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What started as the retirement of Manchester United’s most iconic figure now stands at a point where Champions League football will definitely bring a lot of smiles. A proper restoration following the disaster of David Moyes has been Manchester United’s fairy tale so far. Louis Van Gaal’s efforts since taking over at Old Trafford have seen fruition with a triumph in the Guinness Champions Cup.
The Red Devils were downright terrible last season and a managerial change was imminent. Contrary to last year, Manchester United haven’t lost any of their pre-season friendlies and have defeated the likes of Real Madrid and Liverpool.
They will start their season with a primary expectation of getting the Champions League spot while the Premier League would be the next objective. While the lack of European action is definitely a stain on Manchester United, they should make the best of that and ensure that they perform well in the Premier League. The loss of Patrice Evra, Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand has been quite a knock on the side but with the advent of Louis van Gaal, one can expect the gaps to be plugged sufficiently.
Transfers
In: Luke Shaw (Southampton, £27m), Ander Herrera (Athletic Bilbao, £28.8m), Vanja Milinkovic (FK Vojvodina, undisclosed).
Out: Nemanja Vidic (Inter Milan), Rio Ferdinand (QPR), Ryan Giggs (retirement), Patrice Evra (Juventus, €1.5m), Jack Barmby (Leicester City), Federico Macheda (Cardiff City), Sam Byrne, Jack Rudge, Alex Buttner (Dynamo Moscow), Bebe (SL Benfica)
Note: Squad subject to change until transfer window closes.
Squad
Goalkeepers: David de Gea, Anders Lindegaard, Ben Amos, Sam Johnstone
Defence: Rafael, Phil Jones, Jonny Evans, Luke Shaw, Chris Smalling, Guillermo Varela, Michael Keane, Reece James, Marnick Vermijl
Midfield: Nani, Ander Herrera, Darren Fletcher, Ashley Young, Antonio Valencia, Juan Mata, Shinji Kagawa, Wilfried Zaha, Maraoune Fellaini, Michael Carrick, Nick Powell, Tom Cleverley, Adnan Januzaj, Anderson, Jesse Lingard
Attack: Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck, Robin van Persie, Javier Hernandez, James Wilson, Tom Lawrence
Note: Squad is subject to change until end of the transfer window
Manager
A major part of United’s downfall was attributed to the managerial change last season. And that was quite the major reason for David Moyes simply failing to live up to the expected standards and replacing Sir Alex seemed far too tough a task in such fumbling hands. However, there has been a much more concrete decision taken by the United board and the appointment of Van Gaal has so far been a masterstroke.
Unlike Moyes, whose experience didn’t extend beyond the Premier League, Van Gaal is a seasoned manager across Europe having managed some of the best players of the past generation such as Rivaldo and Philipp Lahm. His recent showing with Netherlands in the World Cup was testament to his abilities as a coach. Coming out of the Dutch tradition and boldly going with a 3-man defence was an excellent choice and modifying his tactics depending on the opponent showed his versatility as a coach. Even in pre-season, Van Gaal has successfully experimented with three at the back, something which was unthinkable at Old Trafford until his arrival.
Evident by the application, the 3-5-2/5-3-2 gives the team a lot of flexibility at the back as well as while going forward. Unlike a rigid 4-4-2 where the central midfielders are often without support, the additional man in defence gives an extra option to play out the ball from the back. These may be minor differences but the extra amount of possession in midfield could be the key to winning matches as that is where the attacks originate. Louis Van Gaal, at 62 years of age is a manager who knows the game well enough and can live up to the expectations at Manchester United.
Formations and Tactics
3-5-2 or 3-4-1-2 with a Trequartista
Judging by the pre-season, this seems to be Van Gaal’s go-to formation for the upcoming season. As suggested, the three in defence will be particularly helpful against fast-paced teams while the two midfielders ahead of them will be effective in destroying a passing system. Unless Arturo Vidal or Daley Blind are bought, Darren Fletcher will be the man to play in front of the defence.
Seeing his excellent performances this season so far, the position is in safe hands, and the return of Michael Carrick should only bolster the team. Up front, Mata or Kagawa playing behind the two strikers is crucial as their movement will be the key to linking the ball between midfield and attack. This is a system which is beneficial to the goal scorers and one could expect Wayne Rooney to step up this season.
4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1
This would be a secondary formation for Van Gaal, most probably seeing as the current batch is accustomed to this. As the season goes, in matches against the likes of Chelsea, who predominantly play with a lone striker, we could see a modified version of the 3-5-2 with Phil Jones partnering Darren Fletcher and Herrera in a three-man midfield. Rafael might also get the nod ahead of Valencia thanks to his significantly better crossing rate. Kagawa might also play ahead of Herrera or Welbeck, as we have seen van Gaal play him in central midfield in the past few matches.
Against a team like Chelsea, whose midfield is particularly strong, playing three at the back would increase the amount of time and space Chelsea shall have in the middle. And seeing as that is their strong point, they could easily exploit United in the centre. Playing a third man ahead wouldn’t alter the set-up much but could make a better case for United’s ball retention in midfield. Switching Mata over to the wings in these games might be the case wherein he could interchange with Rooney and Welbeck, the other two likely starters up front.
Best Starting XI
De Gea; Valencia, Smalling, Jones, Evans, Shaw; Fletcher, Herrera, Mata; Rooney, Welbeck
David de Gea improved a great deal last year and was one of the few positives to emerge from Moyes’ tenure at Old Trafford. Without doubt, he is the No.1 goalkeeper for United. In defence, Phil Jones is likely to emerge as the sweeper for this team. Among the three, he is the best with the ball at his feet and can carry the ball out from defence quite well while Jonny Evans’ two-footedness and astute reading of the game makes him the left-sided centre back. Chris Smalling had a turbulent season last time constantly switching to full back but he seems to have settled at centre back quite well. His performances in the pre-season were assuring and shall be a definite starter.
To partner the trio in defence, the coach will have to choose between Antonio Valencia and Rafael at right back. While Rafael is a good choice going front, his ability at the back is often under criticism and he’s highly inconsistent. Valencia is a very good choice who can alternate between the two jobs and mind his defensive duties without many errors. On the left however, Luke Shaw seems the most viable option and the emergence of Reece James and Tyler Brackett ensures that he has replacements if necessary.
Darren Fletcher would start in the double pivot with Ander Herrera to partner him. Herrera’s technical ability is quite impressive and his willingness to carry the ball must see him dominate much of the ball and dictate the game. Juan Mata and Danny Welbeck will most likely play between the lines of midfield and attack to support Wayne Rooney up front. Although van Persie is there, his form has deteriorated largely due to injuries and age catching up. Van Gaal has mentioned that Van Persie wouldn’t be starting the first few games of the season.
Welbeck’s tendency to track back will see him have a higher work rate and his marking of the opponent pivot would be vital to the team’s chances. Leading the attack should be Wayne Rooney. Although he has performed quite well in the No.10 role, he is at his best scoring goals up front, and under Van Gaal that is what he should do.
Team History in the League
| POSITION | SEASONS |
|---|---|
| Champions | 1992–93, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2006–07,2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13 |
| 2nd Place | 1994-95, 1997-98, 2005-06, 2009-10, 2011-12 |
| 3rd Place | 2001-02, 2003-04, 2004-05 |
| 7th Place | 2013-14 |
Prediction
A Champions League spot would be the main objective for Louis Van Gaal this season. Despite their seventh place finish last season, United have the potential to come back and take the Premier League by storm. The new signings and ones touted to follow might just bring United back to the olden days when anything other than the trophy was considered a disappointment. The other teams have spent a lot upgrading their squads and the arrival of players such as Cesc Fabregas and Alexis Sanchez at Chelsea and Arsenal respectively surely makes this season a tough one.
However, judging by van Gaal’s experience and the initial performances, I expect United to make a stunning return to the big stage and prove that they are still one of the best clubs in the world. Whatever be the case, one should at least hope that van Gaal isn’t nearly as bad as David Moyes was.
Predicted Position: Champions
