Olid’s Manchester United face tactical growing pains after mixed start in WSL
Eva Olid’s Manchester United have taken one draw from their opening three Women’s Super League matches in charge and recorded a 10-1 League Cup win on Wednesday as the new manager seeks to imprint a high-possession attacking style.
Olid arrived with a reputation for possession-based, attacking football and an impressive spell at Hearts that reflected those principles, but in the early WSL weeks her side have struggled to dominate possession consistently. United lost 2-1 to London City Lionesses on opening night, were beaten 5-0 by Chelsea and then produced a 1-1 draw with Arsenal in a much more pragmatic display, leading to scrutiny of Olid’s tactical tweaks from predecessor Marc Skinner.
Olid’s preferred build-up aims to play out from the back with short passes rather than long, contested clearances, starting from a 4-2 or 3-2 base in which the two central midfielders form a narrow pair. In that structure the winger on the ball side stays high and wide while the far-side winger drops to play alongside the number 10, creating a midfield box intended to generate numerical advantages around the ball.
By contrast, Skinner’s United operated with a more stretched, symmetrical 3-2-2-3 shape that allocated more fixed positions and funnelled possession to the flanks, with number 10s staying high in half-spaces to receive or drag opponents. Olid has encouraged central players to come towards the ball to create overloads, exemplified when Jess Park inverts from the right wing into central midfield and Simi Awujo drops deep to provide an extra option, complicating opponents’ marking decisions.
Those central overloads carry trade-offs that have been visible in United’s early results: concentrating players in small central areas increases the risk of losing possession in dangerous zones and being exposed on the counter. After three league games United averaged 37% possession, and Olid identified two specific issues: "We lose simple passes and we cannot recognise the free player." Chelsea’s aggressive man-to-man pressure highlighted goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce’s difficulties with the ball at her feet under this system, making it harder for United to establish prolonged possession.
Olid has begun to adapt personnel and patterns to address those weaknesses. Tullis-Joyce has played longer passes more frequently and recalled Simi Awujo provided a more capable target than Ella Toone, which allowed striker Elisabeth Terland to stay higher rather than constantly dropping to contest aerial duels. Hinata Miyazawa and Julia Zigiotti-Olme have appeared to suit the technical and cognitive demands of the system, but Olid has noted the need for time to develop collective understanding.
Match situations have produced clear tactical lessons: Chelsea’s fourth goal followed an intercepted pass as United tried to play through the middle from deep and were punished in transition, while Olid altered her approach in the second half by using Terland and Toone to screen Chelsea’s central midfielders, enabling Monica Jusu Bah to occupy a wider position and reduce space for Ellie Carpenter. In the 10-1 League Cup victory, United’s third and fourth goals came from an intense, coordinated press that forced turnovers close to Sheffield United’s goal; Sheffield United remain bottom of WSL 2 in the early weeks of the season.
Olid has emphasised a stepped approach to implementing her model, saying after the Arsenal game: "The focus [against Arsenal] was the defensive shape," she said. "It's trying to get them more confidence." She has also stated: "The [attack] will come," Olid has said. "But we need to keep this [defensive structure], then from there, little by little, be an attacking team, create chances, score more goals." United’s next confirmed fixture is a WSL match against West Ham on Sunday, where further progress under Olid’s evolving tactics can be assessed.
