The availability of Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho seem to have derailed Manchester United psychologically off late. The United playing staff seem to be taking a long walk through a dense desert with flashes of an inferior mirage. When Louis van Gaal restored them to 4th position at the end of last season, one could see signs of glory returning to Old Trafford.
Fast forward to Norwich registering a victory at Old Trafford last weekend, and everything seems to be taking a walk back to the Moyes era.
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What’s more- the past week has also put the football world into absolute craziness. With Guardiola and Mourinho on the move, Manchester is bearing the brunt of those ripples. All of a sudden, there is considerable doubt being placed on the positions of Louis Van Gaal and Manuel Pellegrini at their respective clubs. The results on the pitch aren’t helping their cause either.
With each passing game, they seem to make a mess of their position at the top of the EPL – clearly a very murky place to be in. The shadows of Mourinho and Guardiola loom large, and the race is on for the top jobs in Manchester. This managerial merry-go-round is taking the shape of a tactical game off the field, with each camp positioning their pieces strategically to keep everyone guessing.
And if you can spare a thought for Ryan Giggs – what would be going through his mind? His chances of landing the top job at United hang in the balance. It would be a massive disappointment for him were he not to succeed Van Gaal to the hot seat at Old Trafford.
LVG’s latest interview seemed like a class teacher’s assessment
Van Gaal’s interview on the 23rd of December, 2015 reminded me of the final courtroom scene from the movie – A Few Good Men. LVG seemed like Col. Jessep, when he openly demanded respect from a bunch of Lt. Kaffees in the media room, berating them for investigating into matters affecting his side and what was going on behind the scenes.
It appeared as if he was more worried about what the media thought and wrote, rather than United’s on-field performances. His so-called philosophy has failed to take any shape and he seems to absolutely dislike the idea of someone else questioning it. His position looks tenable not because of the sudden availability of Mourinho, but because of his own failed tactics and United’s failure to kill off teams. At best, they look justified in their current position in the table.
Key points to revive Manchester United
LVG has spent enough time in the Premier League to figure out that teams win when they attack directly and have a physical prowess to negate opposition. He needs to make a shift from “possession-based” football to “attacking and counterattacking” mindset – which is pretty much United’s DNA.
Apart from a shift in tactics, he also needs to get a consistency around his formation and the playing 11. Fans fail to understand when the likes of Ander Herrera & Morgan Schneiderlin do not play week in week out.
Wayne Rooney needs to step up from his slump. Paul Scholes may be right in his assessment of having Rooney play in a midfield/playmaker’s role. Wayne clearly lacks the pace of a 20-year-old and it may be time to shift to midfield to prolong his career.
The experience of Micheal Carrick and Bastian Schweinsteiger has to kick-in now. They are the ones who can provide stability and guide the squad on what it takes to revive their chances in the league. Someone of the stature of Keane or Zidane needs to take control of the playing 11. Schweini could be that man instead of Rooney.
And an absolute basic necessity - players have to wake up from their slumber. With the number of goal scoring chances that they miss per game, they will only put more pressure on themselves. They need to understand that certain games are meant to be won ugly and with a lot of grit. Only time will tell on how they go about it, but they have to increase their performance in terms of speed, creativity, alertness, commitment, and like the Old Scot always said – NEVER GIVE IN!
