Manchester United's ideal starting XI for the 2014/15 season

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal will have a tough job picking his starting XI.After a scintillating pre-season display in the United Sates, Manchester United’s fairytale run under Louis van Gaal came to an obscure end when they crashed to a 2-1 defeat to Swansea City in their own backyard, a result which brought back horrid memories from the David Moyes era back to Old Trafford and left the club’s hierarchy scratching their heads in disbelief. The defeat, as admitted by Van Gaal, had smashed United’s confidence and left them wondering as to what their next step should be. To everybody’s surprise, the Dutch maestro decided to choose the path not often taken by United and ended up spending a staggering £149 million pounds in rebuilding his average United squad.United shattered the British transfer record to land Real Madrid’s wing wizard Angel Di Maria, along with the signings of Luke Shaw, Ander Herrera, Daley Blind, Marcos Rojo and the deadline day coup of Monaco striker Radamel Falcao on a loan deal. That’s quite a huge statement of intent, isn’t it? If that wasn’t enough, recent reports surfacing in British media have suggested that Manchester United are preparing a £30 million bid for Roma’s midfield maestro Kevin Strootman, a player who is held in high regard by Van Gaal.If the acquisitions of these player’s wasn’t a task too difficult for Van Gaal, then accommodating all these signings in the playing eleven is surely going to be a humongous challenge for the Old Trafford boss. United have basically signed three left backs in Luke Shaw, Marcos Rojo and Daley Blind, of which Blind and Rojo play in the centre back and central defensive midfield positions respectively. Rojo excelled as a centre back in his last season at Sporting Lisbon whereas Dutch star Blind won the Eredivisie Player Of The Year award playing as a central defensive midfielder all season at Ajax. The signing of Radamel Falcao has cast a shadow of doubt over the future of Robin Van Persie, who recently admitted that he is ready to fight for his place in the starting eleven against the Colombian superstar.United haven’t portrayed the kind of display’s usually expected of them but with these six new signings, there are a host of reason’s as to why the United fans should be hopeful and expectant of a flurry of magnificent display’s. There has been a lot of speculation as to which formation Louis Van Gaal will opt for in order to accommodate his new signings in the playing 11 and of all the possible permutations and combinations, this is what I feel is perfect for United.Formation: 4-1-3-2

#1 Goalkeeper: David De Gea

The young Spanish prodigy has become a household name at Manchester United since his arrival from La Liga champions Atletico Madrid and has been going from strength to strength with every game. De Gea had a rough start to life as Manchester United’s number one choice in between the sticks and took time to adapt to the physical prowess of the Premier League.

But, since the past season and a half, he has evolved as a goalkeeper and a player on the whole, pulling off some unbelievable saves in the process, including that one legged save at the Bernabeu against a rampant Real Madrid side. The pressure of performing and huge expectations from the fans has brought out the best in him and he’s determined to capitalise on his rich vein of form.

De Gea is considered as one of the best shot stoppers in the world and one of the best goalkeeper’s in the Premier League. His concentration on the pitch, determination to flourish and a winning mentality instilled in him by Sir Alex Ferguson has worked in his favour and he has consequently become one of United’s top performers. While other players were struggling to find form under the disastrous reign of David Moyes, De Gea was one of the leading lights marshalling United’s defense and pulling off some fantastic saves.

He will hope to improve his skills further under the leadership of Louis Van Gaal and if he keeps showing these massive strides of progress, very soon he can go on and become a legend for the Old Trafford club and the Spanish national side following in the footsteps of greats like Edwin van der Sar at club level, and Iker Casillas at national level.

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#2 Right Back: Rafael

Rafael had a torrid time under Moyes last season and had his pre-season with the United side cut short due to an injury which he sustained in training. With United having no backup in the right back spot, Rafael is almost destined to start for United should Van Gaal opt for a four man defence. He possesses amazing pace when on the counter, is instrumental in making key passes in the final third, dribbles past opponents easily and flourishes in a one touch passing move.

His concentration on the pitch is impeccable, dedication unquestionable and the Brazilian is a more than decent tackler and interceptor of the ball. The problem for Rafael is his short tempered attitude and lack of discipline on the pitch. Whenever he loses the ball in a silly mannerr, he tends to go right into his opponent commiting a silly and dangerous foul in the process. The 24-year-old also has the ability to score some blistering goals from long range.

Very often, Rafael’s overconfidence gets the better of him and he is often left chasing his own shadow in matches against the biggies in the game. He is quite rusty at times and tends to lose the ball at key intervals during the game.There is no doubt that Van Gaal, being a fair boss, will give Rafeal a chance to prove himself. But the youngster will have to buck up and hone his weaknesses quickly or he could be given the boot anytime soon.

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#3 Centre Back: Phil Jones

Manchester United’s centre backs have performed horribly in the opening three games of the season with the exception of Phil Jones, who has stood like a rock at the heart of United’s defence. The former Blackburn Rovers defender has stepped up and has taken his game to the next level, assuming responsibility and acting in accordance to the magnitude of the job handed to him.

Jones is the ideal central defender; fearless, dedicated, passionate, strong and solid. Even though he is still a young prospect, there isn’t much time till he becomes one of the best in the business. Another eye catching attribute of the English defender is his versatility in terms of his playing positions on the pitch. He can be deployed as a right back, centre back and a central defensive midfielder, although his potential is completely unearthed when played at the heart of the defence. Jones’ crossing ability is commendable, his interceptions are noteworthy and his ability to hold on to the ball is brilliant, to say the least.

He prefers clearing the ball out of the defensive areas often and goes into a challenge without any fear; an attribute which he is often criticized for. Many people think that Jones is injury prone but the really is that his style of play leads to his injuries. He doesn’t hesitate before going into a challenge, be it dangerous one or a small tackle. Many football pundits have said that if he wants to remain injury free during the course of his career, he needs to think before just lunging into his opponents.

With the kind of displays he has been racking up of late, it seems that Jones will be a regular fixture in Van Gaal’s lineup for a long time.

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#4 Centre Back: Marcos Rojo

Rojo, a physically-imposing left-sided defender, played every second of Argentina’s nerve-shredding World Cup final defeat to Germany and went on to be named in the team of the tournament for Brazil 2014. The now former Sporting Lisbon man is a natural left-back by trade but is almost as adept as a left-sided centre back.

He can also be deployed further up the pitch as a winger – perhaps somewhere in between the three is in Louis van Gaal’s line of thinking, with the Dutchman known to be searching for wing-backs for his preferred 3-5-2 formation. Statistically, however, Rojo is impressive and may well be worth his fee. At the recently-concluded World Cup he made 15 interceptions, won 17 tackles and completed 191 passes as part of a defensively-solid Argentina back line.

His energetic style of play and strong physique will help him adapt to the Premier League’s physical quotient in no time whatsoever. He is tipped to become a fan favourite due to his Rabona clearences from inside his own box and sudden burst of pace while on the counter.

With Luke Shaw occupying the left back berth, one thing is sure; there wont be any lack of pace on the left flank of United!

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#5 Left Back: Luke Shaw

The former Southampton man was one of the star players who lead the exodus of players from the south coast club. Shaw had a fanstastic season with Southmapton which saw his value catapult in the transfer market which eventually led to his transfer to Manchester United for a record fee paid for a teenager, a mammoth £27 million.

Like Rafael, he loves indulging in a one touch passing game and is an excellent dribbler of the ball and can sprint the entire length of the pitch with the ball at his feet. He’s an excellent crosser of the ball and racked up a considerable number of assists last season for Southampton. United were heavily criticized for the fee they paid for the 19-year-old and were blamed for inflating the market. However, I believe that if you want a particular player who is available in the market, you must go after him no matter what his buyout clause is.

Shaw came under heavy criticism by Van Gaal who questioned the teenager’s fitness levels and put him on a separate training regime. He recently admitted that Shaw had been following his training regime very religiously and is an example to others in the dressing room.

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#6 Defensive Midfielder: Daley Blind

The former Ajax star performed brilliantly in the World Cup for Netherlands under Van Gaal and it was his sublime cross which was instrumental in Van Persie’s famous header in the group stage drubbing of Spain.

Blind is one of the most versatile players in the world as of now. He can play at centre back, left back and the central defensive midfield position. He is tall, strong, purposeful and determined on the pitch – a thorough professional and a complete team player. Surprisingly, the Dutch defender won the Eredivisie Player of the Year award playing in a holding midfielder’s position all season, which speaks volumes of what he brings to this United lineup.

His ability to hold onto the ball and the range of passes he possesses is overwhelming. He is brilliant in the air, wins every second aerial duel he indulges in and is a superb interceptor and blocker of the ball.

Blind’s style of play is typical to that of a central defensive midfielder even though he is a left back originally. He isn’t afraid to have a crack at goal from a distance, likes to cross the ball into the box, does many layoffs and loves to indulge in tackles. He just seems to be the perfect fit for United and is tipped to excel under Van Gaal.

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#7 Left Midfield: Angel Di Maria

There is no introduction needed for Angel Di Maria. Real Madrid fans were ecstatic with the arrival of James Rodriguez and Toni Kroos but were left devastated with the departure of their ‘Angel’.

Di Maria enjoyed a magnificent last season with Madrid during which he managed to make 17 assists. His ‘man of the match’ display against Athletico in the Champions League final helped Madrid claim their tenth Champions League crown. No wonder Madrid fans were so sad.

The Argentine winger will bring pace, hunger, desire, goals and assists to United. Diego Simeone admitted that Di Maria was Madrid’s best player and those weren’t empty words. The level of consistency depicted by the Argentine was unmatched, his professionalism admirable and his footballing skills are a class apart.

He had a decent debut with United in which he sparked up the pitch occasionally and linked up with Robin van Persie and was substituted off later in the game as a precautionary measure. With the kind of strikers United have in their ranks, it is all but certain that Di Maria is set for an excellent spell at Old Trafford.

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#8 Central Midfield: Juan Mata

Mata has impressed in his time at Old Trafford since making the switch from Chelsea to Manchester United for a fee in excess of £37 million.

He’s been in prolific goalscoring form of late and has been a crucial piece in United’s jigsaw. However, many feel that the spark which he was expected to bring into United’s midfield has been absent.

There has been a lack of dynamism in Mata’s play and that can be partly blamed on the lack of quality midfielders who can support him in the final third. He is an added set piece threat and has scored a few from free kicks within his range.

When his passes come off, they are an absolute delight to watch and his finishing is critical too. Mata is cautious and does not indulge much in tackling. His defensive work rate has come under heavy criticism of late as he doesn’t seem to be interested in tracking back or supporting defenders.

However, with the influx of new attacking players, exciting times beckon for the supremely talented Spaniard.

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#9 Right Midfield: Adnan Januzaj

Adnan Januzaj experienced a breakthrough season under David Moyes and was one of those rare positives who popped out of his disastrous reign.

He is a player with nimble footwork, blistering pace and a bag full of tricks. He came under a bit of criticism for his diving antics midway during the course of last season but improved on this trait significantly in the second half of the league campaign. His performances earned him the club’s legendary number ‘11’ shirt and he’s been one of United’s best wingers so far.

The arrival of Angel Di Maria has threatened his spot in the first eleven, but I feel Valencia should be given the snub now. Valencia has become extremely predictable and is a rare threat and it should pave the way for Januzaj to break into the first team.

Januzaj can be played in the central attacking midfield position due to his excellent through balls, good range of passes and sublime dribbling skills. His discipline on the pitch is highly questionable along with his ability in the air, defensive work rate and and ability to hold onto the ball.

However, the young Belgian is still at a very tender stage in his career and has oodles of time to improvise on his style of play.

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#10 Striker: Wayne Rooney

Wayne Rooney is undoubtedly the heartbeat of Manchester United. Louis van Gaal said that Rooney’s ability, dedication, passion and hard work made him an outright winner of the armband.

While other’s were faltering to find their footsteps in the team last season, Rooney literally carried Manchester United on some occasions and was their spark on the pitch.

He enjoyed a successful pre-season campaign where he caught the eye of Van Gaal who ultimately named him the captain of the United side. Even though Rooney is a striker originally, he has been played in various positions during the course of his career at United.

When there was a gaping hole in the midfield after Scholes’ departure, Rooney was handed the responsibility to fill that void by tracking back and delivering cross field passess to the winger’s in the team. A complete team player, Rooney being the captain will be an automatic inclusion in all of United’s matches, provided he is not injured.

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#11 Striker: Radamel Falcao

The Colombian striker was a headline grabber on transfer deadline day as he sealed a shock £6 million loan deal from AS Monaco to Manchester United. The deal is said to be a loan deal for a year, and the actual fee is touted as €65 million euros along with a four year contract. The former Atletico Madrid striker will barge into the starting eleven ahead of Robin van Persie due to his excellent goalscoring form.

Falcao is a natural goalscorer and has a proven record in European football. Only Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have scored more goals than him in the La Liga even though he hasn’t played in the Spanish League since 2013.

He is a complete forward; fast, sharp, strong, athletic, a brilliant finisher and an extremely intelligent footballer. Falcao said that he was relieved that the transfer to United had finally happened as the club and his representatives had been in talks for some months about the proposed move.

It is only a matter of time before Falcao gets used to the Premier League and the style of play adopted by the Red Devils.

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