Has Manchester United thrown itself out of the top 4 this season?

Ozil changes everything for Arsenal

Newly-signed Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil.

Believe it or not, Arsenal’s hope for a remotely good season were in the gutter, only for Wenger to pull the rabbit out of the hat on the final day of the transfer window. That rabbit, Ozil, is a game changer and the whole footballing world knows it. Just to put things into perspective, Arsenal were finishing 5th or 6th as on September 1st. Now they have a chance to even go for the title. They have issues with defense and their striker department has become thin with injuries, which is temporary. But make no mistake, Ozil holds the key to Arsene Wenger’s football philosophy. The beautiful game Arsenal were known for back in the day will be back and the major impact of this signing will be on Jack Wilshere. It somewhat eases the creative pressure on Wilshere, allowing him to concentrate on the discipline side of his game. Having Cazorla, Ozil and Wilshere in the same team on the pitch is a dream in itself.

The defensive woes of Arsenal could be compensated in attack with more number of goals, So an Arsenal fan can expect some thrilling matches as days go by. The Gunners will be able to win tight encounters with the brilliance of Ozil and that puts them right on top with Chelsea and Man City. Arsenal couldn’t sign any striker before the window closed, but they did attempt for Demba Ba. This is what Jose Mourinho had to say, “We didn’t accept Arsenal’s offer for Demba Ba because the signing of Ozil makes them title contenders.”

Moyes needs Rooney and van Persie to be in top form

Manchester United stalwarts Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie and Shinji Kagawa.

By now, it is pretty much clear at what level Manchester United need to be playing to have a chance of making it into the top 4, come the end of May, 2014. Marouane Fellaini was the only buy manager David Moyes could manage after some persuasion at Everton by the Belgian himself. There is a belief that a player moving from an average club to a top club will step up his game and become a better player. Gary Cahill can be a decent example of that. While Fellaini might have some chinks in his armour, he has the potential to become that physical influence in midfield Man United fans have been craving for the past few seasons. Even someone better than Fellaini isn’t enough for the Red Devils to compete for a top 4 spot.

The “Fergie factor” played a huge part in their title success last season, and whether Moyes can deliver such an influence this season remains to be seen. Van Persie was the difference in the title chase with his unstoppable scoring last term. This time around, Wayne Rooney needs to step up and maintain top form along with the Dutchman for Moyes to steer his team into the top 4. The Kagawa issue has been a bit repetitive as the Japanese attacker got less minutes on the pitch even during Ferguson’s reign. The infusion of Kagawa, Rooney and Van Persie will be the most important and difficult task for Moyes in coming months. The recent loss to Liverpool highlighted the midfield problems and a shaky defense. If Evans reproduces his last season’s form, that should not be a major issue.

How well Moyes uses Rooney and Kagawa remains to be seen, as the Englishman is poised to see out the two years left in his contract. The transfer window dealings have not helped Moyes either, which highlights the need for a Director of Football. Ed Woodward was at the end of immense criticism from Man United fans after the window shut on September 2nd. Still, all is not lost as there is another window in January. Some decent deals during those 30 days could prove pivotal for Manchester United and their ambitions this season.