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A good pre-season need not necessarily translate into a successful campaign, but there is no doubt so far that Van Gaal has brought in a breath of fresh air at Old Trafford.There has been a change in mentality and a surge in confidence which has been very evident in pre-season. The most obvious change however, since Van Gaal's inception has been the formation. While it has been pretty common over the years all over Europe(most notably Italy), It is yet to been seen as to how this formation pans out for Manchester United in the premier league.
Van Gaal has shown with the Netherlands in the world cup that it can be a very effective formation, given the right players.One of the most crucial positions in this formation is that of the wingback. Firstly, it requires tremendous stamina to go along with a willingness to run up and down the flank for the entirety of the match. This lays the foundation for the formation seamlessly switching between a 3-5-2 and a 5-3-2 according to the situation. Secondly, the wingback needs to strike a balance between defense and attack, hence setting the tempo with his positioning.The Dutch had Daley Blind and Dirk Kuyt do the job very effectively. There are quite a few interesting options in the current Manchester United squad who will be looked at by Van Gaal.
Luke Shaw
The world's most expensive teenager was one of the best left backs in the premier league last season, but he will have to recreate that form at a bigger stage, and in a slightly different role than the one he has been used to so far. Van Gaal's claim during pre-season that Luke Shaw will need to work on his fitness came as a surprise to many, but it is probably justified keeping in mind the superhuman amount of stamina required for a wingback. Excellent crossing, lightning pace and good defensive ability makes him one of the likeliest to nail down a spot as the starting left wingback this season.
Ashley Young
The much maligned Ashley Young has had a renaissance of sorts in pre season. With his chances of starting in the front three looking bleak with the plethora of talent available in that department, he has shown a willingness to adapt and has done very well in the left wingback position in pre-season, giving Van Gaal a welcome selection headache in that position. He is arguably the best crosser in the Man United squad right now. However, it is yet to be seen as to how he handles his defensive responsibilities against top quality attacking sides.
Antonio Valencia
While Valencia lacks the dribbling ability of Nani or the crossing ability of Beckham, he certainly does make up for it with his strength and tireless running a la Park Ji Sung. He does have all the natural attributes for a wingback even though there are times where both the attacking and defensive aspects of his game leave a lot to be desired. Having said that, he looks pretty likely to start the season at right wingback.
Rafael
Rafael has played a lot of excellent games for Manchester United at right fullback demonstrating great tenacity in defense and a reasonable amount of flair in attack. The one main attribute that he lacks is the stamina which is pivotal for him nailing a place as the club's starting right wingback. If he could work on this aspect, he could prove indisposable in this position.
With respect to a suitable fullback available in the transfer window, Juan Cuadrado could be quite a buy. With his well documented dribbling ability and the capability to play in the fullback position at times, he seems to have the qualities to become one of the best wingbacks in Europe.With the 3-5-2 formation and it's variants taking shape, it will be very interesting for fans and rivals alike as to how this plays out for Manchester United over the next few years.
