While there have been a lot of tactical changes in how Manchester United play of late, there has always been one consistent problem that has ended up costing the Manchester Reds dearly: it is the asymmetry in wide build-ups and transitional situations. Given how Diogo Dalot is playing as an advanced right-sided playmaker more often than not and Luke Shaw (or his replacements)is frequently unavailable or inconsistent down that left flank, United do need a more natural yet modern full-back who has that capacity to bring some sort of balance between both attacking output and defensive security.
And in Theo Hernandez, the Premier League heavyweights can land someone who is one of the few full-backs in world football who has that capacity to be defensively reliable as well as tactically versatile, which ends up making him a near-perfect fit for the current structure that United have deployed under Ruben Amorim.
Let’s explore how he will fit into the current system at Manchester United
AC Milan defender Theo Hernandez a top target for Manchester United.
Theo Hernandez is targeted by the chiefs at Carrington. (Photo by ISABELLA BONOTTO/AFP via Getty Images)
So if we look at how Amorim plays, he generally likes his side having a 3-4-2-1 / 3-2-4-1 structure where the left wing-back has a vertical drive while the back three have an aggressive LCB to cover those overlaps, and this is complemented by having a narrow front four which primarily relies on the wide underlaps/overlaps. So if we are talking purely in this context, Theo will be playing in that left wing-back role which will be structured in a way that allows him to carry from deep (like he has been doing for his current employers), and he ends up on overlaps or underlaps (in the second and third phases) depending on the winger he is playing with ahead. He can also recycle or break lines with short combinations (like he used to do under Pioli while finding solutions when facing intense press). Moreover, when you directly compare him with Shaw, Theo has the capacity to hold width or invert based on the state of play, unlike Malacia or Dalot (on his off side).
The way that United currently go about their build-ups, it often skews heavily to the right flank given how they rely on Bruno drifting wide and Dalot overlapping. Andy with Theo gives Amorim a genuine outlet on the left, which will end up forcing opponents to stretch at the back (this brings a sense of balance to United’s attacking sequences).
His left-footed crossing and cutbacks also give Rasmus Hojlund (or whoever is playing at the number nine role) more service from the opposite angle.
United struggle with defensive transitions on the left, especially when Shaw is pushing high or is on the bench, and Theo (despite his attacking licence) has that elite recovery speed. Moreover, the physical profile that he has (1v1 strength, tracking wide runners) brings a proper transition anchor on the left at Old Trafford.
Now if we are talking about his offensive output, Theo regularly has that capacity to come at the edge of the box or byline for his current employers, given how often he is involved in finishing moves or assisting with cutbacks. In the current Amorim’s system, where the wing-backs are often the most advanced wide players, the Frenchman’s output would fit in naturally.
So him being on the side also has a direct effect on Bruno, given how his involvement from deep spaces ends up creating a sense of numerical overloads which allows Bruno to drift into central pockets and other forwards to play off the ball.
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Now his defensive concentration can sometimes go off, especially in slow games (there is something about him that brings his ‘A’ game in high-tempo and transition-based structures, which Amorim encourages), but you need to keep him in check in slow games. Moreover, United will also need a robust left-sided centre-back behind him as a cover (be it Lisandro Martinez or a new aggressive LCB) given how he likes to burst forward.
And the highlight of it all: his services will not come cheap. If you want to sign Theo, you will need to put in a high fee bid and then complement those hefty fees with top wages, but if you ask me the long-term gain (especially under the current structure that is deployed at Old Trafford by Amorim) has the capacity to outweigh the cost.
Author Opinion
Signing Theo Hernandez can end up giving United a lot of tactical variability, I think, and given how Ruben Amorim likes to set up his side vertically and with dual-wing threats, Theo Hernandez not only fits but he completes the picture.