Eva Olid's flexibility comes under scrutiny after Manchester United's turbulent start

After two heavy WSL defeats, Manchester United drew at Arsenal with a pragmatic setup that has raised questions about new head coach Eva Olid's philosophy.

Manchester United's 1-1 draw at Arsenal on Saturday offered the first positive result of Eva Olid's tenure, arriving after a 2-1 loss to London City Lionesses and a 5-0 home defeat by Chelsea. Those opening two defeats marked the club's worst start to a Women's Super League season since promotion in 2019, with United conceding seven goals and scoring once.

Captain Maya Le Tissier described the Chelsea loss as "awful" and said "honest conversations" followed between staff and players about how the team wanted to play. United had averaged 37.2 percent possession against Chelsea and 39.8 percent against London City, with expected-goals returns of 0.20 and 0.25.

Against Arsenal, Olid shifted to a low-to-mid block, dropped England midfielder Ella Toone for a compact midfield of Hinata Miyazawa, Simi Awujo and Julia Zigiotti-Olme, and reinstated Anna Sandberg at left-back. Andrea Medina started on the left wing while Monica Jusu Bah remained on the bench.

The tactical shift prompted differing views, with one rival-club source calling it a concern and another questioning the long-term effect if players can influence tactics. Others point to Olid's record of adaptability from her time at Hearts, where she arrived in 2021 from an academy role with the Houston Dynamo.

Joe Savage, Hearts' sporting director at the time, said Olid's detailed presentation convinced him to hire her despite her lack of head-coaching experience, and that she transformed a part-time side within a budget of around £300,000 per year. Assistant Sean Burt recalled her using a 3-4-3 early on to control midfield before Hearts went on to win the title in 2025-26.