How Man Utd’s ‘Cluster Attack’ will overwhelm Premier League defences with Carlos Baleba transfer key

MANCHESTER UNITED are preparing to unleash a new-look “cluster attack” under Michael Carrick as they kick off their Premier League campaign. The Red Devils are closing in on the £65million signing of Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba to help spearhead their tactical evolution. Michael Carrick is set to begin his first full season in charge of Man Utd Credit: Getty Carlos Baleba could make a huge difference for the Red Devils Credit: Getty The Cameroonian star could be the final piece of the puzzle as United finally overhaul their midfield. The key principle to Michael Carrick‘s tactical playing out is the cluster groups that he creates. Sign up for the Man United newsletter Thank you! Play Dream Team this season! £100,000 in prize money up for grabs in 2026/27 Free to enter Play in Mini Leagues against your mates £60,000 jackpot for the overall winner £1,000 prize for winning Gameweek 1 PLAY DREAM TEAM NOW! Creating little close connections in midfield by getting players of good technical quality close to each other will help United play out. That’s where Carlos Baleba and fellow new acquisitions Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos, as well as Kobbie Mainoo, come in – because cleverer more technical players are more likely to execute this. Baleba will enable Carrick to better execute his clusters in an attacking sense, because he’s got a different profile. If the opposition get the ball back in certain areas, he’s the one with the mobility and the ball-winning ability to get back in that position. Baleba’s ability to anchor the midfield single-handedly allows Carrick to commit extra bodies forward into an aggressive front shape. The tactical tweak should give United the flexibility to break down deep-lying opposition defences. Most read in Football BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS I’ve talked about a 3-2-5 shape before, this is more like a 3-1-6 if you’ve got Baleba solving that midfield problem. If a team’s dropped into a really low block… you get an extra body being your left-back… and then you get a five-man attack. And what they’ve been trying to do is almost form this little pentagon shape around the edge of the box, which gives the opposition a massive problem. That’s where close connections they’ve worked on in all areas of the field come into play. If you get into the zone 14 area on the edge of the box… you need players who are brave to play the ball between the lines. United’s tactical evolution also places a spotlight on the future of Marcus Rashford and the urgent need for a new left-back. Rashford provides a lethal counter-attacking option on the wing. If you’re going to play on the counter and you can get an opposition team in an area of the field where you win the ball back with your tight little cluster in midfield… you can then ping it into a dangerous position and get a player 1v1. In this scenario, Rashford remains a fantastic option. For the remainder of the transfer window, securing a top-tier left-back must be a priority. In Carrick’s system, the left-back must be quick and aggressive and high on the press. If United can go and get a Lewis Hall, or somebody of that ilk, then their setup will change even more. If they can get themselves a left-back who can do that job, then it’s a really, really good window for United. Marcus Rashford can still be an impactful player for Man Utd Credit: Shutterstock Editorial It may be time for Man Utd to move on from Luke Shaw Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Comment now