Reality dawns on Manchester United and Louis van Gaal

Louis Van Gaal endured a Manchester United debut to forget

As Louis Van Gaal marched towards the tunnel at Old Trafford, his confidence and arrogance intact, the hope and belief in which Manchester United had stated the season with evaporated and followed the Dutchman into the bowels of Old Trafford.

Swansea City, triumphing courtesy of goals from Ki Seung-Yeung and Gylfi Sigurdsson, deserve credit for their display of resilience and quality, attacking with such gusto and resisting mounting United pressure in stoic fashion. Sigurdsson, impressing on his second debut for the Welsh club, after a loan spell from Hoffenheim in 2012, was deservedly nominated as man of the match for his individual excellence yet his colleagues, the likes of Wayne Routledge, Ashley Williams and debutant goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski, acquired from Arsenal on a free transfer, were also worthy of such acclaim.

United's sub-standard level of performance, devoid of incentive and penetration, facilitated Swansea's second victory at Old Trafford in the Welsh club's illustrious history, with only Wayne Rooney, the United captain embodying the demanding work ethic instilled into the team by Van Gaal, and Adnan Januzaj, introduced after Jesse Lingard succumbed to injury, emerging with praise. However, the loss could be a disguised blessing, inevitably forcing Van Gaal to delve into the market to bolster a sub-standard team. The Dutchman has publicly expressed his propensity to struggle in his first three months in charge of a club, yet the need for drastic improvement is indisputable.

Defensive frailties

Each and every offensive burst forward from Swansea's attacking trio of Routledge, Sigurdsson and Nathan Dyer, further enhanced by new acquisition Jefferson Montero's introduction after 67 minutes, shimmered with danger as United's porous defence seemed vulnerable. Van Gaal's preferred formation of 3-5-2, effective for the Netherlands at the World Cup, contributed to the disarray which seized United's back-line, the likes of Lingard and Young frequently exploited. “Of course, we need defenders," said Van Gaal after the defeat.

Roma's Mehdi Benatia, a rumoured target for Chelsea, would be a substantial upgrade on the defensive options at Van Gaal's disposal, having missed out on Thomas Vermaelen who secured a move from Arsenal to Barcelona. Moves for Marcos Rojo, of Sporting Lisbon, and Borussia Dortmund's Mats Hummels seem feasible, yet with United's pursuit of Rojo threatening to lead to the intervention of a court and Jurgen Kloop determined to retain his imposing captain, United chief executive Ed Woodward must act in swift fashion prior to the transfer window's culmination, with Van Gaal's dearth of options forcing the Dutchman to hand debuts to Lingard and 20 year-old Tyler Blackett.

Lack of pace

Pace was integral to United's process of blitzing opposition teams into oblivion under Sir Alex Ferguson. That was how Paul Scholes, pivotal to United's success under the immensely decorated Scot, put it. "The team I played in centred around pace," he explained on his punditry duties. "It was how we blitzed teams."

Van Gaal, seated besides Ryan Giggs, often so vital in Ferguson's usage of purpose and speed, was impotent in drastically transforming the tempo United employed, and with Swansea comfortable in resisting their probing play, the slow, indirect nature of United's style drew comparisons with the team under David Moyes's doomed stewardship. Rooney was frustrated up front, depleted of satisfactory service and often forced deep to collect possession, further contributing to United's ineffective play.

Juventus's Arturo Vidal, so keenly pursued by Woodward, and Real Madrid winger Angel Di Maria, integral in Real's historic Champions League triumph last season, promise to provide an antidote to United's deficiencies, with deals to bring the highly competent duo to Old Trafford feasible. Di Maria would be an upgrade on the likes of Luis Nani, who was granted 45 minutes to prove his worth, and Shinji Kagawa, the Japanese failing to emulate his impressive displays for Borussia Dortmund prior to his move to United in 2012, while Vidal would substantially reinforce Van Gaal's faltering midfield.

Reliance on Rooney and Van Persie

As Robin Van Persie, upon his return from the Barbadian sunshine, trained with United coaches at the Aon Training Complex, in a bid to reach full fitness before United's trip to Sunderland next Sunday, the extent of Van Gaal's side's reliance on the Dutchman was clear. Van Gaal, shorn of his Dutch compatriot's services, turned to Javier Hernandez as a short-term replacement, the Mexico international ultimately replaced at half-time and potentially primed for departure, with Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid lurking. Rooney failed to combine to any noteworthy effect with Hernandez and United's attacking threat was limited as a subsequent result.

Lack of depth

As Sigurdsson forced Swansea into the lead after 72 minutes, Van Gaal serenaded a glance at his substitutes. Amos, Reece James, Michael Keane, Maraoune Felllaini, Kagawa, Nani and Januzaj - a contrast to those at Manuel Pellegrini and Jose Mourinho's enviable disposal.

Van Gaal, with his arrogance and proven track record, indisputably means business, yet with the club finishing 22 points behind champions City last season, United need drastic reinforcement, and quickly, as the transfer window's consummation rapidly approaches.