Despite losing only two games in their last twenty, Manchester United’s recent performances have not been impressive; stellar names such as Radamel Falcao, Robin van Persie and British record signing, Angel Di María, have received their fair share of criticism. The Red Devils have failed to find rhythm and cohesion with their style of play and have been fortunate to gain points in some of their encounters, with their away games at Stoke, Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur, to name but a few.
In recent games, Louis van Gaal has ditched his favoured 3-5-2 approach for a 4-4-2 formation. However, the system involves a long-ball approach with West Ham boss, Sam Allardyce, describing Manchester United as a long-ball team under van Gaal following the 1-1 draw at Upton Park. The fans have also lamented Wayne Rooney’s being used in a midfield role; the skipper was deployed in a holding role after Daley Blind was taken off due to injury in the Reds’ 3-1 win against Burnley – a game the Clarets dominated in the opening exchanges.
The System or Van Gaal: What is United’s Problem?
Man United’s performance has been so poor that club legend, Paul Scholes, called the football the Red Devils are playing under their Dutch boss ‘miserable’. Scholes was part of Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United team which was known for creating lots of chances and scoring goals aplenty. Paul Scholes has not been in the business of lamenting the Reds’ performances alone, with Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher and super-agent Jorge Mendes slamming van Gaal’s style. Mendes spoke admirably of Sir Alex and how Falcao would have flourished under the Scot’s management. With many fans wishing for more exciting play, van Gaal looks unmoved by their demands.
We shall now take a closer look at the squad roster at Louis van Gaal’s disposal and fit it into Sir Alex Ferguson’s system.
GOALKEEPER: David de Gea has arguably been the best and the safest pair of hands in European football this season, pulling off saves to keep the points safe for the Red Devils. The Spanish international, set to sign a new contract with Manchester United, was a starter for Sir Alex and is the first name on van Gaal’s teamsheet. He has started every single game for the Reds this season.
RIGHT-BACK: Antonio Valencia has featured in this position when fit, with Paddy McNair getting a run-out a couple of times. Rafael has struggled with injuries this season and would have been first choice for van Gaal. However, understudying Rafael at right-back is likely to be Phil Jones, with Chris Smalling being the third choice.
CENTRE-BACKS: Due to the number of injuries Manchester United have had to deal with at the back this season, van Gaal has not had the luxury of having all his centre-backs at his disposal for an extended time. However, Marcos Rojo, Phil Jones and Chris Smalling have been preferred over the likes of Johnny Evans, Paddy McNair and Tyler Blackett. Evans had his best season in Sir Alex Ferguson’s hands, but looks short on confidence and would definitely be fourth choice even if the Scot was still at the helm.
LEFT-BACK: Luke Shaw, Marcos Rojo, Daley Blind, Ashley Young and Tyler Blackett have had their opportunities to impress in this position. Among these players, only Luke Shaw is the only natural left full-back, with the others having to adapt due to injury problems. Ashley Young, who seems to have a new lease of life in a Man United shirt, has been impressive in that position, but that is not enough to put him above Shaw as the first choice.
RIGHT-MIDFIELD: When van Gaal took over at United, he sent out wingers Luis Nani and Wilfried Zaha (who made his loan move to Crystal Palace permanent in January) on loan because his system could not accommodate such players. Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia have had to play as wing-backs and full-backs this season, with only Young earning a few runs playing as an out-and-out winger. Valencia, on the other hand, whose preferred position is on the right side of midfield, has not played in that position since the start of the season. Antonio Valencia would have been top choice in a Sir Alex team, with Di María, Young and Adnan Januzaj possible candidates to stand in when Valencia is unavailable.
CENTRE-MIDFIELD: Michael Carrick’s return to fitness kick started Man United’s good spell of form in the early parts of the season and, with his return to injury, they have been abysmal and lacking cohesion. His leadership and composure is invaluable and will feature in the teams of both legendary managers. Fighting for a spot next to Carrick, we have Ander Herrera, Daley Blind, Marouane Fellaini and Juan Mata; depending on the opposition, any of these men would feature, but Herrera and Carrick would be first choice for Sir Alex as the Spanish international is the closest to filling the big boots of Paul Scholes.
LEFT-MIDFIELD: Angel Di María, Man United’s number seven, has a place in the starting line-up and a place on the left side of midfield would suit him best. His pace, ability to control the ball at top speed and his ability to whip in dangerous crosses makes him a threat to any defence. Using Di María in a central role limits him; he has to come up against a lot of bodies. Young would be second choice as he prefers to cut in and whip in a cross.
FORWARD: Seeing a team sheet with any two out of Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney and Radamel Falcao would strike fear into even the sturdiest of defence. However, United have not scored enough goals and the strikers are gradually losing their fear factor. With an ageing van Persie and a recovering Falcao coming under massive criticism for failing to score more consistently, fans have called for skipper, Wayne Rooney, to be reinstated in the striking role at the expense of either player. With van Persie and Rooney both able to play the number 10 and number 9 Roles, they would be a preferred choice for Louis van Gaal. With more crosses coming in from Di María and Valencia, the likes of Falcao, who has great aerial strength and poaching abilities, would definitely score more. Both Falcao and van Persie have had fewer touches in the box this season as they have had to lay off long balls from the back; but with more balls coming into the box, Man United would see the best of the Colombian.
With the business end of the season coming up, Man United fans are urging their team to gather victories no matter how, but would appreciate it more if the team began dominating matches. Van Gaal has experimented with his team and played many out of position this season. Sticking to the basics and direct play could be the key to playing exciting football; the players have the individual brilliance to produce a good performance, but the coach needs to slot them into the right system.
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