There
has been a lot of talk this week about a potential crisis at Manchester United,
which might seem a bit ridiculous considering only 5 league matches have been
played so far. There
has also already been speculation about reinforcements come January, with Arturo
Vidal seemingly linked.
But
the Red Devils haven’t got off to a good start. United have just managed one
league win so far this season which was against QPR last week. Mk Dons humiliated
them 4-0 in the Capital One Cup Second Round, last month. They are currently
12th after 5 games following a shock 5-3 defeat away to Leicester, in which
they led 3-1.
Despite
spending over £150 million in the summer, Van Gaal is finding life in English
football tough going. But with new signings such as Di Maria, Rojo, Falcao,
Herrera, Blind and Shaw still finding their feet in the Premier League there is
certainly no need to push the panic button just yet.
It’s
fairly obvious that what they need is time. The new signings above mentioned
have barely played between them. United’s defence has looked very shaky so far
but once Rojo shows signs of his World Cup exploits and Luke Shaw finally
becomes a regular, then the defence suddenly looks more solid.
There
is no questioning Man Utd’s frontline. The trio of Falcao, Van Persie and
Rooney are arguably the best strike force in European football, let alone the
Premier League. The only problem is how they all get in the side.
The
likely scenario is that Van Persie and Falcao play upfront with Rooney just
behind as they did against Leicester. Then with the world-class ability of Di
Maria and workmanship of Daley Blind, their midfield now is packed with quality.
It is true that Van Gaal should have added another centre
back in the summer but they still have options. Rojo needs time but has the
potential to be a quality centre back that can also play on the left. When Luke
Shaw becomes match fit then he will be a sure starter at left back and he has
the ability to be there for many years to come.
Then there is Daley Blind. Although he is predominantly
a defensive midfielder he can also play on either the left or right side of
defence, which is the sort of versatility that can be a real asset for
Manchester United.