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Don’t get me wrong. Angel Di Maria, is an outstanding addition to Louis van Gaal’s ambitious project at Old Trafford. The Argentinian, so impressive in helping Real Madrid to their historic tenth European Cup triumph last season in Lisbon, will provide the pace and initiative United lacked against Sunderland on Sunday. But Manchester United need more. Van Gaal needs more.
Di Maria’s arrival is a forceful statement of intent yet United’s deficiences run deeper than the need for wing reinforcement. Yes, the Argentinian will substantially strengthen United’s attacking prowess. Yes, his acquisition could entice optimal performance from Juan Mata, Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie. Yes, he will herald the return of showbiz and exciting trickery at Old Trafford. Yes, he will fit perfectly in van Gaal’s 3-5-2 system. Yes, United were woefully shorn of the penetrative pace at the Stadium of Light which Di Maria promises to bring.
His club record signing and British transfer record-smashing acquisition is not papering over the cracks at Old Trafford but it runs along similar lines. After his side’s uninspiring draw on Sunday, Van Gaal twice mentioned Arturo Vidal as one of the players he would love to sign but the Dutchman can no longer afford to ignore United’s most prominent of deficiencies.
Yes, United are light in the wing department but the likes of Adnan Januzaj, the Belgian destined for great heights, and Antonio Valencia, who manufactured Mata’s opening goal at Sunderland, are at Van Gaal’s enviable disposal.
Costly deficiencies
They are even more vulnerable in other areas of the pitch. After their opening day defeat to Swansea City, Van Gaal confessed the indisputable desperation for the influx of skilled defenders but improvements have been minimal. Marcos Rojo, who starred for Argentina at the World Cup, is an encouraging addition but United’s defence are a disorganised unit. Had Sunderland displayed clinical finishing, United could have been forced to face the ignominy of defeat for the second team in a week.
The departures of Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra, the former to Inter Milan, Ferdinand to Queens Park Rangers and the latter to Juventus, have substantially weakened United. Jack Rodwell’s equalising goal at the Stadium of Light came courtesy of United’s lack of leadership in the box on a set piece. But that was not the only problem on that goal, as the organisation was poor, with Antonio Valencia losing Rodwell proving to be hugely detrimental.
A move for Borrusia Dortmund’s Mats Hummels makes sense. He is a leader, capable of filling the void left by Vidic and Ferdinand both on the pitch and off of it.
But United’s issues do not culminate at that point.
Tom Cleverley, who believed he could excel under the Dutchman’s leadership, and Darren Fletcher, handed a new lease of life by the manager, were out-thought and out-muscled in midfiel with their passing game equally unimpressive. “We reached Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie a lot of times, but after that you need the support of the midfielders, and the combination was not good enough,” van Gaal said, hinting at his dissatisfaction with United’s midfield options.
The likes of William Carvalho of Sporting Lisbon and AC Milan’s Nigel De Jong are believed to be topics of delibration within the United hierarchy, and rightly so, with the coveted duo representing substantial upgrades on the currently available options.
Daley Blind, who excelled at the World Cup for the Netherlands, is another versatile target, with Ajax prepared to sell only for a “top price”. The 24 year-old is the topic of intense discussions due to his ability to feature as a central defender, defensive midfielder, wing-back and left-back.
Di Maria is eligble to make his debut at Burnley, and will contribute richly to Louis van Gaal’s audacious project at United but the prominent issues with the squad remain untouched. The clock is ticking for both him and the club to get the right players in so that the team can kick on.
