are interested in.
Back then, Sir Alex Ferguson had at the club players like Edwin van der Sar, Nemanja Vidic, Carlos Tevez, besides the icons Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand, Cristiano Ronaldo among others.
That season, he managed to win the UEFA Champions league again, in the all-English final, against Chelsea.
The formation he used back then might not have been as asymmetric as I made it look, but this way it feels like the Manchester United team of that era.
Of course, Edwin van der Sar was never a sweeper keeper, but in the game, this role seems to link better with the rest of the team compared to a traditional goalkeeper one.
The back four is made of two wing backs on support and two ball playing defenders on defend duty. The central defenders might also be normal central defenders, I just felt that Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand were involved more in the possession game that season.
Stay wider for the right-sided wing back and cross more often and stay wider for the left-sided one.
A ball winning midfielder on defend and a central midfielder on support make up the central area.
Take more risks, get further forward and roam from position for the central midfielder. This is Paul Scholes most of the time.
A winger on attack on the left side and an inside forward on attack on the right one.
Cristiano Ronaldo played more on the right side at that time, slowly transitioning to his iconic left side role.
Mark tighter as player instruction for the winger and stay wider and mark tighter for the inside forward.
And the strikers are a deep lying forward on attack and an advanced forward. The two Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney.
The deep lying forward is told to roam from position, stay wider and mark tighter. While the advanced forward to close down more and mark tighter.
This formation might seem aggressive, but we should not forget that they had the players to make it work.
As mentality, I chose positive.
In possession, fairly wide to wider attacking width, pass into space and play out of defence. Slightly shorter passing directness and a slightly higher tempo. Run at defence and be more expressive.
The be more expressive option allows the players the more creative players to play more freely, outside of the confines of the tactical setup.
In transition, counter-press, counter and distribute the ball to the defence, through short kicks.
And out of possession, a mid block and a standard defensive line. Trigger press slightly more often and trap outside.
Unlike Manchester United of that era, we did not manage to win any silverware. But we did finish 2nd in the Bundesliga, as Bayer Leverkusen, scoring 93 goals and conceding 35.
Sir Alex Ferguson created many teams at Manchester United and managed many players, having different personalities and ambitions.
But the 2007-2008 season remains one of the most prolific one in the club’s history and Sir Alex Ferguson’s career.
