Krishnendu Sanyal
There is a tendency for Manchester United fans to view the club's recent struggles through one of two extremes: some believe the sky has fallen on a once great empire, while others feel all ills have been cured after the dismissal of David Moyes, and Louis van Gaal is the answer to all Manchester United’s problems. The truth lies somewhere in between those warring factions. There is no doubt that after 19 trophies and six jobs, Van Gaal is facing the toughest challenge of his stellar coaching career at Manchester United. The Dutchman is no guarantee that the conveyor belt of trophies will again start rolling at Old Trafford, despite his pedigree.
Moyes’ failure at the club last season was a reflection of his shortcomings at the elite level of management, but it also raised difficult questions for the Manchester United hierarchy over serious mismanagement of the playing resources at the club. Such was the fall from grace and so inept some of their performances were last season that it is naive to think that Van Gaal can fix the issue with a swish of a magic wand.
Moyes' struggles exposed the structural deficiencies at Old Trafford, which remained subdued due to Sir Alex Ferguson’s genius, but came to the fore due to his incompetence. A serious lack of investment in the squad, commercial prioritisation and a shift from the core footballing values played a part in the Red Devils’ downfall last season.
The loss of experience in the form of Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra in one transfer window is a testament to Manchester United’s failure of long term squad management. The club have spent around £120m in the last three transfer windows and yet chronic deficiencies in the playing squad remain.
Yet Van Gaal’s first few weeks have reset the clock. Not on expectations, but they have certainly provided renewed hope. Manchester United’s performances on their pre-season tour of the US have already lifted a few hearts and there is a sense of anticipation at the club for the new season. Van Gaal’s team have displayed some of the old Manchester United qualities and the supporters wouldn’t be too out of place if they are hoping for some exciting football, if not trophies, in the near future.
Van Gaal has introduced a 3-4-1-2 formation at the club and so far it has worked well. The Dutchman decided that he can do away with wing play, as Ashley Young, Nani and Antonio Valencia did very little last season to suggest that they can bring back the good old days of flank play back to Old Trafford; the trio combined to create only eight assists their team-mates. Valencia and Young have impressed with their performances at wing-back for Van Gaal, but it seems it is the end of the road for Nani at the club.
The new system also allows the former Ajax manager to bring the best out of the trio of Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie and Juan Mata. There was a consensus last season that Moyes bought Mata to solve the problem of the lack of creativity in the squad, but wasted his talents by playing the Spaniard on the flanks. Van Persie suffered an injury stricken season and Rooney, at some point in the campaign, carried the team on his shoulders. If it clicks, the trio can form one of the deadliest attacking units in the Premier League this season. Add to that the creative talents of Shinji Kagawa and Adnan Januzaj as backups, and Manchester United are well-stocked in attack.
Midfield was the club’s Achilles heel last season. The addition of Ander Herrera from Athletic Bilbao could turn out be a smart move, but the squad is still short of a quality defensive midfielder or two. Michael Carrick is injured and will miss the start of the season, while Darren Fletcher gave some fine performances in pre-season; however doubts remain about his long-term health. An injury to the young Herrera and Manchester United might have to field a midfield two of Marouane Fellaini and Tom Cleverley. The Red Devils have been heavily linked with a move for Arturo Vidal and Van Gaal is also believed to be keen to bring his compatriot, the combative Nigel de Jong, to Old Trafford. The Dutchman needs midfield reinforcements this season or the picture might not be much different to the last campaign under Moyes, no matter the tactics shift.
After losing Vidic and Ferdinand this summer, Manchester United have only Jonny Evans, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones as senior central defenders in the squad. With the injury history of the trio and the relative inexperience of Smalling and Jones, the Manchester United squad is crying out for an experienced and commanding central defender. Van Gaal has tried Michael Keane and Tyler Blackett on the club’s pre-season tour, but it is clear that the Dutchman needs to buy at least one centre-half, if not two, to make his three at the back system work.
In a 3-4-1-2 formation the role of the wing-backs is crucial for the whole system to function. Rafael is believed the first choice on the right flank, but his injury in pre-season has given Valencia an opportunity to stake his claim for the role. Manchester United paid £27m to Southampton for Luke Shaw this summer, though the manager was not too impressed with the youngster’s fitness in the United States. Reserve team full-back Reece James and Young were more impressive on the left flank, however Shaw is expected to start the new season as the first choice left wing-back.
Then there is the upcoming debate over which player captains the side: Van Persie, Rooney or a compromise candidate, the injured Carrick, perhaps? Insignificant in the big picture, but a decision that will generate controversy and perhaps even resentment; Van Gaal cares little for either and nothing for slaughtering previously sacred cows.
Generally, with no European football next season, there is a feeling that Van Gaal might not want more than 22-23 players in his first team squad and that means fans will see a few players heading towards the exit door at Manchester United.
Fellaini stood out to be the symbol of Moyes’ failed regime at Old Trafford. A hastily arranged transfer in the last few hours of the summer window, the Belgian’s Manchester United career never took off. Apart from selling a few wigs outside Old Trafford for a few vendors, it is hard to remember a meaningful contribution from the midfielder last season. An injury at the start of the season also played a ‘hand’ but Fellaini did very little of note to make the supporters want him to give another chance this season. He has been heavily linked with a move to Napoli and few will shed a tear at him leaving. Having also had a haircut, even the wig-sellers are not too enthralled by his presence.
Brazilian midfielder Anderson was not selected for the club's pre-season tour, which means his career at Old Trafford is finally reaching its logical conclusion. And it is hard to see where Nani will feature in Van Gaal’s team; the Portuguese managed only one goal last season. Javier Hernandez has been heavily linked with a move away from the club and at the age of 26, he needs first team opportunities.
There is a growing belief that Manchester United’s short-term destiny is to fight for a top four berth with Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham. Without European football, Van Gaal has the opportunity to play with a tighter squad and might make strong selections in cup competitions, a thought which will produce hope for silverware this season amongst the faithful.
However, the Premier League title seems a stretch. Manchester City’s strength in depth and Chelsea’s spending makes winning the league title this season two steps too far for the Red Devils. Yet Van Gaal has so far exceeded expectations and spending in the next 20-odd days might call for some revision to the season's predictions. After all, Liverpool proved last term that no European football can be a boon when it comes to a Premier League campaign.