A world class left back replacement for Shaw
The Luke Shaw injury was dreadfully unfortunate and came at a time when the lad was playing out of his skin.
But, from a footballing point of view, LvG has two superb left backs to choose from in Shaw’s absence.
We always felt that Marcos Rojo was about to have a massive season – he can be world class for United.
And Daley Blind was also sensational when he played there last season.
Shaw will be missed, but the new balance and depth of this Manchester United squad means that they have top cover.
The group still looks winnable
Sir Alex always used to say that if you win all of your home games then you should get through the league stages.
PSV look eminently beatable and Wolfsburg and CSKA are also there for the taking.
One decent away result and Manchester United can still finish top.
Manchester United are close to something special
It was a defeat, but it was also a performance which showed more pace and fluidity than we have largely seen under LvG. It’s still bit pedestrian at times and Manchester United need to show concentration and intensity for 90 minutes – an error apiece by Smalling and Darmian effectively cost United the match.
But passes are finding their man with more pace and more regularity than at any time under the Dutchman and we still feel that this team is definitely moving forward.
Louis has bought well
It’s impossible not to be encouraged by the overall transfer business of LvG. No manager ever gets it right every time and Di Maria and Falcao proved to be expensive failures.
But the Dutchman has solidified the defence with Rojo and Blind, and added the power of Darmian and Shaw out wide.
When Carrick and Basti play the midfield looks impenetrable.
And he has begun to address the lack of pace and invention up top with the considerable talents of Martial and Memphis who will be massive players for Manchester United.
Martial’s pace will cause huge problems
It was a frustrating night for Anthony Martial, especially after such an incredible debut performance and goal.
But his pace and skill are going to be a huge asset to this team. The best example came in the first half when the PSV keeper assumed he had ample time to pick out a long pass. But Martial was on him almost impossibly quickly. This lad is lightning fast.
