Does Wayne Rooney still deserve to hold Manchester United Captaincy?

United were down to 10 men with 31 minutes to go against West Ham, this would be the second match in a row which a United player had been sent off.  The offender this time is United captain Wayne Rooney.

Luke Shaw put in a low cross just outside the final third and Wayne Rooney of all players was appealing for a hand ball.  The foul was not given, as Stewart Downing got the ball and went onto the counter attack, Wayne Rooney out of frustration kicks Stewart downing above the knee and was given a straight red and was subsequently sent off.

Wayne Rooney as captain of Manchester United should not been so foolish letting his emotions get the better of him.  A captain needs to be calm and collected and lead by example.  He was no where near playing the ball.  West Ham at that point have not even gone out of own half, yet Wayne Rooney decided to not play the ball and just take Stewart Downing out.   This was exactly how a then 16 year old Wayne Rooney would react.  He should know the consequence of putting in such a reckless challenge.  The last thing a team would want is to lose their captain and Wayne Rooney having such a big reaction shows that he is the most mentally inexperience players at the club.  The match against West Ham also marked Rooney’s 10th year Anniversary at Manchester United, which is quite the irony.

Despite being reduced down to 10 men and having to park the bus to retain the one goal lead, Marcos Rojo and Paddy McNair showed their composure, retained solid at the back.  Rojo was looking to be the conductor at central defence while McNair had a curtail header that retained United’s one goal lead, it was an impressive night for the young men making his first Premier League debut.

Luke Shaw also looked fantastic making his Manchester United debut, often bombing forward to support the wing play.   He also had a great work rate, constantly tracking back making curtail tackles to prevent the opposition from getting into the penalty box.  He look composed and was never beaten at the byline.  He is a lot more physical that most people think.  He often uses his stretch to his advantage and is always looking to take players on.

Paddy McNair at times looked like the second coming of Rio Ferdinand, the youngster’s positional play is excellent.  He does not try to do too much with the ball, put just enough on the ball to clear away the danger.  McNair is simply all business type player.  

The lack of maturity shown by Wayne Rooney last Sunday against West Ham is a concern as to wether he has to quality to be a leader of ben.  His challenge on Stewart was totally unnecessary.  Rooney will now serve a 4 match suspension which would see him out against Everton, West Bromwich Albion and Chelsea.  Let’s hope a new leader of men would emerge and truly be able to cary the club going forward.     

Louis Van Gaal sees Juan Mata as a defensive liability, looking at a swap deal for Miranda or Strootman in January

There is no doubt Juan Mata is one of the most influential player for Manchester United.  Scoring 9 goals in 20 appearances for Manchester United.  But his fortunes at the club is in serous doubt after United were crushed by Leicester City 5-3 and one of the counter attacking goals was scored due to his slip on the grass.  He was quoted by Stuart Fraser of the Daily Mail as a liability to this Manchester United team.

"Jose Mourinho offloaded Mata from Chelsea because he couldn't add to the team effort, defensively at least. Louis van Gaal feels the same way."

Atletico Madrid was the first team that drew interest on Juan Mata and Manchester United certainly welcome such idea as they need a centre back to fill out United's shaky back line at the moment.  Miranda is a world class centre back.  He is on the older side of his career at 30 years of age, but defenders usually don't hit their prime until they are around 28 years old, so there are still plenty of goof years ahead.  He would have the perfect experience to conduct the inexperience defence.  The most experienced defender in the current Manchester United squad.

Having played in Atletico Madrid's defensive philosophy, Miranda would certainly be able to fit into Louis Van Gaal's defensive philosophy.  The following is a detailed analysis of Atletico Madrid's defensive philosophy.  



Although Atletico is seemingly playing a similar style to Chelsea, essentially parking the bus against Barcelona in the 2nd legg of the 2014 Champions League Semi Final.  Chelsea used a similar tactic against Barcelona in the 2nd legg of the 2012  Semi Final.  Putting 11 men behind the ball and hitting Barcelona on the counter attack.



This is by no means suggesting that Manchester United should park the bus, but Van Gaal needs to purchase a player like Miranda to be able to conduct and execute the defensive tactivs that Van Gaal wants the team to perform.

Miranda would also make a good pairing with Argentinean centre back Marcos Rojo, who recently joined Manchester United from Sporting Lisbon on a £16 plus the loan of Luis Nani who was originally signed from Sporting.back in 2007.

Manchester United also had long been linked to Roma defensive midfielder Kevin Strootman.  It was reported by Stuart Fraser that  that a swap deal for the Dutch international is very much a possibility.

"I've been speaking to a number of agents around Europe, and it's pretty clear to me Juan Mata will be offered in part-exchange for Roma's Kevin Strootman in the January window."

Strootman would bring united the toughness of a Roy Keane and the play making ability of a Paul Scholes.  It is very much the best of both worlds for Manchester United if the club could indeed buy him in January



Whichever player Manchester United would be able to sign in January, it would surly be an upgrade in the centre back position compared with what the club currently have in the team.  Manchester United's philosophy is not just about playing home grown players, but being able to buy players that would give everything they have to help the club succeed, that is the philosophy of Manchester United.  They just never, ever give up.

United continue to struggle with Aerial Threat, McNair Debut, Rooney sent off, Luke Shaw Impresses

There couldn’t have been two more contrasting halves of football than today when Manchester United played West Ham at the Theatre Of Dreams.  

United opened up the the scoreline early with a beautiful delivery from Rafael which Wayne Rooney steers into the far post off a half volley.  Then Robin Van Persie scored his 50th goal for Manchester United, getting a beautiful through pass from Falcao, to put the shot away in the far post just inside the penalty box.  

But West Him responded with a corner, De Gea mistimed his punch and Robin Van Persie headed the ball right off the line, only to head the ball straight to Diafra Sakho, who headed the ball straight back into the net.

Second half would see the tide turn on Manchester United In the 59th minute, Wayne Rooney  kicks one of the West Him players straight in the groin, he was sent off immediately and United were down to 10 men.  This would be United’s second straight red card in 2 weeks.  Rooney would be suspended for the game against Everton on the 6th of October.  

Some say Rooney being sent off might bring on new leaders in this Manchester United squad and let’s hope that is the case.  Darren Fletcher came on for Falcao and Antonio Valencia came on for Ander Herrera who came off injured.  From that point on, United were parking the bus, headed out any all that was crossed into the box.  Robin Van Persie had a great chance which was delivered by Angel Di Maria, but the goalkeeper got to the ball first and punched it away.

Paddy McNair still did a decent job in central defense, he was the played who headed a ball behind for a corner which prevented West Ham from equalising in the second half.  He was praised by manger Louis Van Gaal during a post match interview for his effort on his debut.

Luke Shaw was certainly the bright spot for Manchester United at the back as he put in critical challenges an showed that he is capable of pushing the ball up the pitch and initiate the attack.  But the number of passes that have been cycled at the back is slightly excessive, at times allowing West Ham to put pressure on the United defence.  

It the first half with Luke Shaw going forward, United always looked a threat, West Ham’s defence was stretched and there were massive gaps that were in the middle of the park, allowing the likes of Rooney and Van Persie create the goals.

It was a hard fought win at the end for Manchester United, but the Centre back position still  remains a concern.  United are fortunate that they are play mid table sides at the moment, when it comes to the top teams, it is likely that United will struggling and might need to park the bus or play  once again or play counter attacking football with ball pressure to compensate for the defensive weaknesses in the squad at the moment.  It is best for United to play a 4231 formation with Blind and Carrick as the two defensive midfielders.  Di Maria and Januzaj on either wing with Falcao as a lone striker.  With two defensive midfielders, United would do a better job at defending the long balls and counter attacks.

Make sure you stay tuned for episode 4 of Fix #MUFC, where I will talk about United’s tactics in this week’s match and how they will adapt losing Wayne Rooney and Ander Herrera. 

Michael Carrick to play Centre-Half for Manchester United?

It has been reported that Michael Carrick might play at centre-half to replace suspended Tyler Blackett. 4231 is my personal preference with 2 defensive midfielders holding the midfield.  Carrick should play at right side centre back and Marcos Rojo should play as left side centre back.  Luke Shaw shall make his debut for Manchester United at left back.  Rafael will play at right back.  The team should lineup something like this:

With Di Maria's pace, it would only be fitting for him to go on the left wing, with Adnan Januzaj on the oposite side.  With Falcao on his own up top.  Daley Blind could also drop back on attack to receive the ball from Rojo and Carrick, forming a diamond between him, Carrick Rojo and De Gea, when moving forward, the fullbacks cjould also push forward, forming a 2331.  When tracking back, the wingers could sink back forming a 4411.  Here is a brief idea on how Michael Carrick will help United at the back.



What Michael Carrick does for Manchester United is not rocket science, he does just enough to prevent a pass from going through, or prevent his man from getting into the dagerous area.  As seen above, he departed his central midfield position, and when over to the full back position to cover for a struggling Patrice Evra.  Michael Carrick is a utility man who has the technical ability to start at centre-half  for Manchester United.

Moving Michael Carrick to centre half would be a great move for Louis Van Gaal and Manchester United.  The club could be sure that defensive lapses would not happen with Michael Carrick and Marcos Rojo holding the heart of defense.  However, it is also important for Daley Blind to drop back to prevent the play being dispossessed by the pressure than teams will apply on the back 4.

As shown in the match against Leicester City, Tyler Blackett was struggling against Premier League strikers.  He was constantly getting beat on headers and pushed off the ball, allowing his man to det into the penalty box.  He should get some match time in the FA Cup before eventually becoming a regular starter in the Barclays Premier League.  Same goes with Jonny Evans and Chris Smalling, they both look clueless on the pitch, United need centre-halves that are confident and have the physical build.  A lot of fans might suggest that we have to give youth a chance, and while the club should give youth a chance, the chance should not come on technicality and being given the chance to start in the Barclays Premier League since Tyler Blackett have emerged into the first team.  The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo was starting in the FA Cup, and was featured on the bench in the first 2 seasons at Manchester United, before being a regular starter for Manchester United in the Barclays Premier League.

With the January transfer window still three months away, Louis Van Gaal needs a quick solution with all the injuries to the players at the back.  United would need to address these defensive issues during the transfer window.  A great solution to this would be siging  Aston Villa centre back and Dutch international Ron Vlaar.  United's issues are not up front, reinforcements are compulsory for United to return to title contending status.

United get caught out on defence by teams running the 433 Formation

It was an eventful day at Kings Power Stadium.  Controversies left right an Centre, 2 penalties being given, while the second was fair, the first was utterly ridiculous.  While on the sidelines, Van Gaal's choice of substitution was also questionable.  But most bizarre of all, was Manchester United's defence as the back 4 barely got a header through the entirety of the game, often being caught out by stronger and faster players.

Tyler Blackett was struggling all day, getting out muscled off the ball and failed to clear the danger more often than not.   Marcos Rojo was beat at the byline and Jonny Evans made the mistake of ball watching which led to a near post header that put Leicaster back into the match.  Rafael was also barged off the ball on multiple occasions.

Louis Van Gaal's substitution of Juan Mata for Angel Di Maria was questionable, it was even rumoured that there was a fallout between one United player and Van Gaal.  It's certainly a head scratcher when considering the impact Di Maria had on the match, providing a goal and an assist.  Also considering that Juan Mata needs needs runners in order to be effective, there was no reason why Di Maria should be the player coming off.  The play that should have gone off at that time was Wayne Rooney, with Falcao already on the bench, Robin Van Persie would have been the instinctive finisher.  Putting Januzaj up top would have further enhanced the team's pace.

To counter the 433, Van Gaal should implement the 4341, with Mata in the hole, Di Maria on the left, Januzaj on the right.  Rooney dropping deep next to Herrera.  Rojo will play centre back, replacing the suspended Blackett.  Smalling with play right centru back, while Rafael will play right full back.  It would look something like this.

With Di Maria moving out wide, Rooney is the ideal candidate to play at central defensive midfield.  Van Persie is still the player that is most likely to be dropped.  Januzaj is a winger with pace, something United desperately need at the moment.  Herrera has shown over the past 2 matches that he has the physical tools to cope with the Premier League and would be able to control the tempo of the match.  Which is an ability United lost since Paul Scholes retired.

With two defensive midfielders, it would allow United to get in a better position to track back, defend the counter attack and regain possession of the ball.  Marcos Rojo at centre half will provide the physicality Manchester United needs, maintaining shape allowing Rafael and Shaw to support Rooney and Herrera.  This would relieve  pressure from the central midfield allow the ball to be moved up the pitch efficiantly.  When defending, Di Maria and Januzaj could sit back and form a 4411 

United need a formation that could allow players to always stay behind the ball defensively, if they could do that, I am sure the club would return to their winning ways against the 433 in the near future. 

Daley Blind's Direct Passing brings Cutting Edge back to Manchester United

Daley Blind made his Manchester United debut last week against Queens Park Rangers.  He started at the defensive midfield role, a position Manchester United lacked Paul Scholes retired back in 2013.  Blind is has also benefited from playing in the Dutch National Team under Louis Van Gaal.

The key to Daley Blind being a great contributor for Manchester United is his short passing.  Louis Van Gaal sets up the 442 diamond, encouraging the central midfielders to squeeze up the wing.  This allows Daley Blind to form a back 3 with Tyler Blackett and Jonny Evans.  In this position, Blind would be able to pick a pass for any player on the pitch. With these short passes, the defender is forced to react, and when it's sped up, the defence will struggle to react and the team will just slice and dice through the team.



Daley Blind is the pilot of this Manchester United team, he sets the tone and controls the tempo on United's attack, He is the one who needs to provide constant support of the defence and the midfield.  He is the ultimate glue player for this Manchester United squad.

Daley Blind is so effective in what he does because he always stays within him comfort zone.  He would never pick out an ambitious pass that might put the team's defensive position in jeopardy.  Now, there is a fine line between staying in your comfort zone and be stared and not passing the ball forward.  Daley Blind has faith in his own ability to be able to execute the one simple passes and keep the team on the front foot.



Daley Blind's crisp passes also make his presence on the pitch illusive.  Defenders will find a hard time keeping up with Blind, as he is constantly on the move.   His impact to the team is one pass away with Angel Di Maria and Ander Herrera sitting in the central midfield position.  Rhythm and pace had been Manchester United's trademark over the years, Daley Blind without a doubt would bring such quality to the team.

With Blind and Mata occupying a more holding role, it would release Di Maria and Herrera to make their runs and put pressure on opposing full backs.   With opposing defences on their heels, it is likely centre back would also move over and help.  This leave a big hole in the middle for Van Persie and Rooney to run into.  Juan Mata could also interchange with Rooney and find the back of the net.  Mata have scored 8 goals in 19 appearances since joining Manchester United in January 2013.  

    

Survival Of The Fittest:: Falcao vs. Robin Van Persie

Robin Van Persie had an encouraging World Cup after finishing only 7th in the Barclays Premier League with Manchester United.  The flying header against Germany was arguably goal of the tournament.  Falcao on the other hand had missed the World Cup after he underwent surgery for his anterior cruciate ligament tear.



After returning from extended holiday off a 3rd place finish with the Netherlands at the World Cup in Brazil, Robin Van Persie returnedy to training.  Louis Van Gaal claims that Van Persie is fit as ever, but results in the first 4 Premier League matches did not show.  Rooney being one of the two strikers for Manchester United, had already scored two goals in four matches this season.  This is by no means a brilliant showing, bug is respectable for a striker of his quality.  Robin Van Persie on the other hand have not scored a single goal in the past four matches.  Van Persie looks uncomfortable on the ball and often relys on making runs.

Falcao is without a doubt a player with more pace and playmaking ability when compared to Robin Van Persie. Rooney being a player that prefers to drop back, it is useful to him to have runners to pass to.  Falcao is also a prolific finisher, assume he could reach full fitness, The combination of Falcao and Rooney would be ideal in the 442 diamond system.



Rooney could also switch positions with Juan Mata depending on the situation of the match, to have all three of your front men being able to create an opportunity for the each other.  Out of the two front men, Falcao is also younger compared to Robin Van Persie at 28 years old, shile Van Persie had just turned 31 this August.

Robin Van Persie would make a brilliant bench weapon for Manchester United, there are arguments that suggest that Robin Van Persie needs to be complemented by a striker with pace, the fact that Wayne Rooney has been made Manchester United captain by Louis Van Gaal means that it is almost impossible for Falcao and Van Persie to start the match at the same time.

Robin Van Persie had been dejected over the past four weeks, seemingly unable to to find the space that he needs to be successful.  Over the past season, he looked as though he was the player that was struggling to adapt to a new role, for that reason Robin Van Persie should be dropped for the match against Leicaster on Sunday

Manchester United struggled with Aerial Threats. Failed to establish rhythm against Leicaster

Manchester United's trip to Leicaster ended in an embarassing 5-3 defeat to promoted side Leicaster City.  Falcao contributed early with an assist to Robin Van Persie for the header.  Couple of minutes later, it was Wayne Rooney who put in a beautiful ball to Angel Di Maria for a nice lob over the out stretch arms of Kasper Schmeichel.  Moments after, Leicaster equalised with a cross in for a header as Marcos Rojo was beat, while Jonny Evans and Tyler Blackett were caught ball Watching.

The Second half rolled around, Ander Herrera extended United's lead, by tucking in a lovely back heel from Di Maria's low hard strike.  United's back 4 were constantly being beat by Leicaster's physicality and rarely got in to clear the ball.  Rafael was nudged, then being called for a foul and the referee had given a penalty to Leicaster, which made it  3-2.  Later on, it was a bad clearance from Tyler Blackett that led to Leicaster City scoring their 3rd goal of the match.  Soon after, it was a slip from Daley Blind, again caused by the physicality of Leicaster which led to the counter attack and a goal to put Leicaster in front 4-3.  In the 83rd minute, United were caught on the counter attack once again and Tyler Blacket went in for a challenge in the penalty area which got him sent off.  Leicaster scored the penalty and it was 5-3.

United were struggling with long balls all day long, barely able to win any headers.  Evans and Blackett were too weak when matched up against Leicaster.  For the match against West Ham, it would be a good idea for Van Gaal to Put Rojo at Centre Back.  Rojo is taller and more physical.  Luke Shaw's debut would be expected next week at Old Trafford.

Louis Van Gaal's choice of substitutions were also suspect today.  He took Falcao off, who was doing a decent job, and brought on Januzaj, who was struggling with Leicaster's physicality.  Di Maria was also subbed off later on, which is a complete head scratcher because without Di Maria, United's attack looked lost in the woods.  Louis Van Gaal brought on Juan Mata, who unfortunately had no runners to pass to.

Van Persie should have been the striker being subbed off, putting Rooney back up to next to Falcao and putting Mata on to play the no. 10 role.  Unfortunately, I did not think that Januzaj should have came on, I thought Luke Shaw should have replaced Tyler Blackett whould had been struggling with Leicaster's Physicality.  Putting Rojo at left centre back nect to Smalling and putting Shaw at the fullback position.  The Pairing of Smalling and Rojo would be half decent in the air, I didn't think Tyler Backett won any headers today, that is a huge concern.  United are desperate for Phil Jones to return from injury.

Manchester United's Centre back loopholes are starting to surface with physicality.  There is no question the Premier League is the most physical among all the leagues in world football.  United need an extra physical Centre back who is good in the air, potential targets might be Borussia Dortmund's Mats Hummels or Aston Villa's Ron Vlarr, who had a sensational World Cup for Louis Van Gaal's side and would take charge of the defense of Manchester United.  
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With Marcos Rojo Starting at Left Back and Tyler Blackett's starting spot set in stone. Does this affect Luke Shaw's development?

On the weekend against Queens Park Rangers, Marcos Rojo has started at left back for Manchester United.  Making his Old Trafford debut alongside Tyler Blackett who had impressed this season so far.  Luke Shaw, who was brought to Manchester United on a £30 million move from Southampton was left watching on the bench, still awaiting his Manchester Unitd debut.

Luke Shaw without a doubt is a young talent after having an impressive season with Southampton.  Holding United to a one all draw in Southampton the last day of the season.  Then comes the surprise of Marcos Rojo, who had an impressive World Cup scoring a goal in the group stage against Nigeria and reaching the Final before eventually losing to Germany 1-0 on a Mario Gotze goal in the dying minutes.  

Most United fans would have predicted that Marcos Rojo would be playing centrally alongside Phil Jones.  With Jones injured, it was very possible that Van Gaal would fit Rojo in right centre back, but Louis Van Gaal pulled a bold move by starting Jonny Evans who had been struggling against MK Dons and Burley.  Everyone would have thought Luke Shaw would be starting, but Van Gaal said publicly in his pre-match press conference before the match against Queens Park Rangers that Luke Shaw was not fit enough to play an entire match.  

Marcos Rojo had a a good match, but was caught out on the counter attack which as a result also got David De Gea out of position, only to be saved by a sliding save from Jonny Evans that prevented United from conceding.  Luke Shaw is just 19 years of age and have gone up the ranks quickly with Southampton, but with Louis Van Gaal in charge at Manchester United, opportunities are not being given but earned.  

Shaw was consequently played in the Under 21 Barclays Premier League fixture.  Providing an assist to Adnan Januzaj who claimed his hat trick in a 4-0 win against Sunderland a day after United's match against Queens Park Rangers.  

You could argue that Luke Shaw as unfortunate that he picked up an injury during pre-season which resulted in Tyler Blackett having an opportunity to play at centre back and moving Marcos Rojo to left back, occupying Shaw's position.  However, Louis Van Gaal's recent comments have proven that nobody is safe no matter the price tag that is on the player.

Luke Shaw is still young and has things to learn for his development.  Marcos Rojo has earn his place through his impressive showing in the World Cup.  Through hard work and dedication, it is possible that Shaw could be a regular starter for Manchester United in 2-3 years time.

With the FA Cup still up for grabs,  Luke Shaw will certainly will get playing time with academy product Adnan Januzaj and James Wilson.  Hopefully this group could gel well and be the future of Manchester United in 4-5 years time.  Youth development is not a sprint, and breaking into the first team rotation for Manchester United is not an easy task.  Fitness is key for a Manchester United player and if Shaw manages to up his fitness, it is very likely that he will have more opportunities to start in the Barclays Premier League.             

Is The FA trying to follow Germany's Talent Growing Method and create an English Super Team?

The FA is trying to introduce a policy that would restrict the number of visas granted to non EU players playing for top flight clubs.  There are two sides to this policy going through.

For one, this policy actually does not affect the talent of the Premier League.  Players who are affected would be the likes of Yaya Toure, Didier Drogba, Marcos Rojo Falcao and more, but majority of the players in the Premier League are from countries part of the EU.  The other end of the spectrum is the players whose country is below 50 in the FIFA World Rankings.  There needs to be a minimum transfer fee on the table at £16 million.

As far as home grown talent and putting a team together to allow the team to gel.  On paper, the team to build this project on would be Arsenal, with the likes of Jack Wilshere, Oxlade Chamberlin, Theo Walcott and Danny Welbeck with all the young talent in the Arsenal team.  Liverpool have the likes of Daniel Sturridge, Raheem Sterling, Jordan Henderson, Ricky Lambert and Adam Lallana.  But a serious case could also be made for Manchester United with Luke Shaw, Tyler Blackett, Phil Jones, Michael Carrick, Wayne Rooney and James Wilson in the team.

This type of super teams started with Barcelona, which evolved into the Spanish National Team.  It was followed by Bayern Munich, which evolved into the German National Team.  But a good team isn't simply a group of players gelling together, it is down to how the players are being trained at the academy level.   The likes of James Wilson and Tyler Blackett have been brought way, with potential for Jesse Lingard.

The old bred of players often lacks creativity and often relies on wing play to make things happen.  Unfortunately in modern football, Having a creative playmaker is the most important for a football team and England certainly lacked in that area in a big way since Paul Scholes retired from international football in 2004.  The English player closest to having the Paul Scholes effect is Jack Wilshere, which says a lot about England's creativity in the midfield.

Quality is always needs to be the first priority for a football club, if the players are not be brought up the right way, no matter how well the players gel the results are not going to show.  It is down to the respective Premier League academies, who need to start developing central midfielders, but the most impost import isn't to build a Super Team, but a team that could play the right way.  Footballers are not factory workers, they do not perform better just by playing together, they perform better when they have the intelligence to have an understanding when playing with one another.  It's not how often you play, it's how well you can play together.    

Guillem Balagué Claims that Cristiano Ronaldo wants to Return to Manchester United

Cristiano Ronaldo, his agent Jorge Mendez and Real Madrid President Florentino Perez had a fallout this Summer over the sale of Xabi Alonso and Angel Di Maria.  This all really started last season with Gonzalo Higuain being sold to to Napoli for €40 million.



With the departure of Xabi Alonso and Angel Di Maria, Real Madrid have lost their identity especially on the defensive end where Semi Khedira in a starting defensive midfield role, which he often looks shaky.  It also puts pressure on Sergio Ramos who often would be required to pickup the slack.

Manchester United on the other hand is in the middle of a squad over haul, bringing in the likes of Angel Di Maria, Ander Herrera, Luke Shaw, Marcos Rojo,Daley Blind and Radamel Falcao, while giving the youngsters Tyler  Blackett, Johnny Evans and Phil Jones regular minutes.  It brings a combination of youth and experience into the squad.

Real Madrid on the other hand is not very different from panic buying, just signing any player that are seemingly the best in their position, or ones that have impressive showings in recent memory.  Real Madrid lacks squad balance, their just buy whatever is available.  It is no different from panic buying, as the club is buying players for players' star power rater than how well their signings will potentially fit into the squad.

Manchester United on the other hand have took their time and tried to address the issues that are surrounding the club, then find the players that would fit well in the manager's philosophy.  Now understand that philosophy is different from a system, a philosophy is how a player approaches a game, how the player actually plays the game, what kind of mindset does a player have?  Marouane Fellaini is a prime example of a player that does not fit into a manager's philosophy.  Louis Van Gaal's philosophy is to constantly go on the attack and look to score.

With the quality in the Manchester United's current squad at the moment, there is no question that Cristiano Ronaldo would fit into a 433 system seamlessly, playing up on the wing oposite of Januzaj.  Daley Blind would be the middle of the 3 in the middle alongside Angel Di Maria and Ander Herrera at the Central Midfield position.  Assuming every player is healthy, it would a back 4 of Luke Shaw, Marcos Rojo, Phil Jones and Rafael in defence.  This leaves Radamel Falcao as a lone striker up top.

Cristiano Ronaldo would bring the hard working mentality back to Old Trafford which had been missing since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson in summer of 2013.  Manchester United is a club of determination and self belief.            

Why Juan Mata should never be considered the “fall guy” at Manchester United

Juan Mata showed against Queens Park Rangers just why he should remain in United’s starting XI.  Often linking up with Angel Di Maria and Daley Blind.  he is the guy that helps United to maintain width on the counter attack in a 442 diamond.  He is the important link between the wingers and the two strikers and Daley Blind who has a holding role as part of the back 3, controlling the pace of the game when going forward

Juan Mata is the one that provides rhythm in the final third for Manchester United, receiving the ball from Daley Blind and try to use his rhythmic passing to create space for others.  He is the type of player than fits into the team seamlessly.  The way Juan Mata and Daley Blind plays football brings a lot of illusiveness, they don’t do anything flashy with the ball, they are there to do their job.  The key to their illusiveness is one touch football.  Once the ball is passed, they move, you barely see them standing still, they always seek for the ball.

While Daley Blind is the one pulling the strings and the one that could make a pass to any player on the pitch as shown in the diagram above, Juan Mata is the player that is seeking for those short passes, maintain the team’s tempo in the attack.  Blind is the one responsible to push the ball up the pitch, but Juan Mata is the player that provides constant movement in the final third, seeking for the ball. When Blind drops to the back 3 on the attack, it is also curtail for Mata to hold his position and keep the wingers and the forwards stringed together.

Robin Van Persie have not been mentioned enough when talking about United’s issues in the final third, he does not seem to have as good of a playmaking ability as Wayne Rooney does.  He relies on a good ball and making runs, which could happen with the new addition of Daley Blind and Angel Di Maria, He looks as though he is rather a one diminutional player.  He would often wait in the box and would be caught off side a several ovations.  He has yet to find the form he had 2 seasons ago when United won the title by 11 points.  

Radamel Falcao would be a better combination with Wayne Rooney, utilising is pace and allow Rooney to drop back slightly and pick out a pass, as shown in the counter attack to set up Ander Herrera for the second goal of the match against QPR.  

This might sound bizarre, but Robin Van Persie would make a brilliant super sub for Manchester United.  He has gone missing far too often in matches, failing to find the back of the net in the first four Premier League games.  It has to be noted that all of the players who have started in forward and central midfield against Queens Park Rangers have scored for Manchester United have scored, except for Robin Van Persie.

If Louis Van Gaal could convince Robin Van Persie to play a role off the bench for Manchester United, the club could have a incredible strike force on their hands.  Challenging for the Premier League title might be challenging this season, but if Ed Woodward and the Glazers make the right moves in the January transfer window.  There is no question in a couple of years time, Manchester United would be challenging for the Champions League title once again.  

Rio Ferdinand REVEALED in his Autobiography “#2Sides” that David Moyes’ tactics were embarrassing last season

As all Manchester United fans saw their team cross 81 times against Fulham, there were serious concerns about what has happened to the club’s wingers.  Ashley Young was crossing the ball non stop and never hit the target man, Antonio Valencia was often predictable.

Former Manchester United player Rio Ferdinand reveals that David Moyes was telling his players to cross the ball as often as possible and play the ball long.  It was embarrassing to the point where you would think David Moyes is is dreaming about playing fantasy football, as if we had the likes of Paul Scholes, David Beckham and Andy Carroll in the Manchester United squad.

David Moyes would also set very basic goals for the players, as simple as counting the number of passing being completed in a match.  This is a small club mentality which shouldn’t be anywhere near Manchester United.  The clubs is used to playing one touch football which allowed players to express their passion for the match.  Ray, who was interviewed by FullTimeDevils after United’s 3-0 defeat against Liverpool.  He revealed to fans about the small club mentality of David Moyes and how the manager is completely clueless.

We might have thought what Ray said was true, but we would have never though David Moyes’ training method would be amateur like to this extent.  Before the match against Bayern Munich in Germany, Manchester United were training in the park and told Rio Ferdinand that he wasn’t going to play against Bayern Munich in front of all his teammates.  Another time United was training on a beach running which their were being laughed at by the public.

Ray also called United’s style of football as “Stone age” and I certainly could not agree more.  David Moyes was like a children that have gone into a sweet shop.  Moyes have written of what the club had done over the last 25 years under Sir Alex Ferguson.  David Moyes never had the confidence that a Manchester United manager should have.  If the manager does not have confidence is what he is implementing, there is certainly no way the manager could install confidence into the players.  With Louis Van Gaal stepping in as new Manchester United manager, bring in players at the quality we are accustomed to, there is no doubt United’s quality of football would reach the modern day standard once again.  

Have Manchester United Fans been caught up by the Success from Class Of ’92 and overlooked Home Grown Talent?

Manchester United had arguably the most successful period during Sir Alex Ferguson’s tenure as manager.  There was a group of players that could not be overlooked when assessing the club’s success in the past 25 years.

This special group of players emerged into the first team when United were struggling and Eric Cantona was suspended for 4 months for the Kung Fu incident during the match against Crystal Palace on January 1995.  The class of ’92 was truly a sensational group with Gary Neville, Phil Neville, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, David Beckham and Paul Scholes.  They have already won the FA Youth Cup in 1992 and eventually was introduced into the first team the same year.

David Beckham was the first play that left the group after being told by Sir Alex Ferguson that he wasn’t wanted at Manchester United.  Nicky Butt soon followed in Beckham’s footsteps in 2004 by leaving for Newcastle United.  And it should not be forgotten about the importance of Roy Keane in the Manchester United squad who move from Nottingham Forest in 1993 and left for Celtic in his final year of his Career.  Phil Neville also left for Everton in 2005 which left Gary Neville Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes at Manchester United.  From 2003-2009, while Cristiano Ronaldo was an important part of Manchester United’s success, it was Paul Scholes who held down United’s midfield since Roy Keane left.  He continued to do so since Ronaldo left and was proven to be the most important player in United’s success.  United’s back 4 also wasn’t home grown.

Rio Ferdinand was bought from Leeds United for £20 million in 2002 and Nemanja Vidic was bought from Spartak Moscow for  £7 million in 2005.  Same goes for Pactrice Evra who joined United for  £5.5 million in 2006.  If more thought goes into United’s squad, Wes Brown and John O’Shea were never first choice for Manchester United.  United didn’t have a striker who came through the Academy for a long time, hence fan’s attachment to Danny Welbeck.  But when you think about it, there were two Generation of Academy players who had been successful and that was the Busby Babes and the Class of ’92.  While Paul Scholes was the Engine behind United’s play, most of the other main players were bought from the transfer market.  It just so happened that  David Gill did not spent a lot of money bringing those players in.

It was really down to the Glazers who have stopped United from signing players since 2005.  It wasn’t until in this year’s summer transfer window, when executive vice chairman Ed Woodward was allowed to spend money and bring quality players back into the squad.  Many fans make the argument that we have not given youth a chance before bringing in world class players.  But youth players need experienced players to guide them in their development, which United lacked.  By Bringing in Angel Di Maria, Radamel Falco, Marcos Rojo and Daley Blind, they could guide the younger players like Luke Shaw, Ander Herrera, Adnan Januzaj, Jesse Lingard, Tyler Blackett and Reece James into becoming a first team regular.  The among of Academy players coming through for Manchester United probably have been the most in the last ten years, with many more that are currently out on loan.  

Developing youth is about dedicated the time to give the players a chance to proof to proof themselves on the pitch.  With Louis Van Gaal now at Manchester United, having developed the likes of Edwin Van Der Sar, Thomas Muller and Toni Kroos. There is no doubt that Van Gaal has the ability to develop players and help them perform at the very highest level of club football.  He is a manager who will put his players in the best position for them to be successful.  

Manchester United fans have treated youth development as a one hit wonder, but in fact it is a long process that take years for a player to break into the first team.  And I would say maybe around 1/3 of the players have a have a chance to challenge for a first team spot, and even if players make it into the first team, many would go on loan to gain more first team experience.  So when talking about home grown players, think about the one that actually goes on the pitch every week and trying their hardest, instead of reverting our minds back to the special group which was the class of ‘92.

442 Diamond Proven to be a Work of Art for Manchester United

Manchester looked reenergised in the 442 diamond formation which was used against Queens Park Rangers Sunday with Angel Di Maria, Marcos Rojo, and Daley Blind making their home and league debut respectively.  Rio Ferdinand also made his return to Old Trafford since he was released in the Summer Transfer Window.

As I have mentioned in my Fix United Episode 1.  Darren Fletcher was the problem for Manchester United in the defensive midfield role, the introduction of Daley Blind have really turned United’s fortune around.  Daley Blind is able to linkup with Angel Di Maria and Ander Herrera now, able to string those passes together between midfield and attack.  Juan Mata is now able to use the runs of Di Maria to his advantage and able to create chances for the Wayne Rooney and Robin Van Persie up top.  

The quality of Angel Di Maria have made a crucial impact by providing 3 assists and a goal off a free kick.  He quality on that pitch was above and beyond any other player in that United squad.  Captain Wayne Rooney have also made his mark by netting a goal that would put him in 3rd place past Thierry Henry for the most goals scored in Premier League history.  Juan Mata netted another goal with a tap in off a low drilled ball from Angel Di Maria.  And finally, Ander Herrera blasted one past the goal keeper, linked up with Wayne Rooney to put United up 4-0.

The introduction of Radamel Falcao also saw him would a couple of decent runs on his debut, which he could have scored.  Unlucky that the goal keeper got a hand to his attempt on goal.  As Van Gaal said in his post match interview, there are players have still yet to reach full fitness and play a full 90 minutes in a match.  

Marcos Rojo’s first outing as a Manchester United player also deserves a mention.  He often goes forward to facilitate United’s attack, an aspect lacking in the 3412 formation, where the three centre  backs would just dribble the ball at the back of the defense and rarely move the ball up the pitch.  

The only player that have not made his United league debut is Luke Shaw who is still recovering from a hamstring injury that he suffered in training during the pre-season.  In his place was Tyler Blackett who had done a fantastic job having start all 4 of the league games for Manchester United.  He shall be a solid backup once Luke Shaw returns from his injury.

There are positive signs for Manchester Unitd as they capture their first league win of the season under Louis Van Gaal, It would be two more weeks until the Red Devils will face some serious oppositions.  Next week, Manchester United would be playing Leicester away before coming back to Old Trafford facing West Ham at home on a Saturday.  These two games would act as a foundation builder to get more familiar with each other’s style of play and to also decide which striker should be the regular starter this season for Manchester United.

Don’t forget to stay tuned to Episode 2 of Fix #MUFC, where I breakdown United’s play against Queens Park Rangers and give me my preview on the match against Leicester on the 22nd of September.      

Why Bringing Cristiano Ronaldo back to Old Trafford would not wreck Manchester United’s Identity

The acquisition of Radamel Falcao, and sale of Danny Welbeck have brought up a lot of steam amongst the media.  The suggestion that former Manchester United star winger Cristiano Ronaldo returning to Old Trafford have kept the criticising flood gates wide open.

Before fans and Media start criticising Manchester United making a move for former player Cristiano Ronaldo, it is important to understand the difference between buying players for instant success and buying players to fit back into the squad.  Yes, Cristiano Ronaldo is likely to bring Manchester United right back to title contention, but the difference here when Ronaldo was developed by Manchester United and was already bringing huge success to Old Trafford.  It wasn’t until Real Madrid offered a £80 million bid for Ronaldo, when Sir Alex Ferguson decided to let go of the player.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s glory days were still ahead of him at Real Madrid, a club he told Sir Alex that he dreamt playing  for in his career.  He has since scored 179 goals in 167 for the Spanish club and that number will continue to rise.  His recent fallout with Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez over the sale of Angel Di Maria and Real Madrid’s spending over the summer transfer window have opened up the possibility for a move back to Manchester United.  

Let’s not forget it took 3 good years before the “Ronaldo effect” was start to take shape at Manchester United.  At the tender age of 22, he was a regular starter for Manchester United.  By 2007, he was the Premier League’s most prolific scorer netting 40 goals in the 2007-08 season as a winger.  Ronaldo’s display of brilliance had just started, from his stunning free kicks, to his incredible long range bombs, he was seemingly unstoppable.  When Real Madrid signed Ronaldo, he was at the peak of his powers.  There had been quite a few players that moved away from Old Trafford, only being snatched up by Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid.  A good example would be Gerard Piqué, David Beckham and eventually Cristiano Ronaldo.

It is no crime for Manchester United to bring back a talent that the club developed themselves.  Barcelona have done that over the years, and Real Madrid have have gotten the best years out of Cristiano Ronaldo.  No matter how much it takes for Manchester United to bring Ronaldo back to Old Trafford, it would prove to be worth it.  And let’s not forget, Cristiano Ronal to this day is still the hardest working footballers in the world, which is part of the reason why he has remained as one of the two best players in world football.  A hard working attitude is what Manchester United need to return to the level of football in the highest order.  

Confidence alone does not make a player the best in the world, in Ronaldo’s early years he looked confident, but far from being effective.  He worked hard in the weight room and that was when the spark of brilliance as a top football player began for Cristiano Ronaldo.  He has a motor that ever stops, one that is always looking for the next opening.  Apart from his natural instincts, it was his determinations that made Cristiano Ronaldo who he is today.  He is a player who is constantly looking to improve to perform in the very highest level.  

A lot of fans look at Cristiano Ronaldo and would say he is arrogant, but when he has put in hours and hours of work training and perfecting his craft, his bit of arrogance would become his confidence.  He know exactly what he has got to do on the pitch to get past his defender and be at the best position to score.  Cristiano Ronaldo is truly the most complete and versatile football players in the world.   

Manchester United was not just a club that was built upon sheer youth, the club is formed with players with determination, hard work and team football.  Louis Van Gaal has the perfect philosophy to extract those qualities            

How can Manchester United Rediscover their Central Midfield?

Manchester United have been struggling with their Central midfield play since Paul Scholes’ retirement back in 2012.  The likes of Michael Carrick and Tom Cleverly were barely keeping the United midfield intact.  But finally, Executive Vice Chairman Ed Woodward has put a couple of midfield signings out of the hat in Ander Herrera and Angel Di Maria.  Dutch international Daley Blind, who normally plays a left back role,could also fit into the defensive midfield role.  

to start the 2014/15 Champaign.  Louis Van Gaal has implemented the 3412 formation which was successful in the 2014 World Cup with the Netherlands National Team.  But it was clear in the first 3 matches in the Barclays Premier League that United’s wing backs, played by natural wingers in Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia were struggling to go forward.  Many might argue that United have signed Luke Shaw and Marcos Rojo who are able to play wing back, United’s centre backs position is so thin that United would not have a true backup for wing back positions.  But the most troubling aspect of United’s play is linkup play, with the 3412, the linkup lacks between the back 3 the wing backs and the midfield.  The 352 on the other hand, lacks the linkup between the midfield and the strikers.  

United currently only have 2 quality wingers in the squad, Angel Di Maria and Adnan Januzaj.  It is unlikely that wing play would be sustainable for Manchester United.  Therefore, the 442 diamond formation would be the ideal system to maximise players’ talents.  New addition Daley Blind will make the ideal candidate in the defensive midfield role, while Angel Di Maria and Ander Herrera would be in perfect position to linkup with Juan Mata.  Herrera and Di Maria can easily run on the outside of Mata to support the attacking play.

The major misses in United’s midfield play had been movement and continuity, and it it is important for the players to string a variety of passes together for that to happen.    The newly acquired talent in the summer transfer window will hopefully boots the confidence of the players in the squad, especially the likes of Wayne Rooney and Robin Van Persie.  Daley Blind and Angel Di Maria have already on the international stage how impactful they can be facilitated the attack of their respective teams on the national side. 

Football need to be played in segments, and the final third is the area where United struggled the most in the past 3 league games.  It is sad to say that United looked uninterested in the game against Burnley, the likes of Juan Mata was walking around pulling up is socks and walking around the pitch instead of looking to help his teammate Darren Fletcher in defensive midfield.  However, playing Juan Mata in deep central midfield position is also a problem as he could not play the free flowing Football in the centre attacking midfield role.   

Louis Van Gaal’s philosophy is all about players’ positioning on the attack, the passer will always have at least 2 options for a pass.  United have yet to execute Van Gaal’s philosophy, players would either run out of position, or the midfield player simply fails to find a pass.  The passing vision of Daley Blind and Angel Di Maria can hopefully United find their feet.   

There is no doubt more enhancements must be made in the January transfer window to enhance United’s midfield play, a mix of experience and youth will likely do the trick.  Youngster James Wilson have shown his fearless personality in his debut match last season vs. Hull City, netting 2 goals in the process.  The likes of Marco Reus and Kevin Strootman have been favoured targets to move to Old Trafford, adding pace and fluidity to the currently slow and confidence lacking midfield.  

Louis Van Gaal is a manager that is bold and would not be afraid to experiment with different tactics that best fit the squad.  Repetition is essential for Manchester United midfield to rediscover their glamorous past, there is definitely no short cut to success, and I do not believe that money buy titles.  Football is a game of trust, players need to have an understanding of one another to generate title winning performances.  Winning titles have been the tradition of Manchester United Football Club, it shell be achieved by adding a combination of quality and confidence.       

Has Manchester United really given up on Home Grown Talent?

All over the internet United fans claim that the club have gone away from playing home grown talent since the sale of Danny Welbeck to rival Arsenal.  But the truth is that these fans seem to have an emotional attachment to Danny Welbeck since he scored a stunning goal from 30 yards out against Stoke City on his Barleys Premier League debut.

Many fans look at Danny Welbeck and think that he hasn’t had a fair chance, because the likes of Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez have been played as a striker, while Danny Welbeck had been put on the wing more often that not.  While that might be a fair statement, it is also down to Welbeck to deliver as a striker, battling with the likes of Wayne Rooney, Robin Van Persie and Javier Hernandez.  They have all played as a striker, Danny Welbeck had been played up top the least up top out of the 4.  But to be frank, Danny Welbeck had been under performing as a striker to say the least.  The manager would either play a player that best fits the team, or not play the player at all.  Loaning Danny Welbeck out would lower his self esteem even further.

When a player’s senior career starts, he is always hungry for more playing time, but it likely would not happen overnight.  The class of 92 was a unique group that came through the United academy and was promoted as a group, where they have played in the youth level for 1-2 years.  There is a reason why Welbeck have often been left out of the team sheets, United hasn’t given up on their more senior players on most positions of the pitch, the likes of Paul Pogba and Danny Welbeck have not been give enough playing time, because United was very much looking to contend the title in the short term.  It has been unfortunate that these two players have not been given consistent minutes under Sir Alex Ferguson, and due to United’s pursue of short term success, the academy players might have been compromised.  However, under the new regimes of David Moyes and Louis Van Gaal, with a struggling first team, they have given the likes of Adnan Januzaj, James Wilson, Reese James, Jesse Lingard and Tyler Blackett a chance.

The timing of a player’s emergence onto the first team dictates the chances a player gets to play.  When a team does not need academy players to keep the team afloat, less time would be spent on developing players, when you consider the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez were on the first team squad when Welbeck onto the scene, there was no need for United to remove dead wood from the squad.  It is only only when the team is struggling that youth would get a chance.  Going back to the class of 92, Eric Cantona was suspended for 2 months for his Kung Fu incident against Crystal Palace, the United squad was not looking healthy.  This is when Sir Alex Ferguson decided to give youth a chance.  

While fans might argue Manchester United have not fully utilised their youth players through their more recent glory days, it is certainly not right to criticise the lack of home grown players in the youth academy, that statement is simply not true.  The Academy might not be the focus of most fans, but it does not mean that not enough home grown players are going through the academy.  United fans need to put personal feelings aside and look at the facts, Welbeck is a decent player, no doubt about that, but when the player isn’t happy about his role at the club, it is time for him to go and utilise his talents elsewhere.  Some argue he is still young and has room to develop, there is simply no point in slowing down the team’s progress for the sake of a player’s development, as evident in the sale of forward Bebe.  

With the signing of Radamel Falcao, Angel Di Maria, Marcos Rojo, Ander Herrera and Luke Shaw.  The academy graduates are likely to get a chance in the FA Cup, one of two competitions United are left to play this season.  Having a thin ageing bench on Van Gaal’s hands, there is no doubt the manager will give youth a chance and allow the players to truly develop.