3. Louis Van Gaal vs Jose Mourinho (Tactical Battle)
Saturday will witness only the clash between the first and third placed side in the league, but also the clash between two of the league’s finest tacticians. Love him or hate him, you can’t deny that the Portuguese manager knows what it takes to win the big games. Even though, he doesn’t need to win this game, Mourinho needs to counteract the tactics that has led to United winning six games on the trot and playing a dominant brand of football, the likes of which haven’t been seen since the late-Ferguson years.
Whether it is picking Zouma in place of Fabregas, or opting for a defensive right-winger instead of Willian, you can be sure that Mourinho will have something in store. For Van Gaal though, injuries to Michael Carrick and Daley Blind, two of his holding mid-fielders and his two best center backs in Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo means that a tactical switch might be necessary. Whether it is going back to three at the back or moving Wayne Rooney into midfield, something has to be done if he wants to continue his impressive record against the top sides this season, which has seen them lose just once to the current top five. In what promises to be an interesting tactical battle, whichever manager is able to react and counteract the other’s moves will go a long way towards getting the result that their side needs.
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