Former Manchester United defender Phil Jones argues the Red Devils must return to the basics when defending set pieces.
The team’s corner-kick defending – or rather the lack of it – has been the main topic as Ruben Amorim suffered his second defeat in the space of three days.
If the Portuguese enjoyed a swift honeymoon at Old Trafford, it’s certainly over by now.
On Wednesday, Man United were clearly bested by their hosts Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, but it was the Gunners’ prowess in corner kicks that made the difference, with both goals coming from similar situations.
Today, the Red Devils conceded from a corner kick once more when Lisandro Martinez found himself against the towering Nikola Milenkovic. The significant height gap left the Argentine with no chance, as the Serbian powered his header past Andre Onana to give Forest an early lead.
Phil Jones urges Man United to show more aggression on set pieces
Moreover, there has been a major debate on who’s actually in charge of training set-pieces. Amorim had to clarify the situation, explaining that while Andreas Georgson will remain as part of the staff, assistant manager Carlos Fernandes is the one in charge on this front.
For his part, Jones urges his former club to avoid overcomplicating the situation. He feels that the Red Devils must simply be more aggressive and show some determination to reach the ball first.
“When we’re talking about set pieces I think we can be overanalytical these days and go into so much detail until we’re almost blue in the face,” said the retired defender in his appearance on Sky Sports.
“Ultimately, go and attack the ball, be aggressive and get first contact on the ball. United didn’t do that enough today.”
