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Spending big in a transfer window can sometimes throw up more questions than it answers. This a sentiment all too real for Manchester United at present; a club currently facing the repercussions of their summer splurge, as Louis Van Gaal looks for a way to hand adequate game-time to the host of new additions, predominantly in the midfield area.
One new boy in particular, Bastian Schweinsteiger, rolled into Old Trafford boasting premium pedigree but has witnessed his inclusion come under the heaviest scrutiny, while critics have been quick to find fault with the performances of veteran Michael Carrick also. The undisputed qualm that seems to have permeated through the core of United’s low-points this season is Van Gaal’s decision to deploy the two together in the pivot of the Manchester club’s midfield; an admirable vision, that simply will not work in execution.
The demolition at the Emirates
For the first piece of evidence, merely turn your attention to last Sunday’s slaughtering by Arsenal, in which the Red Devils saw their lack of mobility in midfield exploited, as the pacey free-flowing game of Arsene Wenger’s Gunners left the Schweinsteiger-Carrick combo tied up in knots. The two have a combined age of 65-years-old. Bastian’s impressive dossier tends to provide a smokescreen for his inherent lack of pace in the middle and, although he bears the experience and knowledge to still feature at the top-level, his creaking legs need rejuvenating by a more youthful option by his side; Carrick, 34, does not solve this conundrum.
Schweinsteiger’s tangles with Theo Walcott in the heart of the pitch drew resemblance to an old man and his grandson having a kick-about in the garden – the German couldn’t keep up and, along with Carrick, the pair were not agile, nor urgent enough to close the Arsenal midfield down and they handed them far too much space.
The resounding and foremost point I make is the two share too similar a style to play alongside one another. Both favour the long ball (Carrick has an average pass length of 19m this season, while Bastian’s sits just a metre shy at 18m), while the likes of Ander Herrera (14m) and Marouane Fellaini (15m) look to maintain possession on the ground.
Given United’s attack is absent of a prominent ‘target-man’, the route-one approach seems rather redundant and, for one so eager to emphasise the importance of identifying with aesthetics and possession play, it has been a surprise to see LVG stick with Bastian and Michael in the hub of midfield for so long now. Such statistics only highlight the diminishing creativity and flair in the pairs’ game and stress further the importance of planting a more versatile, more dynamic virtuoso beside either Carrick or Schweinsteiger.
For the team as a whole, the lethargic nature of this midfield concoction will be equally damaging at both ends. While opponents will look to capitalise on their inability to track back with pace, it is inevitable United will find themselves short of bodies in the final third, if LVG continues to field this duo, as their ageing will only render them suited to defensive duties.
The curious sight of Schneiderlin warming the bench
Playing the two together also results in the exclusion of £27-million man Morgan Schneiderlin. Having played under the illustrious visionary Ronald Koeman, the Frenchman has the stamina to press for the full ninety, providing a gladiator presence in the defensive areas of the pitch, as well as stints of electrifying energy at the top end.
Schweinsteiger and Carrick, through no fault of their own, will inevitably fall short when it comes to ambition and drive, the latter having nearly a decade on the younger option of Morgan. Schneiderlin provides the creative impetus to holding midfield, which the more modern model so desperately demands.
United’s trio of defeats this season have been inflicted by energetic, youthful sides that like to keep the ball – Swansea, PSV and Arsenal. This underlines their requirement to play at a high enough tempo to limit the opposition’s hold of the ball and such a counter approach needs players who can last the full ninety, mentally and physically. Therefore, the inclusion of one of either Bastian or Michael is paramount, in order to provide the footballing intelligence, but the physical resolve would come from any one of Schneiderlin, Fellaini, Herrera or Blind.
It is an undeniable fact that the Premier League is getting quicker and a more unforgiving battle-ground, especially through the middle. Experience and know-how will always be needed, but if Louis Van Gaal decides to pair Carrick and Schweinsteiger on a regular basis, his team will be susceptible to annihilation. Having anchored down the respective Bayern Munich and Manchester United’s midfields for the past decade’s most part, the two have a similar attitude to the game and will look to carry out the same tasks.
By all means LVG should rotate the midfield and give both a go, but at the same time ensure an air of flair and vigour can flourish at Old Trafford this season, by giving one of the younger lads a run-out next to an experienced head.
