Rooney reveals Man Utd’s possible best bet against Arsenal but warns them against playing passively

As Manchester United prepares to host the Premier League leaders, Arsenal FC, today, Wayne Rooney, a Manchester United legend and former midfielder, reminiscing on Alex Ferguson’s strategy (counterattacking while Arsenal dominates in possession) of defeating Arsenal FC, has advised that Erik ten Hag apply the same but warned that Manchester United must not be passive doing so, as the outcome may be disastrous.

With Manchester United being the underdog, considering Arsenal FC’s form since the 2022/23 Premier League season began, Wayne Rooney, though with caution, asserted that Manchester United can get the most of the Gunners at Old Trafford later today if they utilize Sir Alex Ferguson’s blueprint in defeating them in the past.

Revealing the strategy Alex Ferguson employs whenever Manchester United goes up against Arsenal FC, Wayne Rooney said, “Arsenal was the one game where Sir Alex Ferguson let the opposition take the initiative. They would have possession — there was nothing we could do about that – we’d sit in a mid-block, close spaces, be hard to play through, and hit them on the break.”

He defended this strategy employed by Sir Alex Ferguson, asserting that majority of Manchester United’s goals against Arsenal FC were scored as a result of it, exposing that Manchester United’s back then could easily predict the outcome of their encounters with Arsenal FC.

He said, “most of the goals we — and I — scored against them came that way. It’s strange because we didn’t work that much on those games tactically. It was like the players knew when we played Arsenal how games would pan out and how we had to play to beat them.”

Therefore, Wayne Rooney, suggesting that applying the same strategy against Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal FC would be the club’s best shot at victory over the visitors, who have gone five games into the 2022/23 Premier League season without any defeat, said, “against this Arsenal side, Manchester United FC will need intensity, especially like they showed against Liverpool. Their best bet may be to play like my United did in those classic games—pressing ‘aggressively’ while hitting Arsenal on the break.” 

However, Wayne Rooney was also quick to caution Manchester United against playing with less aggression, saying, “if you sit in a mid block or low block and are passive against a side who move the ball as quickly and well as Mikel Arteta’s team do, it’s a recipe for trouble.”

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