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"We are not playing well, but we are fourth in the table – so what will happen when we do play well?" – Louis van Gaal
Not every manager has the pluck to make such bold statements in front of the British media. But Louis van Gaal is not just any other manager. However, the aforementioned quote draws two very contrasting emotions. One, the very statement that Van Gaal is trying to make – we are not playing well and are fourth, but when we do, catch us if you can. The other inference from his honest admission is somewhat less encouraging.
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Van Gaal has been at the helm for three months and has already invested United’s largest ever war chest to sign the players he needed. Then why is the team still ‘not playing well’, or so by his own exacting standards? Whatever might be the reasons, there is one undeniable fact; United’s road to recovery is long and arduous, but the final destination might just be visible in the horizon.
Manchester United overhauled the squad with new signings
Ed Woodward and his scouting team bamboozled the world with their extravagant, ambitious signings; players who the world thought would never join a club devoid of Champions League football. But Angel Di Maria, Radamel Falcao, Luke Shaw and Ander Herrera arrived and reinstated the appeal of Manchester United which seemed to have been lost in the turmoil of last season. So as these deals were announced, United supporters envisioned a fresh and a glorious new era at Old Trafford. Having an irresistible champion in Louis van Gaal as the boss, these players around would just be the icing on the cake.
But unfortunately, Rome was not built in a day. It takes a lot of perseverance, analysis and effort on the training ground to build a new team. And this United team is nothing but new. With the collective departure of familiar faces like Patrice Evra, Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand, Tom Cleverley, Danny Welbeck, Javier Hernandez and Nani, Van Gaal has swiftly transformed this football club.
So much so, that since the closure of the transfer window, United has lined-up with more than half of the team consisting of this season’s new recruits. Wayne Rooney, Michael Carrick, Jonny Evans and Darren Fletcher are the only players remaining from United’s double-winning squad six years ago. Continuity has always been an intrinsic characteristic of this club’s value chain, but after last season’s disaster, wholesale changes were of paramount importance.
Van Gaal is a renowned and proven tactician but even he got a taste of the Premier League after a dreadful start to the season. He failed to muster a win in United’s first four matches of the season, including the humiliating defeat at home to Swansea on the opening day followed by the disgraceful battering at the hands of third division side MK Dons. Van Gaal’s favoured back-three didn’t work but the Dutchman has been quick to realise that. The home game against QPR came along with its plethora of stars in the form of Daley Blind, Di Maria and Herrera and United put in a dominant performance, but a downtrodden QPR side hardly posed any threat or provided any stiff resistance.
Red Devils’ defence – A work in progress
The four goal romp against QPR gave millions of fans reasons to celebrate and fantasise about the immediate future, but the euphoria was short-lived as a spirited Leicester City unfurled the curtains on United’s glaring frailties in defence. And this is one of the primary reasons why it is not wise for United fans to think ahead of themselves. United’s defence, inspite of all the injuries sustained by the first-choice defenders, is still a work in progress.
The club has a good mix of youth and experience in that back-four but the one thing it truly lacks in this department is stability. Stability has defined United’s centre back pairing for the best part of the last two decades. Jaap Stam and Ronny Johnsen followed by Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand. These two pairs carried the United torch with great responsibility and laid the foundation of two successive glorious periods under Sir Alex Ferguson.
But as age caught up with Ferdinand, and Vidic started spending an increased amount of time on the treatment table, Sir Alex decided to shore up his defence with one eye on the future. In came Phil Jones and Chris Smalling – both potent defenders along with Jonny Evans, but they’ve all played alongside each other without any real sense of stability and security. Numerous combinations have been tried and tested by all three managers, Sir Alex, David Moyes and Van Gaal, and they have all had their own opinion on it.
It’s been quite a while since the club has had a formidable and stable centre-back pair, like that of John Terry and Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Sergio Ramos and Pepe (Real Madrid), Miranda and Diego Godin (Atletico Madrid), or Neven Subotic and Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund).
Stability in defence is the first thing that Van Gaal needs to sort out in his first few months in charge of this club but injuries to important players has not helped his cause. Van Gaal has had to draft youth players like Tyler Blackett and McNair into the first team, who have undoubtedly done better than expected, but for his setup to take shape and become robust, he needs to have a good and sustained look at all his defensive options first.
Tough fixtures to come after failing to capitalize on easier opponents
Another reason why United have a long way to go in terms of getting the team combination and tactics right is their below par performances against ordinary opposition in the opening phase of the season. United have faced all three of the promoted teams in their first seven league fixtures, and have only managed 4 points out of a possible 9. Everton is the only team they’ve faced who finished above them in last season’s standings.
The charring defeat at the hands of MK Dons might have been in the League Cup, but will continue to stand out as one United’s worst ever losses in England. Van Gaal couldn’t have asked for an easier run of fixtures to begin with, as he will face his first serious test against Chelsea in the final week of October, a good three months into his new job.
It will take time for Van Gaal to enforce his style of play, his tactics and technique at United. The long injury list will only add to his troubles. The adventures of Di Maria, Falcao and co. will continue but for United to rise and shine as a cohesive unit, Van Gaal needs to be afforded sufficient time and space by both fans and his management.
Unfavorable results will have to be overlooked for the greater good, so that Loius van Gaal does not suffer the same fate as David Moyes. The good times are still a long way away, but the summer is dawning on Old Trafford, slowly but surely.
