Louis van Gaal is starting to look a bit jaded isn’t he? He was always going to have a tough transition to the most competitive league in the world. The main concern now is whether he still knows what he’s doing.
We have never questioned his mind in terms of the plan for success. But recent Manchester United performances haven’t shown any improvement, at all, in terms of style or substance. United are in stasis.
Each match begins with a lot of bluster, where Manchester United try to play how they used to – with pace and purpose.
But, after 15 minutes and no goals, you realise that this is yet another workmanlike offering with no real inspiration and no connection, whatsoever, between the players.
It’s strangely ingenious in itself to make a team, so replete with match-winners, perform so badly. Rooney, Di Maria, Falcao, RvP, Mata, Januzaj. These guys should at least be taking it in turns to give match-winning performances. But it’s as if these greats have all been hypnotised into playing badly together.
We never thought it would be boring watching Manchester United play until last season – even when they lost they used to be utterly compelling. Now there is a new coach but, worryingly, the trend of tawdry, Moyesian football continues.
For our money the problem is a lack of width. Manchester United have Januzaj, Valencia and Di Maria. But they aren’t being employed as out and out wingers. Yet, this is surely the best position for them – particularly the latter two.
But LvG has played Di Maria in the centre in many games and it simply isn’t working.
The squad is blessed with top No.9s but needs providers out wide to furnish the finishers. Yet Louis puts his best wide man, Di Maria, through the middle. Or even worse, up top. And it just hasn’t paid dividends.
Manchester United need to cull either Falcao or RVP, get Rooney back in the hole and play Di Maria and Januzaj/Valencia as conventional wingers.
We are convinced that these changes would pay immediate dividends and awaken Manchester United from their strange slumber. Because a convincing result against Burnley is required.
