United Corner- 5 Ways Louis Van Gaal's Fortunes have Improved at Old Trafford (April 9th 2015)

United Corner- 5 Ways Louis Van Gaal's Fortunes have Improved at Old Trafford (April 9th 2015)

I know there was a lot of excitement about the appointment of Louis Van Gaal in the summer, although I can still state that I was not one of those getting overly-giddy. The strong performance of the Netherlands at the World Cup only increased the expectation, but I have at least maintained what I expected from Manchester United this season.

There was never a moment that I felt Manchester United were as bad as they showed last season under David Moyes, but a poor run of form meant the top four was far from assured. Back in December, I was convinced Manchester United were well on their way to a Champions League spot, but they allowed the challengers to get close as the March fixtures approached.

Louis Van Gaal was beginning to have more questions asked about himself, while games against Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool increased in difficulty after the defeat to Arsenal in the FA Cup Sixth Round.

I don’t think many would argue with me that the side have produced their two best performances in those games as Manchester United won both and now look in a strong position to finish in the top four once again. There are still some big fixtures to come, but these five issues look to have turned the Manchester United season and also the Louis Van Gaal fortunes.

Robin Van Persie’s Injury

You might not have heard many people say this a couple of years ago, but Robin Van Persie’s injury seems to have come at the right time for Louis Van Gaal.

There seemed to be a real loyalty towards his fellow Dutchman despite some below par performances and while the focus may have been on Radamel Falcao’s struggles, Van Persie had hardly been setting the world alight.

Van Persie is very much a striker that thrives on the service he is given, but a lack of energy in some performances made that difficult.

His injury meant Louis Van Gaal turned back to Wayne Rooney to lead the line and the energy and work-rate provided by the English striker has really given the midfield someone to aim for. The bigger impact may be the fact that Rooney moving out of midfield meant there was room for other players.

Getting Ander Herrera and Juan Mata integrated into the team

Other players like Ander Herrera and latterly Juan Mata.

Ander Herrera has really been the player that the fans have wanted to see with his performances always being good to watch and also the fact he provides goals from the midfield. It was something of a surprise that Van Gaal seemed to continue to overlook the Spaniard, but Rooney moving out of midfield made space for Herrera and he has blossomed in recent weeks.

Herrera himself has said he hadn’t taken on board all that Van Gaal had wanted from him earlier in the season but his understanding with Juan Mata has really sparked some creativity from the midfield.

Juan Mata is a top player and one I admire massively, but he looked a little lost in the mix at Old Trafford until returning in the Tottenham Hotspur game. The suspension of Angel Di Maria turned out to be a blessing in disguise and Mata has responded in the manner the fans would expect, while giving Manchester United more of a forward thinking player and added creativity and goals in the starting eleven.

Removing the Confusing Back Three Formation

This has happened for a while, but the Manchester United team do look more comfortable in their roles with a back four rather than the wing back system that they had used for a while.

Some of the mistakes that were being made have been cut out at the same time and there does seem to be more cohesiveness between the centre halves which has also seen the team pick up more clean sheets.

David De Gea’s Continuing Form

Forget the mistake that David De Gea made at the weekend against Aston Villa, the continuing strong form he is showing behind the back four is inspiring further confidence.

Unfortunately it might also mean there are more admiring glances being given to De Gea from Real Madrid, but for this season it could be enough to see Manchester United finish in the top four.

There have been rumours that Van Gaal and De Gea don’t see eye to eye on things, but the former has to be thankful to the latter in keeping United moving forward.

Removing the Fear

A big key to the improved performances has been the attitude of the players and I have to give Louis Van Gaal the biggest credit for this.

There seems to be a much more positive approach to games and Manchester United don’t look nervous these days compared with the difficult time they had at the turn of the calendar year.

The ‘philosophy’ has finally been bought into by the players and the likes of Ander Herrera and Juan Mata are very keen to get the play moving forward which is a far cry from the days where the midfield seemed much keener to play with their back to the opposition goal.

Getting the best out of Marouane Fellaini is another credit that has to be given to Louis Van Gaal and there is now a real confidence going into the second Manchester derby of the season.

United Corner (Southampton and Champions League Draw)

We have reached the first international break of the new season after the thrilling 2-3 win for United at St Mary's yesterday, although the late winner covered up some of the poorer elements of the play.

Picking up 6 points from a home game against Fulham and a trip to Southampton is the minimum expectation for a side that wants to win the Premier League as far as I am concerned, yet United could very easily have dropped points in both of those games. It took two late goals to beat Southampton, while United were rocking at 3-2 up against Fulham at Old Trafford last weekend and these are a concern to me.

The team just doesn't seem to have the control in the midfield that they need to really dictate games and yesterday was no different as they seemed to have disappear at times with Southampton finding it very easy to get the ball into the box and attack the back four.

There was no real penetrative passes being made by either Tom Cleverley or Michael Carrick and I don't think it was any surprise when Robin Van Persie mentioned Paul Scholes in a positive light in the post-match interview. As soon as Scholes came on, you could see Van Persie looking to get in between the two centre halves knowing that a ball would be played through the gaps or over the top for his runs.

My issue with Scholes is not the undoubted quality that he possesses- it is more to do with the fact that he is soon turning 38 years old and there will be bigger tests than the one Southampton posed yesterday. There is no doubt that Southampton gave him too much time and space on the ball and that won't be the case when we play the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City nor Liverpool and that is where the problem lies for United.

Don't get me wrong, it isn't easy to replace a player of the calibre of Paul Scholes as Barcelona will soon find out when looking for the next Xavi and Andres Iniesta, but we just don't seem to have anyone that is going to be capable enough of running games even against some of the weaker teams in the League.

As I have said in my previous 'United Corner' post, I don't particularly rate Cleverley as much as some seem to be high on him, while Carrick does the simple things well but can really fall out of games at times, particularly against the better teams. Anderson and Darren Fletcher are other options in this area, but there just isn't another player like Scholes that is willing to play those telling passes moving forward rather than sideways and backwards.


The most frustrating element of the midfield issues is the clear and unequivocal desire NOT to buy a player there from the staff at Old Trafford. I don't know why it doesn't seem obvious to Fergie that we need a new body in there, whether he is just being stubborn to prove everyone wrong, but there is a clear need there.

I found it stunning that United didn't at least offer Fulham cash plus Dimitar Berbatov for Moussa Dembele, but my initial thought was Fulham were not interested in Berbatov. That became all the more stunning when the Bulgarian did sign for the West London club who had sold Dembele to Tottenham by that time.

The whole situation leaves me scratching my head and wondering just why we haven't made an effort to fill a glaring weakness.


As well as Robin Van Persie's telling comments about Paul Scholes, I was impressed with him in general, particularly apologising for the 'penalty' he took that could have been very costly if he hadn't popped up with a couple of goals in the final few minutes.

I can't think of too many other players that have scored a hat-trick that has given his new club three points that would have focused so much on the mistake they made with a missed penalty, but he did the right thing in addressing it and that also makes me confident he won't do anything as stupid as that again.


The Champions League Draw was made last Thursday and I don't think anyone can be too disappointed with it, but then again I thought the same thing last season. I actually think the Group is probably slightly weaker than last season's, and United should be able to cruise through as long as Fergie doesn't decide to rotate the squad too much.

We should really go out to win our first four games and then give the fringe players a chance in the last two games against Galatasaray and Cluj, and winning the Group shouldn't be a problem for United.

Braga are a tough team at home, but they concede a lot of goals and they are probably the biggest threat at this stage.

All in all, I expect United will cruise through after the disappointment of the same stage last season.

Final Thoughts on Weekend Football (August 25-26)

This is I write my final thoughts from the football that took place over the last weekend.

You can read my take on a week at Manchester United here

You can see my Midweek Football Picks here


Will Arsenal be able to replace Robin Van Persie's goals?: Arsenal have failed to score in their first two Premier League games this season, but that is not the reason for the fans to be concerned. The performances of the replacements for the Dutchman may be more cause for worry.

Arsenal actually started last season by failing to score in their first two League games and they actually only had 1 point from those two games compared to 2 points this season. At least they could point to some of the uncertainty surrounding Samir Nasri's future and the late sale of Cesc Fabregas while they hadn't brought in any players as replacements by that stage.

This Summer was different as Arsene Wenger signed Olivier Giroud, Lukas Podolski and Santi Cazorla, pre-empting Van Persie's exit, but he is still not happy with the squad and his anger at some of his forwards has been evident in their first two games.

There just seems to be lacking in the Arsenal side, while Van Persie's ability to score goals out of  tough situations was evident again at Old Trafford with his first for his new club and that is something that can be impossible to replace.

I believe Arsenal create enough chances to get by without RVP, but the front players are going to be feeling more and more pressure until they get off the mark.


Maybe it wasn't wise to write off Swansea so quickly: I hate making judgements on a couple of games as things change awfully quickly in football, but Swansea have looked so far from the side that I expected would be in a relegation fight this season.

They hammered Queens Park Rangers on the opening day and then backed that up with an impressive, and very easy, win over West Ham United at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday lunchtime.

The football has been of the same style that Roberto Martinez, Paulo Sousa and Brendan Rodgers advocated before Michael Laudrup was given the reigns, but there has definitely been a more distinct cutting edge to their play.

For all the possession Swansea played last season, sometimes it did seem a little meaningless and the players didn't know how best to make it productive possession, keeping it going back and sideways rather than penetrating defences. The first two games this season have been different and the passing game is being rewarded with shots on goal at the end of the possession and that does bode well for them.

That has been the impressive aspect of their performances so far and 8 goals in 2 games tells its own tale. Now the question is how long they can keep it up and whether they can virtually assure themselves a place in the top flight before the bubble bursts, if indeed it does burst.


Andre Villa-Boas needs time at Tottenham Hotspur, but only has one week to shape his squad: Anyone who has read my thoughts over the last year will know that I wasn't the biggest Harry Redknapp fan, but Andre Villa-Boas' early results at Tottenham Hotspur are making 'Dead Crap' look a genius.

The Luka Modric saga hasn't helped the former Chelsea boss, but he now has a big week ahead of him before the close of the transfer window as he looks to shape the squad to something of his liking.

On the way back from Old Trafford, you already had the fans phoning in to the radio shows and turning on AVB- he has to get a result and at least keep Spurs in contention for a top four finish, but that isn't looking easy with Chelsea playing as they are early this season and the two Manchester clubs expected to take the top three places.

Villa-Boas still has some top players at his disposal and if he can spend the fee gained from the Modric deal, he may have a chance to get the fans back on board or it will be a long Winter at White Hart Lane.


(On another note, what was the point of Tottenham demanding a 'working relationship' with Real Madrid? It seems strange that it was Spurs wanting this kind of link-up and I am not entirely sure what they will be gaining... At least Gareth Bale will be happy after long being linked with a move to Real previously).


Has the Championship become the most attacking League in England?: I don't know whether I am just imagining things, but there seems to have been a load of high-scoring games in the Championship so far this season as teams play attacking formations looking to outscore their opponents.

15 of the last 24 games in the League has seen at least 3 goals scored and I am not sure if that is because the defences are getting tired towards the end of the games after the Summer break and thus struggling to contain the opposition attack.

Whether this is just early season stats or whether teams are going to continue to be involved in high-scoring games is something interesting to keep an eye on.

United Corner 2012-13 (Pre-Season)

This is a new 'corner' I have added to the blog that will be devoted to my first passion in life, Manchester United. I will publish this, on most occasions, on a Sunday evening where I will look back at the previous week, giving my take on results and upcoming fixtures.

All views expressed will be my own.


It has been a long Summer as the heartbreak of May 13th has lingered on- it hasn't helped that SkySports have been advertising the coming season by showing clips of those final, fateful, moments on that Sunday afternoon, but now the new season is upon us and there is a sense that Manchester United can earn some redemption by reclaiming the Premier League title from those lot up the road.

While the memories of the last day of the season have been in the back of the mind, the bigger issues this Summer were about the off-field activities of the club as the debt the Glazers accumulated when they bought the club continues to spiral out of control.

The latest method of floating the club on the New York Stock Exchange has many critics- I, for one, cannot understand why anyone would seriously invest in these 'shares' considering the lack of influence they actually provide, but they are seemingly holding their value at the moment (although far less than what the owners actually thought the club was going to be worth).

The issue continues to divide the club's supporters, something that wasn't helped with Sir Alex Ferguson's 'real fans' comments during the pre-season games. I have total respect for the way Fergie has turned around this club from the one that had failed to win a League title in 26 years, but the comments about 'real fans' have only increased the fracture between individual fans with some believing he needs full backing, while others believe he should do more in highlighting how his hands have been tied in the Glazer-era.

A lot of 'smoke and mirrors' are being used by the owners to claim there hasn't been an issue with the early exit from the Champions League last season, but the announcement of a new shirt sponsor a year before the current deal is expiring seems a touch strange (particularly considering AON were told to pay a lump sum in advance and I am assuming Chevrolet have had to do the same thing) and will only make sure the financial figures they release do not show the negative impact last season's relative lack of success may have had.


On the field matters have seen United purchase the likes of Nick Powell and Shinji Kagawa, while Robin Van Persie is due for his medical before the new season starts and should be in the squad come Monday night when United travel to Goodison Park.

The signings do look decent on paper, but I can't help but wonder why a centre midfielder has not been purchased, especially considering Darren Fletcher is coming off a debilitating illness, while Anderson has also been far too injury-prone over the last couple of seasons. The likes of Michael Carrick, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Tom Cleverley will be expected to run the show in the engine room and I do think we now have a squad that is capable of being very good in the Premier League, but lacking the mobility and strength to really compete in the latter stages of the Champions League.

The attacking options available to United now could provide an effective 'band-aid' for the centre midfield, especially if Van Persie and Rooney can spark an effective partnership. I just hope Antonio Valencia is not going to be used as a permanent right back, a position he is expected to start the season.

I actually have felt the signing of Van Persie shows that Fergie may not have too long left in the job- it is almost like he has put all his eggs in one basket of trying to win the title back from Manchester City so he can end his time in charge of the club on a high. United have had a policy of buying players with a 'sell on' value in recent seasons, but this goes against that grain and strengthens the rumours that there are only one or two seasons left for Fergie as the man in charge at Old Trafford.


We did miss signing Lucas Moura from Sao Paulo, but I haven't seen enough of the lad to know whether that's a good or bad decision. He is still young and so we will see in a few seasons whether he was a miss or not, but the price was remarkably high for someone who wasn't even a regular in the Brazil Under-23 team at the London Olympics.

I was still amused that Fergie thought 'when somebody's paying 45 million euros (£35m) for a 19 year old boy you have to say the game's gone mad'... After all, he did spend £25.6 million on an 18 year old boy in Wayne Rooney back in 2004 (I would guess with the inflation in transfer fees, that price is actually more than what PSG spent on Moura).

Granted Rooney was a lot more established having just terrorised teams at the European Championships that Summer, but the comments from Fergie just seemed a little strange considering he opened the doors to the big-priced teenage signing, although most journalists are too scared to say that to him in fear of being banned from the weekly press conferences as has been the situation for some who challenged him over the last few years.


Nemanja Vidic's return is great news for the defence as United now have the added experience of Jonny Evans and Chris Smalling, two players that had to fill in in the Captain's absence, while Phil Jones has had a year at the club and should have improved from the experiences.

Rumours are running that the likes of Nani and Javier Hernandez will be sold off to 'balance the books' with the latter apparently requesting a transfer now that he is behind three other players for what could be one position. With Dimitar Berbatov set to stay for another year, and the likes of Valencia, Kagawa and Ashley Young in line to play in the wide positions, these two players do look the biggest 'assets' that can be let go, but I would be sad to see the back of Nani.

Despite being very inconsistent, Nani does possess that bit of magic that can turn a game and you can never have enough of those players, especially in the big matches when a single piece of genius can turn a game in favour of one team. However, his contract is running down (2 years left), with a new one yet to be agreed, and he would bring in a decent transfer fee from a foreign club so his future at the club may be in a little bit of danger.

It does look like the squad is going to be capable of pushing Manchester City all the way in the title race again, but I still think they will be a little short when coming up against the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in Europe.


Winning the title has become more possible with the signings made in the Summer, but thinking it was simply down to a lack of goals/lack of clean sheets last season that we failed to take the title seems far too simplistic has far as I am concerned.

Manchester City, despite the huge transfer fees paid, were inexperienced in many ways in terms of winning top level titles. Take out Yaya Toure, Edin Dzeko and Mario Balotelli and there were plenty of big name players that hadn't won a big European League title nor a Champions League (not including Carlos Tevez who missed much of last season).

Gael Clichy and Samir Nasri had come in from Arsenal, a side that hadn't won anything since 2005, David Silva had been part of the Spanish World Cup winning team, but had been dropped after one game in that tournament, Sergio Aguero had helped Atletico Madrid win the Europa League, but not the League.

Roberto Mancini would also have been feeling the pressure with rumours surrounding his future in the job if they did not win the Premier League and all of this would have contributed to their collapse towards the end of the season.

Older Manchester United fans will remember the collapse in the League title race of 1992 as the team fell apart down the stretch and allowed Leeds United to steal the title. A year later, United did manage to control their nerves, although the turning point in terms of 'belief' came in the 2-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday thanks to two late, late Steve Bruce goals.

Those two seasons saw a very nervous United side blow one title, and just about control themselves to take another and it goes to show what can happen when the inexperience of being in that position affects the squad. After winning the title, there was a new found swagger in the United approach that saw them win the Double in 1994 with fabulous attacking football and I fear City, despite the lack of investment this Summer, may have acquired that swagger now.

They have plenty of goals in their side and lots of attacking options, while their midfield gives them an edge over most of the teams in the League.

Of course there are other factors to consider that may swing the momentum one way or the other this season- injuries will always play a factor and you have to keep your fingers crossed that the key men can survive the rigours of a full season (see the absence of Nemanja Vidic last season, especially when the Captain could have settled the side holding a 4-2 lead over Everton at Old Trafford).

The other factor is which of these teams goes deeper in the Champions League and has their squad stretched by being involved in the latter stages of that competition.

Robin Van Persie and Shinji Kagawa have helped close the gap on City this season, and they have me believing we can take the title back... But I think City are perhaps being under-estimated in terms of the continuity and experience they have built in the last 12 months and I still think they are the right favourites to win the Premier League at this moment in time.

The Week Ahead

Monday 20th August: Everton (a): This is a tough start to the season for United, although I am glad to get the game out of the way early with Everton being notoriously slow starters.

Over the last couple of seasons, United have dropped 4 points against Everton courtesy of blowing 2 goal leads so I won't be sitting tight in this one until the final whistle goes.

It would be a surprise to me if Fergie decides to start any of his new signings in this one considering the tough atmosphere generated at Goodison Park and I would look for a side that will all be well aware of what the rest of the starting line up are doing.

Three points would be a huge bonus from this, one of the tougher away grounds in the Premier League, but a point would not be the end of the World either if I am honest.

Predicted Starting XI: De Gea, Valencia, Evra, Ferdinand, Vidic, Carrick, Scholes, Nani, Young, Rooney and Welbeck; Subs: Lindegaard, Jones, Rafael, Cleverley, Kagawa, Anderson and Van Persie

Saturday 25th August: Fulham (h): The first home game of the season is when I think Robin Van Persie will make his debut for United as it has all the ingredients of a match in which to blood a new signing- Fulham are a good team, but they will likely give United plenty of the possession and attacking momentum at Old Trafford and that should help Van Persie blend into the side, rather than pitching him in at a raucous Goodison Park in an evening game five days earlier.

Anything less than three points from this game would be a big disappointment for United, and hopefully they won't be as tense as they were the last time they faced Fulham here when we won 1-0, but were fortunate not to concede a penalty in the last five minutes of that game.

This early in the season, the pressure of staying ahead of Manchester City will not be as great as it is/was in March/April and I would expect a comfortable enough home win.

Predicted Starting XI: De Gea, Rafael, Evra, Ferdinand, Vidic, Carrick, Cleverley, Valencia, Young, Rooney and Van Persie; Subs: Lindegaard, Jones, Scholes, Anderson, Nani, Kagawa and Welbeck

Things we Learned from the Weekend Football (December 10-12)

I haven't done one of these for a while due to being away and the busy nature of working at the same time as keeping this blog going.

It was another interesting weekend in the Premier League when the title race was reignited, while the teams at the bottom are all jockeying for position and trying their best to avoid the cursed 'bottom of the table at Christmas' position.

The next few weeks are full of football with this being the quietest week we will see until the middle of January. Below are a few thoughts from the weekend football that has just passed:

1) Manchester City are still the right favourites for the Premier League title: The win for Chelsea has at least put a little bit of interest back in the Premier League title race after it had looked like Manchester City were going to run away with the lead.


While they will be disappointed with the defeat at Stamford Bridge, it did take a bit of luck for the home side to grab the win when City were not awarded what looked like a clear penalty while leading the game 0-1.


It will be interesting to see how they react to this defeat, but their next set of fixtures are not the most taxing in my opinion as they face Arsenal (H), Stoke City (H), West Brom (A) and Sunderland (A)... It is entirely possible that their lead at the top of the table is extended after those games.


2) Phil Jones has all the makings of a Centre Midfielder... For now at least: I said when United signed Phil Jones that I expected him to make more appearances as a Centre Midfielder than a Centre Defender- partly that was down to the two centre halves United had and partly because of what I had seen from his time at Blackburn Rovers.


Jones has the drive and box-to-box ability that gives him different abilities than the midfielders at Old Trafford, while I have not been as convinced as the pundits about his performances at centre back.


I find Jones is very much like David Luiz in the fact he comes out with the ball and can find himself in very poor positions positionally when playing at the back.


I expect Jones will be able to learn his trade at the back under the tutelage of some of the players at United, but for now I would keep him in positions like centre midfield and right back where his drive and stamina can be a real strength for the team.


3) Liverpool need to find more goals if they are to finish in the top 4: Liverpool earned a 1-0 win over QPR at the weekend and remain 5 points off the pace set by the sides in the top 4. However, the lack of goals in the side has to be a worry considering they have scored just 18 goals in 15 League games this season.


The Reds have really struggled at home, failing to score more than 1 goal since a win over Wolves at the end of September and they are in need of bringing in another striker who can finish off the number of chances they are creating.


Luis Suarez is a real handful up front, but he could be facing a long suspension if a couple of charges brought by the FA find him guilty, while the Uruguay striker only scored his first goal in 8 games at the weekend.


Andy Carroll has really struggled to justify the ridiculous fee paid for him and I think the likes of Craig Bellamy and Dirk Kuyt are not likely to get the number of goals required for this team to finish higher than the 6th they managed last season.


4) Robin Van Persie is the best striker in the Premier League: The Dutchman has been in fine form this entire calender year, and he has really improved by adding the simple goals to the great ones he was known for scoring.


His strike at the weekend was absolutely sublime and was deserving of winning any game, but I think Arsenal are going to find it tough to keep hold of him this Summer.


Van Persie is 28 and will surely be wanting to win the big trophies now as his career starts coming towards its conclusion. He has not extended his contract and the rumour is that he has already agreed in principle to sign for Manchester City.


5) Bolton Wanderers are in big trouble: Bolton Wanderers have found themselves in a tough position as we move into a crucial period of the season and they are 5 points behind Wolves in the final relegation spot.


A disappointing 1-2 loss at home to Aston Villa at the weekend has begun to increase the pressure on Owen Coyle who has never replaced the loss of Daniel Sturridge and Johann Elmander who left in the Summer.


I think all Trotters fans out there will know a lot more about their future position as a Premier League club as 2012 ticks around- the team face Fulham (A), Blackburn (A), Newcastle (H) and Wolves (H) in the coming two weeks and anything less than 6 points could spell a lot of trouble for the side.


6) The Championship remains a tough Division to predict: You can see why managers and fans always talk about how tough it is to move out of this Division which remains one where any team can beat any other on any given day.


It is telling that there are only 15 points between 6th placed Leeds and 22nd placed Nottingham Forest while any team that gains a couple of wins in a row or loses a couple of games in a row can move a team up and down the table.


It is no surprise that almost every season a team bursts through the pack to make it in to the Play Offs and can cause a surprise or two when they get there.


The only thing that seems certain in this League so far is that Coventry City, a Premier League team up until 2001, are going to have a long season trying to survive from their current position of 13 points from 21 games, leaving them 7 points from the safety zone.