Soccer Premier League

Manchester United Must Make Top Four Despite Utterly Flawed Squad

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Louis van Gaal on the Manchester United bench

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If anybody underestimated the job David Moyes had on his hands at Manchester United last season, one glance at the adventures of Louis van Gaal at United in 2014-15 will reveal all.

The Dutchman has had his struggles much like Moyes did, but he has also had the fortune of having his rivals start slowly, unlike last season when Arsenal and Liverpool raced out of the blocks and were leading the way in the Premier League. Despite spending £150 million in addition to loaning a £45 million striker in Radamel Falcao in the summer, United still have the look of a messed-up jigsaw on the field.

The pieces just don’t fit, and it’s going to take a few more transfer windows before van Gaal will really be able to boast a potential championship-winning team. In the meantime, just finishing in a Champions League position by any means necessary is the target, and although it is a perfectly attainable one, it’s not without it’s challenges given the gaping cracks in United’s squad.

The Red Devils started the season playing a 3-5-2 formation, but never really had the players to adequately play the system. The back three was seen as the biggest issue, and van Gaal has since switched to a back-four with a 4-4-2 diamond. However, the problem has simply now moved to another part of the team.

The midfield against West Ham United at the weekend was made up of Daley Blind, Wayne Rooney, Adnan Januzaj and Angel Di Maria. The balance of the diamond was poor. and United only fleetingly gained real control of the game. Januzaj and Rooney in particular were completely out of position, although the England captain can do a part-time job in the midfield on occasions.

Ultimately, they’re square pegs trying to fit in round holes and in many ways, it wastes the real talent that the players possess — especially Rooney. Meanwhile, having put the younger attackers in an unbalanced midfield, the stagnant partnership of Robin van Persie and Falcao is left to play upfront together. The team looks great on paper and probably plays great on FIFA 15, but it’s bland and totally disjointed in reality.

Wouldn’t Rooney with Di Maria in a free role in behind be a more vibrant, energetic and exciting partnership upfront for United? It would, of course, but then the midfield suddenly becomes an even bigger problem, which is United’s overriding conundrum. No matter which area of the team they address, they then have a subsequent effect on a different part of the lineup.

This exemplifies the rebuilding job that is needed at United — something Moyes tried to tell everybody during his struggles last season. United and van Gaal went on the biggest spending spree in the history of the English game last summer, yet at this stage of the season, the points tally of Moyes is almost identical compared to that of van Gaal.

It does help, though, that Liverpool and Arsenal have not been as strong as they were last season, and that has aided United’s march into a top-four position. It obviously sounds and looks better from a distance, and the initial shock value of United being in complete rebuild mode has also now dissipated since a year ago.

As it stands right now, the makeup of the squad still remains utterly flawed regardless of where United finish. A top-four spot would be nice, but it would also ultimately just be papering over the cracks which must be appropriately filled next summer.

Related:

Top 5 Shocks from Round Four of 2014-15 FA Cup
 Louis van Gaal Offers Major Hint Regarding Radamel Falcao’s Future

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