Marco Reus and Koke: A dream partnership at Old Trafford?

Seventh in the league table with half the season already gone, and no immediate sign of catching up with their key rivals at the top of the pile, it can be safely said that Manchester United are not having the best of seasons.

There can be many reasons United’s below par showing this season can be attributed to. A major reason everyone seems to have picked up on is the change of guard at the helm of the club.

Obviously filling the shoes of a personality like Sir Alex Ferguson is no meagre task, and for David Moyes, this first season was always going to be a bit of a learning phase, but a lot of the critics and fans have overlooked the fact, that managing a club of the size and stature of Manchester United, under the intense scrutiny of the entire world is very difficult. Moyes has shouldered a lot of the blame for his side’s dismal showing this season, but I believe more than him, the blame has to lie with the players.

A manager can tell you how to play and what to play. He can give you a game plan, but he cannot execute it for you. At the end of the day it has to be the player who executes the plan out on the pitch, and I believe that the biggest problem for United this season has been their inability to show any kind of creativity in the midfield or the attacking third.

At times their play has been almost pedestrian. Cleverley has been massively disappointing, the wing play from Young, Valencia and Nani has been shocking and constant injuries especially to key players like Robin van Persie has affected them.

For anybody who has seen Manchester United play this season, it is clear that the midfield needs to do a lot better. Carrick’s absence for a long part of the first half of the season saw the midfield without any sort of creativity or discipline at times. Carrick has a way of controlling the pace and the rhythm of the game which United missed in his absence, and even though Moyes tried out Phil Jones in the centre of the park, you could see its not enough.

At such a time, the January transfer window is nothing short of a godsend for Moyes. Needing to bring in players to try and spark a revival, and the promise of a massive transfer kitty to be given to Moyes by the Glazers, United can finally look forward to some new faces being brought in.

Amidst the loads of names that have been linked with the club in this window, two names have been a stand out for me. I believe if both these players could be brought to the club, it would be massive boost to the team as both these players have what United is currently lacking and needs if it has to make any serious bid for the title.

Marco Reus and Koke. Two players who have been dazzling for their respective clubs, and if brought together, could possibly set up what could go on to be the most feared midfield partnership not only in England, but in the whole of Europe. Speed, agility, an eye for passes, and those magic moments in front of goal; these attributes are filled in the two in bucket loads and is what makes them so dangerous.

Reus is already a well established name in the football world. His performances for Borussia Dortmund are a testimony to the class this player possesses. Reus is primarily an attacking central midfielder, but can easily play as a winger down the left flank, which is the position he usually plays in these days at Dortmund.

31 goals from 72 appearances is a pretty impressive statistic for a midfielder, but its not just his goal scoring ability which makes him the player he is. Reus has the brilliant ability to instantly change the course of a game. He is able to pick out any player when on the ball, and the instant change of pace that he is capable of, makes him invaluable to the side.

United have struggled to find a suitable winger to replace Ronaldo, and though Januzaj has shown a lot of promise and looks set to become a great player he is still very young, and at 24, Reus has the perfect blend of experience and agility that will help the team to improve their play in attacking third of the pitch.

Koke’s growth as a player has been spectacular. Spain has produced some brilliant new talent in the last few years and Koke is undoubtedly one of the few players who will form the core of their midfield in the years to come. Having started out in a deep lying midfield position, but has moved to other areas, mainly a central attacking role in the midfield.

This season he has often been used as a partner for Arda Turan up front or used as a winger down the right flank and he has excelled in both roles, but Koke is more of a central player. An 82% pass completion rate after playing on the wings is a good record, but it can further improve if he plays in his natural role.

After all, he is not considered as the next Xavi for nothing. United desperately need a presence and an impactful player in the centre of the park, and Koke is one such a player who can provide United this asset. Often towards the end of the game, United run out of ideas and just start firing balls into the centre hoping that someone can get onto the end of one; but Koke is able to constantly reinvent himself during the game and always has a few tricks up his sleeve whenever he receives the ball.

Reus and Koke pairing up is just what United need. Their playing styles are complimentary to each other’s and both a have an immense work rate while bringing an entirely new dimension to United’s game.

Yes, they will come with quite a hefty price tag of what I believe to be nothing less than 30 million pounds, but if the rumours about the huge transfer kitty that has been handed to Moyes for the January transfer window are to be believed, and a willingness on both the player’s parts to look for a deal with Manchester United, Marco Reus and Koke might just be the solution to Manchester United’s woes and revive and earn something out of a season, which still holds some possibilities for the club.