MANCHESTER UNITED are officially this season’s Premier League long ball kings.
Liverpool boss Arne Slot bemoaned the Red Devils’ frequent punts down the park following his side’s 2-1 home defeat on Sunday afternoon.
And while the Dutchman’s comments may have sounded like sour grapes, he may have had a point.
Slot, 47, said: “If you would have told me before the game that against the low block, against so many long balls, that we would have created as many chances as we did I would have not expected us to lose. But that is what we did.
“We had enough chances to score more than one goal, but on the other hand again conceding two and one of the two was the set piece.”
Man Utd have attempted 466 long passes so far this season, per Opta – more than any other side.
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Amorim’s men are narrowly above Wolves, who have attempted 464, in top spot – and miles above the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City.
Pep Guardiola‘s side have attempted the least with just 307, with Arsenal 17th on 350, Liverpool 14th on 366 and Tottenham 12th with 377.
The United boss, 40, made no secret of his intentions prior to the clash with Liverpool.
He said: “We have players with a lot of power up front.
“If we win a second ball, we can take all that build-up from the game and have the opportunity to score.
“We just need to be more aggressive against Liverpool. We must be ready for the game.
“Every time the ball goes to the keeper, most teams play man to man — but sometimes you don’t have anyone to play it into.
“Senne Lammens plays with both feet. It’s harder for teams to pressure the keeper from one side. Yet he needs to be ready.”
United new boy Lammens has made a big difference since replacing Altay Bayindir between the sticks.
And the young Belgian has no qualms with pumping the ball long.
During the last decade or so, Prem fans have become accustomed to watching through their fingernails as their keepers have riskily played out from the back.
But Lammens has been something of a throwback, hoofing the ball seemingly at every opportunity.
The 23-year-old didn’t go short at all during the Liverpool match, completing just nine of his 46 passes as he opted to pump the ball long, with United then contesting for second balls.
Lammens’ tactic wasn’t merely because his side faced the daunting prospect of travelling to Anfield.
His distribution was largely similar against Sunderland the previous weekend, as he completed 17 of his 44 attempted passes.
But has this brand of hoofball seen Man Utd turn a corner?
Interestingly, Jamie Carragher believes that Amorim’s 3-4-3 system, which the Portuguese has never wavered in his belief in, only really works against the top sides.
Speaking on The Gary Neville Podcast after Sunday’s game, the Liverpool legend said: “Listen, it’s one result, and we can’t disguise he’s been really poor since he’s come in, and in some ways it probably couldn’t have got any worse in terms of the games they’ve won, losing that cup final to Spurs, even the start of this season.
But twice he’s come to Anfield, I think he’s been to Man City and won, they’ve been to Arsenal maybe once, in a cup game (and won).
“And we talk about the system a lot, and one of the reasons why I don’t think it suits a club of Manchester United is because I don’t think it’s a system that puts you on the front foot and you can get after teams.
“But maybe when you’re the team who are not expected to go and win the game, it can be a difficult system to break down once you get into that back five and that four in front.
“You can question that four in front at times, but when you’re at home, the attacking players think, ‘I should be up this pitch. I’m not really going to get back and tuck in and defend.’
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“But Mason Mount’s picked for that role today, and it is a difficult nut to crack for any team. Maybe that’s why he’s done well in these big games, especially away from home. But in terms of going forward, United scoring goals and winning games, it’ll always hold them back, this system.”
The Red Devils will attempt to make it three wins on the spin when they host Brighton this Saturday.
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