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It was a chastening defeat for Louis van Gaal and Manchester United at the King Power Stadium against Leicester City on Sunday. The rather swift reversal of fortunes that saw United go from being on the right end of a 3-1 score line to the wrong end of a 5-3 verdict in the space of about 20 minutes left van Gaal at a loss for words at the conclusion.
Flummoxed was the Dutchman for he could not quite believe what had just transpired and how a promising evening had turned into one so sour. In an honest admission, he slammed his players for the 60-minute showing that they put up without diving into criticism of some of the refereeing decisions that did indeed cost his side.
Leicester reinforced their reputation as the ‘never say die’ team of the Premier League after yet another stirring comeback that brought a party-like atmosphere to the stadium during the game while United showed that there is still much work to be done at the once dominant club.
Much of the talk as expected swirled around the porous nature of United’s defence and top-heaviness and not without reason too. But, in their rather calamitous capitulation, a few deeper problems were revealed.
United’s stars fail to ride through the tough times
In their first match last week against Queens Park Rangers (QPR) at home, their big-money line-up rode roughshod over Harry Redknapp’s visiting side. They were barely troubled for much of the match and in that luxury played with the freedom of a child with nothing in the world to worry about.
Following on from where they left off, the starry troupe sliced and diced its way to a quick 2-0 lead on Sunday before finding resistance forthcoming. Leicester reduced the arrears immediately following the restart, but it was still expected that United would have too much for the newly promoted side come the second half. And when United scored their third through Ander Herrera’s beautiful back-heel flick, the result looked a certainty.
Except that United hadn’t witnessed the last bit of resistance yet from the Foxes. They fought back again and caused their guests much unease just like after they’d conceded their first goal. A few seconds later, Leicester were back on level pegging and suddenly most of United’s outfield players resembled headless chickens. This really was the first big challenge for this new United side and they failed to show any taste for a fight, limping out in the end.
Almost all of United’s new signings have cost big money, but not all of them are battle-hardened professionals with plenty of experience, especially Premier League experience. It’s a problem that Tottenham Hotspur continuously face with their numerous imports every season and something that Liverpool are encountering this season. Sometimes you have to get stuck in and grind out results; the current United lot, while all good individual players, failed to show that resolve.
Marcos Rojo got caught out numerous times while playing a misplaced forward pass instead of playing to the situation and Ander Herrera lost possession similarly quite a few times. Daley Blind tried to control proceedings but he was overburdened with the failings of the backline which left him with too many open spaces to cover.
Tyler Blackett is just learning the ropes with his call up to the first-team and it’s been a tough learning curve for him, but Chris Smalling even after considerable time at the club still does not know composure when dealing with a situation and added to the woes of his young colleague. Rafael has shown glimpses of his attacking brilliance and what he adds to the team going forward since his return. What he’s also shown is that his ability to shoot himself and his team in the foot is still very much intact.
United are not the first team to suddenly lose the plot nor will they be the last. However, not all teams cave in quite so spectacularly, sides have managed to stem the rot with strong leadership. And therein lies United’s other major problem this season.
Wayne Rooney fails to deliver as captain
On Sunday, Rooney had the perfect opportunity to show that van Gaal was right to make him captain by attempting to salvage his ship from wreckage. His crew were losing the plot in the face of wave after wave of Leicester pressure and it was as fine a time as any to step up and take charge of the situation. And he failed.
Oh Rooney was not passive; he was anything but. He was in referee Mark Clattenberg’s face after he awarded the penalty that led to Leicester’s second goal. He was constantly barking away at Clattenberg thereafter every time a decision did not go his team’s way. He was so irate and literally had steam spewing out of his ears after Blackett’s sending off as he ganged up on the referee once again with his teammates.
And after conceding the lead, he had a go at each of his mates that were around him, admonishing them with some choice words, but not really in a way that one would rally the troops. In between those moments he tried to shoot from way outside the box with defenders in his way, saw his passing fall off spectacularly, and had a go at trying to get himself sent off by making some silly lunging tackles. To put it simply, he lost his head.
In the past, United have had strong captains in Ryan Giggs, Patrice Evra, Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand and Edwin van der Sar to turn to for inspiration. They were all feisty characters, but they did not let the heat of the moment consume them, and more often than not managed to get the team regrouped, focused and led them out of tough situations.
Route to consistency
Since United’s disastrous previous season, much of the attention has centred on the rebuilding of the squad and getting quality players to don the famous red shirt once again. But since Alex Ferguson’s departure, it is the confidence and morale of the team that has taken a severe beating and needs repairing the most. Skill can be purchased in the market, but they need to be backed up by a strong core and definitive leadership.
United’s players have the skill, but they need to learn to have the gumption for a fight. Rooney needs to leave his impish ways behind, not just because he is a senior player on the team, but because he is the captain for crying out loud. And van Gaal has to find a way to bed in some mental fortitude along with all of the tactical and strategic nous that he has been drip-feeding his new team since the start of the season. Only then can the league expect to see a consistently good Manchester United.
