Manchester United made a mistake that contradicted their approach against Tottenham

It's impossible to talk about Manchester United and Tottenham without indulging in the topic of 'style of play.'

Erik ten Hag is supposedly the manager without a clear ethos and identity, while Ange Postecoglou receives huge praise for sticking to a clear style, even if it is not always the most logical approach to adopt.

Even without many of their key players, Tottenham were not going to change their tactics against United yesterday. It played right into the hands of everything good they did and exposed their self-inflicted shortcomings too.

PLAYER RATINGS: Hojlund good and Eriksen poor vs Tottenham

MATCH REACTION: Sir Jim proved wrong by United vs Spurs

Ten Hag would still like his side to have a better grip on games and be able to dominate possession for longer periods of play, but he isn't the type of manager who wants the ball just for the sake of it. Ultimately, it depends on what you do when you have the ball and the performance against Tottenham was a reminder that they are at their best when time is actually at a premium.

Kobbie Mainoo and Christian Eriksen started in a midfield that was set up to try and calmly control proceedings, yet United threatened the most amid the moments of chaos that left space to exploit against a stretched opposition defence. It was a mistake that undermined their entire approach.

Take the opening goal for example. Bruno Fernandes carved the Tottenham midfield open with an excellent sweeping pass, and Marcus Rashford dragged the ball forward before Rasmus Hojlund ferociously fired the ball into the back of the net. It was United at their best, moving the ball quickly from back to front rather than breaking a team down from sheer submission alone.

Yet the midfield selection left