United Face Tougher Tests Ahead

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.  

Five More Excellent Signings

Marcos Rojo, Manchester United (20m euros)

After a drawn-out transfer saga involving rumors, finger pointing, and apologizing, Manchester United finally have their man.  Marcos Rojo arrives as a much-needed reinforcement, and although he cannot feature this weekend against Sunderland, his impact will be very positive for the Red Devils as the season progresses.  

Mario Balotelli, Liverpool (undisclosed)

A terrific signing for Brendan Rodgers and Liverpool.  Balotelli will contribute to some of Luis Suarez’ missing goal output and the Anfield crowd will adopt him unconditionally as they did with the Uruguayan.  It is this reason that I believe Balotelli will flourish at Liverpool, because rarely has the misunderstood 24 year old striker felt the love from the crowd.  

Giorgios Samaras, West Brom (free)

West Brom snapped up the Greek on a free transfer this week, adding a player with a bevy of Champions League, Europa League, and international experience under his belt.  Samaras is accustomed to playing in sides who hunker down defensively, and is effective roaming the pitch for the odd scoring chance.  

Leroy Fer, Queens Park Rangers (undisclosed)

Queens Park Rangers made an excellent signing in Leroy Fer, who joins from relegated Norwich City.  Fer featured at the World Cup and scored a goal for the Netherlands, and impressed with the Canaries last season.  He will be an excellent midfield engine from box to box and has room to grow at the age of just 24.  

Victor Moses, Stoke City (loan)

Stoke City looked slow offensively at home last weekend against Aston Villa in a 1-0 defeat.  Surplus to requirements at Chelsea, Moses will join Stoke City on a season-long loan and will definitely upgrade the Potters’ attacking options.  The Nigerian pitched in with some impressive performances at Liverpool last season and should see his opportunities increased at Stoke.  

Van Gaal to Splash the Cash?

The feeling going into Saturday afternoon at Old Trafford was one of optimism and excitement.  Set to forget last seasons disappointments and led by a new manager fresh off an outstanding World Cup for the Netherlands, the attitude was positive.  That all changed after 90 minutes of inconsistent football against a well-organized Swansea squad.

First and foremost, Louis Van Gaal must re-think his tactical outlook, unless the players he has now make drastic improvements or he dips into the transfer market.  The 5-3-2 proved to be ineffective with struggling center backs, and the four-back formation he switched to at halftime was only so much better.  

Most importantly, Van Gaal needs to add depth to his team by bringing in at least two top players before the window closes.  There is a sense right now that United are on the cusp of making such deals.  Marcos Rojo unofficially declared he is heading to Old Trafford, a signing I thought was a must.  

Meanwhile in Madrid, Carlo Ancelotti has reportedly said Angel Di Maria is free to leave, the caveat being he can leave for the right price.  United could be willing to part ways with a lot of cash this summer, and they may have to in order to reach the Champions League.  Di Maria would be a fantastic signing, but it remains to be seen if he can play in a more physical league, while United could ultimately be priced out of a deal for the Argentine.  

In the wake of ‘Vidal to United,’ a phrase we’ve heard too much this summer and one I believed to never be legitimate, Van Gaal has supposedly switched his focus to Alex Song.  Since joining Barcelona, Song has failed to impose himself as he did in the premier league, and is often played out of position.  Song would be a terrific signing for United, unless he does anymore of this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTYGF2XAJNc 

Even with the signing of Rojo, Daley Blind should still be a target, the reason being he would complement Ander Herrera extremely well in the central midfield.  Both players are flexible position-wise; Blind can also play wing back while Rojo plays left center back primarily for his club.  Depth on the left side would allow Ashley Young to play a more familiar role and not endure days like Saturday anymore on the left.

Van Gaal should be considering other targets too, ones that the tabloids and media don’t know about.  Ron Vlaar could quietly be a target for the Dutchman, who saw his countryman flourish in Brazil at center back.  Hector Herrera, another standout in Brazil, would be a perfect addition, as Rio Ferdinand said on twitter during the group stage.  Christoph Kramer, whose World Cup was cut short by a concussion in the final, would be a fantastic signing too.

Whoever Van Gaal signs, United fans should rest easy that they will improve the squad, which is all they can ask for right now.  Another important thing to point out is that often times for athletes, starting such a long competition in poor fashion can ease expectations, although given the Moyes effect I’m not sure that’s the case here.  

Regardless, United must improve, and they must improve with haste.  It may not be as difficult as people are making it out to be, but Van Gaal certainly has his work cut out for him.  United enter a seven day stretch in which they play five matches starting on Sunday against Sunderland, thus the Dutch manager may need reinforcements sooner than he thinks.