How to rebuild: What Manchester United can learn from Barcelona and Arsenal

Manchester United didn't play this weekend, but they still somehow managed to grab the headlines, and negative ones at that.

To start with, the reason the Red Devils weren't involved was because they failed to progress in the FA Cup. With Liverpool facing Nottingham Forest in the quarter-finals, their league clash was also rearranged. Frankly, such has been their performance this campaign that the majority of the United faithful relished the break.

Meanwhile, Arsenal beat Aston Villa on Saturday to strengthen their grip on fourth place. The 1-0 win at Villa Park was their fifth consecutive away Premier League victory. The following day, Barcelona thrashed Real Madrid 4-0 in El Clasico in Los Blancos' own backyard. The Catalans have scored four goals each in six out of Xavi Hernandez's last 12 games in charge.

Both teams started the season with a weaker squad than United, at least on paper. But their recent transformations have not only brought back hopes for their fans that they are ready to sit on the table alongside the big boys of European football, but have also made a mockery of decision-making at another fallen giant.

Off the Pitch

Aston Villa v Arsenal - Premier League

Mikel Arteta and Xavi are getting the lion's share of praise for engineering consistent positive performances and results, but what we are seeing on the pitch is the trickle-down effect of the changes instilled by the hierarchies at Barcelona and Arsenal months ago.

The first step was to appoint a manager whose philosophy and style of play resonated with the club's DNA. Speaking to beIN Sports (via The Sun), Arsene Wenger recently admitted Arteta is recapturing the club's spirit with his approach, while 'Xavi ball' in the space of just over 130 days is already reminiscent of the iconic midfielder's own playing days at Camp Nou.

Merely bringing in a former player doesn't replicate the ethos of a successful past. The manager needs to be given complete control over the dressing room in order to ensure players respect and accept his ideas. This starts when the manager has the final say on every player's future at the club.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is the best example to show how the same player can be a medicine and a poison in different situations for different clubs.

Arteta took the decisive measure by letting Arsenal's biggest name leave for nothing mid-season because the superstar striker didn't buy into his tactical ideas. And despite not being able to find his replacement, Arsenal have continued to thrive under Arteta. The lack of goals upfront is being compensated by the off-the-ball work of their forwards that has made the Gunners' defense watertight.

Xavi was allowed to sign the 32-year-old despite Barcelona's financial constraints as the Spanish tactician was certain Aubameyang was ideal for his side's quick transition from defense to attack due to his pace.

The lesson for the Red Devils, who have time and again forced their managers to get on with certain players because they didn't receive the right transfer fee to sanction their exits, is to recognize which players suit the manager's system, and make transfer decisions based on the value they bring on the pitch rather than the figure they command in the transfer market.

On the Pitch

FC Barcelona v Galatasaray: Round of 16 Leg One - UEFA Europa League

Barcelona under Xavi prefer to create numerical superiority in the final third. Arteta's men play a more conservative brand of football where they regularly switch to a 4-4-2 mid block out of possession to win the ball and trigger the attack from wide areas.

However, Pep Guardiola's disciples' basic idea of football is similar. Pressing intensely and controlling the territory by effectively recycling possession. Arsenal dominate the wider positions, and Barcelona, as shown in the latest El Clasico, like to keep the ball centrally before finding wingers in open spaces.

To implement their desired style of play, both managers rely on top-class midfielders who are capable of controlling and progressing the play at will. United's midfielders, on the other hand, get outplayed every time they face a decent side.

The likes of Scott McTominay and Fred struggle against compact defenses due to their inability to play line-breaking passes. Further, their lack of positional awareness out of possession leads to the midfield getting bypassed easily, as seen against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer came close to finding success by improving United on opposite ends of the pitch, but he overlooked the centre of the field, which ultimately led to his system getting exposed.

Barcelona and Arsenal have shown you can transform a club without spending too much, as long as there's a plan, mutual trust in that plan, and smart recruitment to help execute it.