Eva Olid, the newly appointed manager of Manchester United Women's team, has encountered early difficulties in implementing her tactical philosophy in the Women's Super League (WSL). While the team secured an impressive 10-1 victory over Sheffield United in the League Cup, their opening matches in the WSL have been inconsistent, with a 2-1 loss to London City Lionesses and a heavy 5-0 defeat by Chelsea. They responded with a 1-1 draw against Arsenal, which was more cautious than many had anticipated. Under Olid, United's tactics emphasize playing out from the back using a 4-2 or 3-2 base, focusing on short passes to reduce the reliance on long balls. Central midfielders are positioned closely together, with the winger on the same side as the ball staying high and wide, while the opposite-side winger drops deeper to create a compact midfield shape. This is a departure from the approach of her predecessor, Marc Skinner, who used a more stretched and symmetrical 3-2-2-3 formation with players in more fixed positions. Skinner's number 10s were often asked to stay high in pockets of space to receive the ball in dangerous areas or create opportunities elsewhere. Olid's system aims to create numerical advantages by having central players move towards the ball, potentially giving United an overload in the middle of the pitch. However, this approach has its trade-offs. If opponents defend zonally, crowding central areas gives United more numbers in the middle, but if defences narrow, space appears on the outside for unmarked players. In contrast, Skinner's system funneled possession towards the flanks, where full-backs, midfielders, and wingers combined in triangles. Olid's tactics have not yet worked as intended, with United averaging 37% possession in their first three league games. Issues include losing simple passes and failing to recognize the free player. Goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce has struggled with the ball at her feet, lacking some of the qualities required by this system. Chelsea's man-to-man pressure exposed these weaknesses, preventing United from establishing prolonged possession. Players are also adjusting to the more intricate approach, which requires better technical skills and quicker cognitive responses. Olid has made tactical adjustments, such as having Tullis-Joyce go long more often and recalling Awujo to provide a more capable target for those passes. This allowed striker Elisabeth Terland to stay higher up the pitch rather than constantly dropping deep. Olid has emphasized the importance of pressing high, but this press was exposed against Chelsea. In the second half, she adjusted by making Terland more passive alongside Ella Toone, which allowed Monica Jusu Bah to stay wider and prevent easy access to Ellie Carpenter. Despite the challenges, Olid remains focused on building confidence and improving defensive shape before aiming for a more attacking style. The League Cup victory against Sheffield United provided some indication of progress, although the team's performance against West Ham on Sunday will be crucial in assessing their development.