Keeping the ball requires having someone to pass to. Look at this picture:
The player with the ball has only one realistic option (the player ahead, on the right), or a long ball towards the middle, where three white players (Fulham) are marking two red players (Manchester United). Even the 'safe' ball to the right is going to leave that player with two Fulham defenders to deal with.
Wouldn't you rather have this next situation?
The player with the ball now has three realistic options, and just as importantly, whoever he passes the ball to will also have options. This is Bayern Munich (red) against Manchester City (blue). An important thing to note is that the support players are close, but not too close. They are also not running straight at the player with the ball, but holding in a good position to receive a pass.
Again, we see the problem Manchester United have below. This one is a real mess:
The closest support player is not in a good passing lane for the player with the ball. There are not one but two Fulham players in the way. There is nobody 'showing' for the ball at what should be the third point of the triangle, in that big area of space in the blue circle. Instead, everyone has just rushed straight into the penalty area. Worse, the four attacking players are occupying just two positions, basically, since they are standing so close together, in two pairs, making them easy to mark. One of those players needed to drop out into a support position for the player with the ball, especially as that player is not in a good position to carry the ball to goal himself, with three defenders within ten yards of him.
Now we see Bayern again, and how well they support the player with the ball:
Two good options, one square and one further forward, and another player who is not in good position to receive the ball right now, but will be in great support position once it is passed to either teammate.
Again below, Manchester United players are too concerned with running into the box, instead of supporting the player with the ball. And again, they have two players occupying the same space. One of these players should be making a crossing run; the other should be showing for the ball.
Bayern:
The player with the ball has three good, short options. The one ahead of him is occupying two defenders. There is also a 4th teammate behind him to offer immediate defensive pressure in the event they lose the ball.
Bayern again:
Again, it's not just a case of the player with the ball having options; it's that whoever he passes to will also have options. That's how you keep the ball. That's how you overwhelm the opposition. Bayern won this game 3-1. Watch this short clip from the game to see how this kind of positional dominance plays out:
(click this link if embedded video doesn't work: http://vimeo.com/76244286)
Does it look like the Manchester City players were having a lot of fun? Those players make a million dollars a month, and they couldn't wait for that game to end. Nothing kills the opponent's belief and will to compete like chasing the ball.
If all the above seems harsh on Manchester United - who are still trying to settle into a system after changing managers for the first time since the 80s - watch what they can do when they get players in good support positions around the ball:
Keep in mind that the way Bayern (and Barcelona and Arsenal and - note to '00 girls - CASL Elite) play is just one way to play. You can also sit deeper, invite the opposition into your half, and then counter-attack at speed, like Chelsea or Real Madrid, or press all players high into the opponent's half and play a very high-pressure, high intensity pressing game, like Liverpool. But you need exceptionally great athletes for both of those systems. You don't need to be super-athletic or technically gifted to play like Bayern; you just have to be smart. Smart enough to constantly evaluate the ever-changing situations in a game, moment to moment, when your teammates have the ball, and understand where you can go and what you can do to help them keep it. It takes a player with soccer smarts, discipline, and creativity.
Wouldn't you like to be described that way?
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