The dust has settled, the rumors are over, and six new faces have joined the ranks at Old Trafford in the summer. Louis Van Gaal’s re-vamped Manchester United side impressed in their last outing against Queens Park Rangers, but the coming weeks will be a better indication of how good this team really is.
The win against QPR was albeit a spectacular match to watch from a red perspective, but as I have already stated beating arguably the worst premier league side at home is not a proper barometer for the caliber of this group.
Angel Di Maria is drawing rave reviews after his first two performances for United, Ander Herrera marked his return from injury with a goal, while Daley Blind, Marcos Rojo, and Falcao each made their debuts last weekend. To cap things off for the new boys, Jonny Evans declared Luke Shaw talented enough to be the best left back in the world today.
Spirits are high at Old Trafford right now, but it’s imperative that Van Gaal decipher what system works best for this group, and also the personnel that will get the best out of the system (and vice versa). Playing four in the back looks like the front-runner as of now, with Daley Blind’s two-way play justifying this formation.
Thus, after a midweek rest during European competition, Van Gaal has had sufficient time on the training ground to figure out what works best for his team. Between now and the end of November, United will face their first true tests of the season in the premier league.
It starts this Sunday, when the Red Devils travel to Leicester and take on a group fresh off an upset win on the road at Stoke City. Then, Van Gaal will take the Red Devils into a slightly more manageable fixture when they host West Ham six days later.
The following Saturday, Manchester United host Everton in what will be Van Gaal’s toughest test to date. The defensive midfield duo of James McCarthy and Gareth Barry are never easy to break down, and Roberto Martinez is more than capable of setting up his team accordingly to thwart United.
After another two weeks rest, United travel to the Hawthornes and take on a desperate West Brom side, followed by an evening with Chelsea at Old Trafford on the 26th of October.
November is when United will be tested the most. By then, expect a fully integrated squad with familiarity and confidence. November second sees the first United derby of Van Gaal’s tenure, followed by a trip to the Emirates two games later on the 22nd.
What benefits Manchester United in this upcoming schedule is that they only have to focus on one competition. Champions League football is obviously not coming to Old Trafford this year, but their chances of bringing it back are boosted by this in itself.
The tough part for the players will be staying patient and knowing their place in the squad with so fewer games to play. The players have buy into the long-term goals of the club if they are to be competitive in the league this season.
After just four games, United have accrued just five points while playing a very manageable schedule. Going forward though, the absence of European football will help see this group through a rough transitional period as it did for Liverpool last year.
No comments:
Post a Comment