Manchester United Women 2019/20: key areas for improvement

At the top of the FAWSL table this campaign we see the familiar names in the forms of Arsenal Women, Chelsea Women, and Manchester City Women. For years, these sides have had a huge gap between them and the rest of the league. No club has been able to successfully put all of the pieces together in order to challenge this section of elite in England’s top flight.

This season, we have seen glimpses of a side that could possibly break this glass ceiling that has plagued the league for years. Casey Stoney has led her Manchester United Women side into their inaugural FAWSL campaign in fantastic fashion. As we head into the league break for the Continental Cup semi-finals which United are in, facing off against Chelsea the red side of Manchester sit fourth in the table. Very quickly, they have established themselves at the top of the ‘best of the rest’ table alongside Everton Women.

While Stoney has plenty of positives to take from their first half of the season, she will also be well aware of the issues her side faces that are key areas for improvement. To begin this analysis, we need to look at how United have set up so far this season.

Structure

Throughout the season, Stoney has lined her newly promoted side up in a 4-2-3-1 more often than not. Manchester United Women have largely been a counter-attacking side this campaign. They have been at their best when they are able to defend with numbers and look to counter when their opposition has committed numbers forward. This formation has given United a lot of positives to build off of but is also capable of restricting them in matches where they should be looking to have more control. Below you can see the two most common formations we see from Manchester United Women.

Manchester United Women 2019/20: key areas for improvement - scout report - tactical analysis tactics — Main formations used by Manchester United Women in their 2019/20 FAWSL campaign

While the side is set up with a double pivot to begin with, Katie Zelem is given license to roam forward when she identifies an opportunity. On many occasions this term we have seen her leading an attack from deep in her own defensive third, as United look to use their strength on the counter-attack to their advantage.

Above you can see this typical United set up. This is used when they are without possession. The arrows indicate the players’ movement as the side gain possession and look to move forward in attack. This set-up has allowed United to be defensively resolute. While struggling to create chances, none of the big three in the league were able to score more than once against Stoney’s side in their first encounters. This will be hugely promising, with the feeling that United is capable to do one better and take points off of the title challengers high.