MOTD2 analysis - Man Utd let down by lack of defensive leader

MOTD2 pundit Danny Murphy expands on his TV analysis of Manchester United's defensive problems in their 5-3 defeat by Leicester City.

Manchester United conceded four goals in the space of 21 second-half minutes in their disastrous defeat by Leicester but it was not their collapse that concerned me the most - it was the fact they looked so vulnerable throughout the whole game.

What went so wrong? Well, United's defence lacked leadership, experience and quality. But if I criticise them, then it is also important that I point out they did not have much protection.
The balance of the team was all wrong. We already knew Louis van Gaal's squad was top-heavy with superb attacking talent but this game was the first time we have seen that it does not matter how dangerous they are going forward if they cannot defend.
At times, they were simply all over the place.
You cannot tell me that they did not have the better players - if you compared the two teams on paper, United should have won the game.

But, tactically, United were naïve.
That, on top of the inexperience of some of their players, combined to make them so bad at the back that, every time Leicester went forward in the second half, it felt like they could have scored.

Diamond offered United defence no protection

Leicester should never have got the penalty that led to their second goal, and that clearly ended up being a big boost for them. Even so, there is no excuse for United conceding three more.

Continue reading the main story

“If United want to challenge against the top sides then they have to look at changing their system or their personnel”

They were still 3-2 up with less than half an hour remaining and, although they were under pressure, the game should still have been in their control. Instead, they were nervous.

When you are in that situation, leadership matters. I am talking about somebody at the back organising things - telling a couple of midfielders to sit in front of the defence and saying "stay there and don't move".
In the past, Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic have been that voice, but they have gone and not been replaced.
Instead, against Leicester, United had 20-year-old Tyler Blackett at the heart of their defence. He is learning his trade and was never going to provide that kind of authority.
When you are a young lad in a back four, you need help from all around you but because of the number of attack-minded players that United had on the pitch, that did not happen. The Leicester players were given far too much space.
I can understand why it happened, because it is hard for players who are forward-thinking to change their mentality and dig in. Too many of United's players have that mind-set.
If you look at United's formation, they again set up in the diamond they used in their win over QPR last weekend.