After seeing a host of Manchester United fans go crazy about their new signings, other fans have also been raising a very intelligent point of information: Only two out of the four signing United have made are actually ‘needed’. So why buy the rest?
Let me first state, (before I start a war) that this article is all opinionated. Everything that you will read on this page is in my opinion so if you agree or disagree, feel free to comment.
New look to Manchester United
Manchester United fans are probably happier now than they were when they won their 20th premier league title. The club’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward has treated them to four new signings in just a month. Memphis Depay (Winger), Matteo Darmian (full back), Bastian Schweinsteiger (midfielder) and Morgan Schneiderlin (midfielder).
These are all impressive signings and no one can take that away from Manchester United. But were they necessarily what they needed? Looking at the whole Manchester United squad, everyone knew exactly where their weaknesses lay:
- Strikers: They were struggling to score goals (up front that is). Even though they had the likes of Wayne Rooney, Radamel Falcao and Robin Van Persie at their disposal. All excepting for one (Wayne Rooney) were either misfiring or just lacking confidence and form.
- A holding Midfielder: Michael Carrick would often get injured and Louis Van Gaal thought that Daley Blind would be the perfect player to replace him in the present and near future. But as we all know, he was solid but nothing special, he was missing that spark.
- Defenders: Yes plural, defenders. This is probably the area Manchester United needed to bolster up on the most. With Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic both saying goodbye to the Theatre of Dreams (along with Sir Alex Ferguson), United needed a new partnership, especially in need of a leader who was willing to put their hand up and say “I got this”. But no one ended up taking up the mantle.
Last season van Gaal brought in Luke Shaw and Marcos Rojo to assist with a jaded defence. But the former proved to be extremely attracted to injuries and the latter just didn’t have enough experience in the Premier League and was exposed numerous amounts of times.
Fast-forward to July 2015 and they still have the same problems. Signing Depay and Darmian were both very well handled investments. They could soon become two very good players. Depay, whose position in the side looks to be unknown, seemingly replacing either Angel Di Maria or Juan Mata, has a bright future ahead of him. He can score goals and create chances, which is what United need. Darmian will be able to allow Antonio Valencia to move back up the pitch where he belongs. He will also add the pace and burst of energy that players like Dani Alves (Barcelona) provide at the back.
Bastian Schweinsteiger is a great signing. He might be old but the man knows how to play a demanding game, he knows how to control the pace and be calm in times of hardship, meaning he could be very crucial for United in big games. Morgan Schneiderlin is a lot more defensive than Bastian, but also fulfills the same sort of duty. He is the player that allows his team-mates to surge forward while he hangs back and helps out his defenders.
But did they need both though? No. Absolutely not. A point seconded by an article (courtesy of Squawka) which explains why Manchester United probably have the best depth in midfield in the premier league at the moment. (http://www.squawka.com/news/five-man-utd-midfield-line-ups-van-gaal-now-has-at-his-disposal/417079) Depth is a great thing to have, but the players that the Red Devils have at their disposal are not just squad players, they are players that are constantly looking to be in the starting line-up every week. This immediately puts Louis Van Gaal in a tough situation. It also makes it harder for him to have a full strength starting line-up in order to force the players into inconsistency.
What they needed and still need to do is to get an out and out striker a solid defender. These players aren’t easy to attain but in terms of money, Manchester United don’t seem to be struggling in that department.
