Scholes: LVG's preferred 3-5-2 hampers Man United's attack
Manchester United legend Paul Scholes believes that manager Louis van Gaal is blunting the Red Devils’ edge up front.
The root of the problem is the 3-5-2 system that van Gaal favours, said Scholes, who feels that it helps United in terms of ball possession but not in number of goals scored.
Fourth in the Premiership standings, United have scored 34 goals in 21 matches. However, strikers Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao have combined for a total of only 19 goals.
During their 1-0 loss to Southampton last Sunday, United failed to notch a single shot on target.
No width
Said Scholes: “In a 3-5-2 formation, that width is just not there for United,” the former Red Devils midfielder wrote in a column for the Evening Standard.
“Luke Shaw is an orthodox left back being asked to play wing back. Antonio Valencia has lost some of that great pace he once had, and it is more difficult for him to get past players when his starting position is so deep.
“There is no doubt that 3-5-2 helps you keep the ball. The three centre halves and the three central midfielders can pass it around to their heart’s content. The problem comes when you try to hurt teams in attacking areas.
“You can have all the possession you like, but if you are not creating ‘2 v 1’ situations where you outnumber your opposition and get behind them, then you are not going to score enough goals.”
Source: Evening Standard
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