Mourinho's Man Utd BROKEN Tactic // Great Defense, Dominant Attack

Hi guys,

welcome back to my series dedicated to José Mourinho's historical tactics.

This time we will see how to recreate his Manchester United 2017-18 tactic. In that season Mourinho's starting XI was as follows: De Gea: Valencia, Bailly, Smalling, Young; Matic, Pogba, Herrera; Lingard, Alexis Sanchez, Lukaku.

To replicate this tactic in Football Manager 2024 we can start with a 4-3-3 basic formation with a defensive midfielder who is deeper than the other two central midfielders. Why a 4-3-3 and not a 4-2-3-1? Because in the possession phase it is a 4-3-3 with Pogba and Herrera who stay centrally, but Pogba's moving forward will create a 4-2-3-1 with the French midfielder positioning himself between the two wingers Lingard and Sanchez. In the non-possession phase it becomes a 4-2-3-1 or even a 4-1-4-1 with the two wingers Sanchez and Lingard dropping back alongside the midfielders and Matic dropping a bit deeper than the two central midfielders Pogba and Herrera.

To replicate this in Football Manager with current database using Manchester United, Bruno Fernandes will replicate Pogba's role, Mount will replicate Herera's and Ugarte (or Casemiro) will replicate Matic's.

Here you can see Manchester United's players positions:

TACTIC ANALYSIS

Possession Phase
Mourinho’s Manchester United employed a direct approach in buildup play, combining long balls with wing-based attacks.

Build-up Play:
• Goalkeeper David De Gea played a crucial role, often opting for long clearances rather than short build-up play, as the team lacked a strong passing structure in defense.
• Center-backs Chris Smalling and Eric Bailly rarely carried the ball forward, instead looking to find Nemanja Matić, who operated as the deep-lying midfielder distributing possession.
• Against high pressing opposition, United frequently resorted to long balls directly to Romelu Lukaku, who used his strength to hold up play and lay it off to wingers or advanced midfielders.

Progression of Play:
• Paul Pogba was the focal point of the midfield in attack. His ability to drive forward with the ball and deliver incisive passes helped progress the play, often switching flanks or delivering through balls.
• Ander Herrera played a more dynamic role, supporting both defense and build-up, but without significant creative responsibilities.
• The flanks were essential: Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young overlapped frequently, providing width and creating 2v1 situations with Alexis Sánchez and Jesse Lingard.
• Crosses were a primary method of attack, exploiting Lukaku’s aerial ability in the box.

Final Third Play:
United’s attacking approach in the final third relied on three main strategies:
1. Crossing from wide areas – Valencia and Young frequently delivered crosses targeting Lukaku, Pogba, and Lingard’s late runs.
2. Long-range shots – Pogba and Matić often attempted strikes from distance.
3. Individual plays – Sánchez and Lingard had the freedom to cut inside and attempt dribbles to create numerical superiority.

Non-Possession Phase
Mourinho’s United was defensively compact, focusing on central density and quick transitions to defensive shape after losing possession.

Defensive Organization:
• Without possession, the team settled into a 4-5-1 shape, with Lukaku isolated up front and the wingers dropping deep to form a solid midfield block.
• The primary objective was to close central passing lanes, forcing opponents to play wide. Matić shielded the defense, while Herrera and Pogba provided support with pressing and cover.
• Mourinho favored a mid-to-low defensive block, minimizing space behind the backline.

Pressing and Ball Recovery:
• United was not an aggressive high-pressing team but would apply pressure in specific moments, particularly against teams with poor build-up play.
• When pressing high, they committed at least six or seven players to block passing lanes and force turnovers.
• Upon regaining possession, United transitioned quickly: Pogba and Matić looked to play Lukaku or the wingers immediately to exploit counter-attacks.

Defensive Weaknesses:
• Set-piece defending was a major issue, with difficulties in marking on corners and free kicks leading to conceded goals.
• Buildup struggles under high pressure forced the team into imprecise long balls, often losing possession.

Conclusion

Mourinho’s 2017-2018 Manchester United was a pragmatic and physically strong team, built on quick transitions and wing play. Their defensive solidity stemmed from central compactness, but they struggled with buildup play and defending set pieces.

FM24 TACTIC ANALYSIS

Formation: 4-3-3 transitioning into 4-2-3-1

Mourinho’s United often lined up in a 4-3-3, but with Pogba’s forward movements, it frequently morphed into a 4-2-3-1 in possession. The key to replicating this system in Football Manager 2024 is to ensure a solid defensive structure while enabling quick transitions and Pogba’s dynamic role in midfield.

Tactical Instructions

Team Mentality: Balanced or even cautious
Mourinho’s style was pragmatic, so a Balanced or Cautious mentality suits the system.
Prioritize defensive solidity but allow for rapid transitions in attack.

In Possession:

Passing Directness: Slightly More Direct (reflecting United’s mix of direct play and build-up through Pogba).

Attacking width: fairly narrow. The two wingers sit narrower close to Lukaku, also Pogba moves forward in central areas, the only two players providing width are the two wing-backs.

Tempo: Slightly Higher (emphasizing quick transitions when recovering the ball).

Mourinho's United was not comfortable in building from the back and often lost the ball when trying to do so, so they preferred to try long balls to Lukaku, especially with De Gea tacking long kicks.

Focus Play Down the Flanks and overlap: Uses wide play through fullbacks (Valencia and Young)

Crosses: whipped (targeting Lukaku’s aerial dominance).

Dribbling: Be More Expressive (allowing individual brilliance from players like Pogba, Sánchez, and Lingard).

In Transition:

Regroup When Possession is Lost: Mourinho’s team focused on a defensive block rather than an immediate press.

Counter When Possession is Won: Ensuring quick vertical attacks through Pogba and Lukaku.

Distribute Quickly, Take Long Kicks and Distribute to Target Forward: To mimic De Gea’s long kicks and fast transitions.

Out of Possession:

Defensive Line: Much higher to maintain compactness and reduce the space between the mid-block pressing line and the defensive line.

Engagement: Mid-block: Mourinho's United did not prioritize high pressing, instead they preferred to wait for the opponent to arrive into their half.

Pressing: Much More Often: even if the pressing was not always high, if the opponent wanted to build from the back, Manchester United could press high even with seven players in the opponent's final third, so to replicate this in Football Manager 2024 the pressing trigger must be much more often.

Get stuck in: this instruction is a key feature in Mourinho's tactics but if you see that your players are getting too many yellow or red cards you can remove it.

Step Up more: to apply the off-side trap and to reduce the space between the lines even more keeping our team compact.

Force Opposition Outside: Directs play towards the wings, where United’s fullbacks could defend crosses.

Player Roles & Instructions

Goalkeeper – Sweeper Keeper (Defend)

David De Gea was not heavily involved in buildup; he primarily launched long kicks to bypass pressure.

Right Back – Wing Back (Support)
Antonio Valencia was an attacking outlet on the right, overlapping frequently but less than Young on the left.
Instructions: Stay Wider, run wide with the ball.

Left Back – Wing Back (Attack)

Ashley Young overlapped very often on the left and crossed many times into the box for Lukaku.
Instructions: stay wider, run wide with the ball

Center Backs – Central Defenders (Defend)

Chris Smalling & Eric Bailly focused on defending rather than ball progression.
Instructions: none

Defensive Midfielder – Ball winning midfielder (Defend)

Nemanja Matić sat deep, shielding the defense.
Instructions:none. All the instructions we need are already preset in this role.

Left Central Midfielder – Box to Box Midfielder (Support)

Ander Herrera was dynamic, covering both ends of the pitch.
Instructions:tackle Harder.

Left Central Midfielder – Mezzala (Attack)
Paul Pogba was the key to switching between a 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1, often driving forward.
Instructions: none. All the instructions we need are already preset in this role.
This role ensures Pogba operates between midfield and attack, supporting Lukaku while maintaining defensive coverage.

Right Winger – Inside Forward (Support)
Jesse Lingard or Juan Mata moved inside to combine with Lukaku and Pogba.
Instructions: Sit Narrower, Roam from position

Left Winger – Inverted Winger (Support)
Alexis Sánchez had creative freedom, cutting inside to create overloads.
Instructions: Roam From Position, Sit narrower, get further forward

Striker – Target Forward (Attack)
Romelu Lukaku was the focal point, holding up play and finishing crosses.
Instructions: roam from position, move into channels

Final Thoughts

This FM24 replication of Mourinho’s 2017-18 Manchester United captures the solid defensive shape, fast transitions, and Pogba’s movement into attack. It is a physical, pragmatic system that thrives against aggressive teams but may struggle against deep defensive blocks. Adjustments to possession and pressing intensity can fine-tune the tactic to suit different challenges.

Results: Won every trophy except for the Community Shield, won the Premier League with 97 points (20 points ahead of City, 31 won, 4 draw, 3 lost, 96 goals scored and 29 allowed, best attack and defense. Won Carabao Cup, FA Cup and Europa League too.

Read the analysis of the tactic in my site both for FM 24 and real tactic

Real tactic: https://sites.google.com/view/fmcalciomaestro/tactic-analysis/best-coaches-of-the-past/analisi-tattica-il-manchester-united-di-mourinho-2017-18
FM 24 : https://sites.google.com/view/fmcalciomaestro/football-manager-hub/football-manager-2024/tactics-emulations/il-manchester-united-di-jos%C3%A9-mourinho-2017-18-su-football-manager-2024


Here are some screenshots












Tactic details, highlights in Football Manager 2024 and stats of my season with Manchester United in my video here:



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