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Today could be the day Ole Gunnar Solskjaer decides to unleash his three renowned midfielders at Manchester United itself for the first time.
The United manager spoke confidently about the possibility of Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes teaming up in the engine room with the £ 35m summer signing Donny van de Beek, insisting that “good players can play well together” .
There is certainly a lot of intrigue around how Solskjaer might look to use that trio, especially if he decides to start everyone in the same three-man midfield.
All three have played deeper midfield roles at times during their careers, yet they all probably feel more at home in a more advanced No. 8 role, or at best a No. 6 role than It involves playing alongside a natural defensive midfielder.
But if Solskjaer puts Van de Beek, Pogba and Fernandes on the same side, it will almost certainly be at the expense of playing a defensive midfielder, like Nemanja Matic.
Seeing that trio on the same side could provoke excitement, but it should also warrant caution. Solskjaer knows that throwing good players onto the field and watching them play is not the answer. Good players have an advantage, but if the opposition is better trained or better tactically configured, you can quickly cancel it.
If the Norwegian is going to play Van de Beek, Pogba and Fernandes on the same side, then it will take time in training ground to develop an understanding. Right now it’s too early to consider those three as United’s midfield.
It is worth bearing in mind that Liverpool or Manchester City rarely play without a containment midfielder, like Fabinho for the former and Rodri or Fernandinho for the latter. They may be two eighths ahead of a deeper midfielder, but Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola realize the value of a disciplined player in midfield.
Solskjaer has plans for United to become a team that dominates possession and territory like the two teams that finished above them last season and press with as much fervor, aggression and intelligence as City and Liverpool. It won’t happen overnight, but there have been promising signs.
But playing like this means that he will be more vulnerable to yield when attacking or pressing. Such a style involves engaging men forward, with and without the ball. Lose possession or watch the opposition hit your press and suddenly you’re exposed.
That’s why United’s central defenders need to be good at defending one-on-one situations, something that Victor Lindelof has not convinced of and an area in which Eric Bailly could prove himself the best option.
However, there is another way to prevent centrals from being exposed and that is with a deeper midfielder who knows when to push, when to sit and where to stand to intercept counterattacks before they get to the heart of his defense.
Right now you wouldn’t say it was a strong point in Van de Beek, Pogba or Fernandes’ game. Pogba may be the closest of that trio, but at times he can tune out, lose his positional discipline and there are still questions about how long he will be at Old Trafford. It would be a risk to try to turn him into that player who supports.
Of United’s current squad, Matic is best suited for the role, and Scott McTominay and Fred still have aspects of the position to learn. That is why Matic is often comprehensive in allowing two of Van de Beek, Pogba and Fernandes to play freely.
There may be times during games where Solskjaer releases that trio, but at this point it would feel like a considerable risk to do so early on, when United’s game is still a work in progress, especially on defense. Exposing the centrals to more pressure would be a gamble.
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