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Manchester United were comfortably defeated by Liverpool in the first legManchester United's Europa League campaign began with a humbling loss to lowly Midtjylland - prompting observers around the globe to issue a death sentence for his United tenure. In the reverse fixture at Old Trafford, Van Gaal's men crushed the minnows with a ruthless, barnstorming five-goal performance.While Liverpool are a much stronger side, especially with Jurgen Klopp at the helm, Van Gaal will be expecting his charges to bring the same mentality home.Having begun the tie with an insipid, flimsy away performance to hand an energetic Liverpool a 2-0 victory, United fans may fear the worst. While the scoreline does flatter them, the Amazing Spi-De-Gea-man prevented the Scousers from running away with the tie. Let's take a look at five key issues the Red Devils will address as they plot to hand their bitter Liverpudlian rivals a nasty, nasty upset.
#5 Play Fellaini - Off the bench
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When you look at Louis van Gaal's track record, his talk of a philosophy might no sound so far-fetched. It's when he makes statements like this that you begin to doubt if he really has one at all - especially given the truth.
While some will dismiss it as needless criticism of the Belgian, the stats don't lie: with Fellaini on the pitch, United's win percentage is a shocking 34.6%. Without him, it jumps to 68.4%. Though this might suggest that Fellaini is often picked for big games, it still implies that he’s not doing well enough in them.
At Anfield, he lost the ball 20 times – the highest in the game. He only managed a single successful tackle and won less than half of his duels. He is simply not a midfield shield, and his passing range leaves much to be desired.
Marouane Fellaini is far from a bad player, though, and his qualities have often been United's saving grace in this murky post-Ferguson era. His aerial ability is exceptional and his physicality is very useful for breaking up play when defending - but that's not United's goal is in this game.
They need speed, skill and piercing runs. Fellaini can provide none of those. The big Belgian will, however, surely become a necessity in this tie if United find themselves chasing a single goal, as his unique attributes make him a potent weapon for adherents to route one football. And fans of Jimi Hendrix!
Fellaini was lucky to escape a ban for an elbow on Emre Can, which may dismay skeptical United fans but may serve as a weapon-of-mass-disruption off the bench!
#4 Play Juan Mata as a number 10
Having been sent off against West Brom, he captained Manchester United to a frail, limp defeat at Anfield - where his two-goal salvo made him a hero last season. The Spanish magician hasn't always shown his Chelsea form for Manchester United but he is still one of the league's finest players.
The problem with Juan Mata is that he is a specialist No. 10, with his strongest qualities very often wasted on the wings. At Manchester United, he's been vying for that spot with Wayne Rooney since his arrival - often coming out the loser to Manchester's favourite Scouser. Even then, he has managed a respectable 24 goals in 3 seasons at the club, with many of them in crucial games (as Liverpool should know).
More than his goal-threat, he has an eye for an hair-splitting through-pass. However, not enough of his teammates make the angular, incisive runs that are his best asset. The side's slow, predictable offence also reduces his effectiveness from the rapid 1-2s that became a hallmark of his Chelsea career. Shunted out on the wing, he becomes almost anonymous.
Liverpool won't be sitting deep so when United go forward, they'll need to be fast and incisive. Juan Mata's vision is second to none and unless he is given the chance to control United's play from a number 10 position, he might as well not play. United will need speed, bravery and a golden touch - Juan Mata has all of that. In his most important game for Manchester United, they'll need to trust him to show it.
#3 Support and feed Martial
When Louis van Gaal gave the £36million (the rest are add-ons) man his debut, few expected him to become such an integral part of United's season. That is, of course, until he tunnelled through the Liverpool defence and nutmegged Mignolet brilliantly to finish off Rodger's Liverpool at Old Trafford with his team's Goal of the Month for September.
Since then he has made a habit of scoring or laying on goals in big games for the club, just as he did over the weekend to force West Ham into an FA Cup replay. Of course, this is despite his team's puzzling & ambiguous offensive set-up.
To accommodate a very poor Rooney, he was shunted out to the left at the start of the season. The former's injury means that Martial has regained his spot at the top, but the players alongside him have rotated as frequently as ever. And that's without mentioning their relative mediocrity, which has often seen the young Frenchman battle it out on his own up top.
To his credit, he's used his searing pace and fantastic ability to great respects, popping up every time United look confused on their way to goal. With 11 strikes to date, he is United's 2nd highest scorer.
To bring the best out of football's most expensive teenager ever, Manchester United need to provide him with a suitable partner up front who can finish the balls he lays on as well as drag defenders out of position so that he can use his pace and skill more directly. Lovren and Sakho are much stronger than him and he'll require some help if he is not to be bullied when they go again.
Against the scalp he claimed to make his name, Anthony Martial will be extra fired up to reassert his burgeoning reputation as France’s new hope.
#2 Stop exposing De Gea
The Spanish shot-stopper's career has taken a sharp swerve in fortunes, in sharp contrast with those of his club. Having flapped at every cross on his arrival, the then 20-year-old Spaniard has only grown in stature, featuring in the 2012/2013 Premier League Team of the Season as the championship-winning keeper.
The following season, Manchester United finished a lowly seventh; but De Gea's stock rose immensely as a consequence of that - if not for him they would be at least 15 points worse off. Last season, Van Gaal's side played some very naive football, often keeping the ball at the back (and not very well) – and escaping the harshest punishment. Why? Because De Gea has made game-changing saves a part of his daily routine.
Against Liverpool, the totem's unreal skills were on full Hollywood display. Brilliant saves from Lallana, Coutinho and Sturridge kept United the game - but he doesn't need telling that; he's been doing it every match. What is important now is that Van Gaal's charges do not play the risky kind of passes to De Gea anymore.
Louis Van Gaal will probably be staring sombrely at a broken fax machine in his drawer somewhere and blessing it for saving his job!
#1 Go for the jugular
Needing 3 unanswered goals to win the tie, United will probably be far too gone if Liverpool notch first. That’s why it will be imperative for them to play bravely and to play forward. With a seemingly endless raft of injuries, a very youthful backline and the industrious Wayne Rooney injured, Manchester United cannot bet on their defence.
Whilst too often this season they’ve almost manically held onto the ball for fear of conceding, they have been cut through anyway. Why fear the inevitable? Go for the fight instead!
With Liverpool playing a very novice style of gegenpressing, their defence is still vulnerable at times – as Arsenal & Norwich showed some weeks ago, netting 3 and 4 respectively. Moreover, Simon Mignolet is still forcing critics to ask hard questions about his new 5-year contract with mistakes like the one he committed in the League Cup Final.
While Marcus Rashford may not be a proven superstar, his first 5 shots in the 1st team were 4 goals against Arsenal and Midjtylland – so he should not play as a full-back like last time.
With Liverpool having better passers, a better attack and faster players, United will need to be disciplined, clinical and offensive. If they sit back, Jurgen Klopp may just use this chance to endear himself to Liverpool fans with a famous rout of their main opponent.
