At the start of the season, Louis van Gaal asked for three months before we could proceed to judge him and point fingers at his methodology. Would he be able to instil his famed philosophy in the minds of David Moyes’ leftovers at Manchester United? At the risk of repeating myself (LVG Diaries-Part One) , I will allude to the obviously spoilt nature of Red Devils all over the world. After 27 years of seeing the greatest taskmaster in the game of football at the helm of our beloved Manchester United, we’re all exhibiting classic symptoms of withdrawal. Ask poor Robin van Persie, one season under Sir Alex and he was hit so hard. What about the rest of us?
Enough talk of the stately Scotsman. While the not-so-stately Moyes clearly wasn’t the right man to follow up after Sir Alex, we now have a manager who has won major titles at Bayern Munich and Barcelona. These are no mid-table Merseyside or eternally fourth-placed North London clubs! We are talking about the behemoths of European football, who command respect in the annals of football history and the tactical evolution of the sport. Clearly, a manager who managed to leave an indelible mark on the history of these clubs, simply has to be what Manchester United need at this moment.
A football giant in its own right, Manchester United seems to have lost its aura in the wake of last season’s disastrous campaign. At the start of the 2014-15 season, Louis van Gaal seemed to be the perfect protagonist to rescue United from the so-called brinks of self-destruction. The Virgil to our Dante. Van Gaal, however, is capable of eclipsing Virgil – he can also become our very own Beatrice and take us back to our days of glory. However, the means Van Gaal wishes to employ to attain glory vastly differ from what the United faithful are accustomed to seeing. Van Gaal doesn’t really seem to believe in ‘playing football the Matt Busby way’.
We’re now into the last 2 months of the season – definitely Van Gaal has had far more time than he initially asked for. It was clear from the start that this season would primarily be about cementing a top 4 place. Progressing towards the latter stages of any cup tournaments would only be an added bonus – but definitely not the priority. I don’t think any sensible Manchester United supporter would be truly miffed about not winning the FA Cup this season – rather the manner in which we lost to Arsenal is a bigger cause of concern.
While I’m not one to indulge in or entertain comparisons with Moyes, the question still remains to be asked – what is really going on at United? Do we really have a crop of sub-standard players at United? I don’t quite agree with this – the same players showed time and again what they are capable of under Sir Alex. The many faces of Phil Jones going on marauding runs here, that season when Jonny Evans was arguably among the top 3 ball-playing centre backs in the league like this, that time when Tony V would actually take on defenders and plant a pinpoint cross in the 18 yard box. Oh nostalgia, you seductive temptress!
With the exception of David De Gea, Rooney and – wait for it – Ashley Young, no other player has performed to the best of their abilities this season. Players have been out either due to injury, or due to the fact that Van Gaal probably doesn’t trust them enough to play ‘his style’ of football. Di Maria seems to have some form of amnesia combined with a personality disorder which prevents him from performing at even 10% of his form at Real Madrid last season. Herrera is another apparent victim of Van Gaal’s search for balance in the team, and only recently has he been trusted with a starting place in United’s midfield. Van Persie and Falcao are either suffering from ‘Anelkitis’, or both of them have lost what it takes to be a striker at Manchester United. I, for one, would be glad if Falcao’s deal is not made permanent next season. Meanwhile, merely thinking about analyzing our incompetent backline gives me an aneurysm – so I’d rather not go there.
The front line has a problem, the midfield has a problem, the backline has a problem – heck, even the bench has a problem! If it isn’t clear by now – Van Gaal vastly differs from Sir Alex in that he needs the exact type of players he wants to be able to achieve his philosophy – or that is what it looks like so far. Of course, he will be given more time than Moyes, but this is because he has a proven track record and his resume speaks volumes. However, coupled with the rather poor crop of talent coming through the United academy in recent years, it remains to be seen what Van Gaal does over the summer. Woodward needs to be on the same wavelength as Mad Louie. While nobody could have predicted that Falcao would be the new Forlan for United, we simply cannot afford to have another dud.
Van Gaal is the perfect arrogant disciplinarian when it comes to his preferred style of play – which is why our players appear to be zombies on the field more often than not. He knows that he does not have the required players, and yet he wants his players to learn and adapt. Manchester United is undergoing the biggest transition football has seen in recent years. It does scream of square pegs in round holes, but at heart, Van Gaal is still a teacher, and this is what he is best at. The players need to start playing to the best of their potential. Di Maria and Januzaj could do well to review some tapes of their performances from last season. Even with the addition of Rojo, our defense is still low on experience. Using those words makes me feel sad, when Jonny Evans has 3 league winners’ medals to his name. One of the defenders needs to step up and willingly take on the mantle of leader.
The first 45 minutes of the Tottenham and Liverpool games are the only times when Manchester United have looked like they have been in control of the game and dominated their opponents. Manchester United shaped up in a 4-3-3, Louis Van Gaal’s formation of choice – and did United show up in style! The first half at Anfield was probably the best we have played there in recent times. Mata’s role was a very interesting one – and effective too – as he bagged two goals in a performance worthy of the lineup.
Van Gaal and the players really need to take a good hard look at themselves – and at the fixture list as well. The next 8 games are going to be some of the most important games of their careers. A second consecutive season out of Europe would be really damning for a club of Manchester United’s stature. With Liverpool hitting top gear since Rodgers has found his perfect combination, our 4th place finish is in real jeopardy. Spurs aren’t far behind either, but one can always count on them to choke. The funny thing is, United could finish anywhere between 3rd and 7th this season, with only 7 points separating Arsenal at third from Spurs at seventh.
Substance over style is the need of the hour, and we need as many points as we can get. Of course, if Van Gaal can make the players click in these ‘clutch’ moments and put on a show – we can safely say that this group of players will have transitioned by the start of next season into a group of world beaters.
