The teething troubles with Man Utd's tactics under Olid

What the report says

BBC Sport Football says Eva Olid’s start as Manchester United head coach has been uneven as she tries to introduce a more possession-based, attacking style. The report notes that United lost their first two Women’s Super League matches under her, against London City Lionesses and Chelsea, before drawing with Arsenal, while a 10-1 League Cup win over Sheffield United suggested some progress. The piece focuses on how Olid’s ideas differ from predecessor Marc Skinner’s and why the transition has taken time.

According to BBC Sport Football’s analysis, Olid wants United to build from the back with short passes and more central overloads, giving midfielders and attackers greater freedom to come toward the ball. That approach is meant to create numerical advantages and free players in tight spaces, but it also demands quicker technical execution and sharper decision-making. The article says United have averaged 37% possession in their first three league games and have at times struggled with simple passing, recognition of spare players and goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce’s distribution under pressure.

The report adds that Chelsea’s man-to-man pressing exposed those issues, helping prevent United from settling into long periods of possession and contributing to counter-attacking danger when passes into crowded central areas are misplaced. BBC Sport Football says the early evidence suggests Olid is already making tactical adjustments, including more direct distribution at times. It concludes that the system may still suit players such as Hinata Miyazawa and Julia Zigiotti-Olme, but the collective understanding needed for the model is still developing.