Manchester United is set to face Club Brugge in the final leg of the Champions League qualifiers. United is almost assured of entrance into the group stages after a 3-1 victory last week. The game will be about three things: 1) how United responds to the disappointing draw against Newcastle 2) how United deals with its goal scoring crisis and 3) how United finds its ideal formation.
United’s draw at Newcastle exposed the limitations of LVG’s philosophy, a blanket term for positional rigidity and possession heavy football. United finished last season with the most possession. This season that trend has continued. Against Newcastle, United had nothing to show for its 70% possession. This system has made United hard to beat, but United fans believe the club can do better. In LVG’s first season, United’s only major loss was a 3-0 thumping by Everton. All other losses did not exceed a one goal margin (the 4-0 destruction by MK Dons does not count because Van Gaal was still experimenting.) Under Moyes, United losses were heavy and numerous.
Van Gaal has sapped the creativity and daring out of United. United players stick to what they are told and keep the ball. The system has produced many good results and many complaints. The United faithfuls yearn endlessly for the free flowing nature of the Ferguson era. They want a side that passes well, but creates and converts more chances, a side that stifles the opposition through strict tactical adherence, but provides more dazzling displays. They want a side that defends well, but takes more risks. These are not tall orders for a team of United’s repertoire. United has a wealth of personnel to start producing more complete performances, although it might require a shift in Van Gaal’s philosophy, a precondition that is almost impossible.
Brugge is a good place to balance these expectations and start to learn the style of play that the fans want. The large goal cushion offers enough security for experimentation, especially in terms o of personnel deployment.
United is facing a major goal scoring crisis. The club has played four games and scored 5 goals. In the first two games, United scored two goals from three attempts. For a side aiming to reclaim the title, this is just not good enough. Simply, United needs to score more or at the very least create more chances. Minus the Brugge game last week, United has struggled to make chances. The games have been dull affairs. When chances have been created, like against Newcastle, they were squandered.
Rooney, whose restoration to a center forward, we were told (and learned from statistics of his previous tally in that role) was a harbinger of devastation, has not produced anything. Rooney’s inability to score has become even more worrisome after Van Gaal said United does not need a striker. The current system does not seem to match Rooney’s needs. He wants to get involved, but chances are not coming his way, a by-product of United’s lack of cutting edge.
Rooney could end his goal drought against Brugge. They are not the most defensively rigid team and pressure is piling on the English captain. Even if he does, everyone will say “of course, he only scored against Brugge.” You can’t really satisfy trollers and mouth invaders, but they might have a point. Rooney’s ability to produce on a weekly basis is United’s biggest concern and he has done little, if anything, to give the team hope. A goal at Brugge will be a confident booster, but a poor gauge of what Rooney will do this season. To get his groove back, Rooney needs players like Memphis to pass more in the final third.
United’s 4-2-3-1 formation has come under criticism from the day it was officially unveiled against Tottenham. In theory, it satisfies everything United fans cried for last season—Rooney as a central striker and a defensive midfielder. The major sticking point has been who to include in this line up and where to put them. Herrera has been the biggest casualty. Mata, it has been suggested, will play much better as the middle of the attacking trio. After Rooney’s scoreless run, United fans are asking for another striker to play alongside him. This is not an unreasonable demand, but it means United will have to abandon the 4-2-3-1 system to accommodate any big money arrival. 4-1-3-2 seems to be a good place to start. This formation keeps Schnerderlin to shield the backline. Who gets to play in the 3 will cause head scratching. 4-4-2, a staple of the Ferguson era, could be reverted to, but that will do little to stem the increasingly vocal social media coaches who demand that Herrera plays and youths get a chance.
These are not simple to reconcile, unless we move to a new system that allows more than 11 players. If a new signing arrives and United sticks to its current formation, it means Rooney drops back as the middle of the attacking trio and forces Januzaj out. That also means Herrera will have to accept a role on the bench. Or Jesse Lingaard, James WIlson and Anders Pereira will have to be sent out on loan to have any chance of playing football. Wilson will be the one that suffers most of a big name striker comes to United. With Chicharito playing a third choice and Fellani being used as a option of last resort midfielder cum striker, the Englishman’s chances will be very limited.
After being brought back to earth by a goalless draw against Newcastle, it is easy to predict that United will not run rampant tomorrow night. I think otherwise. United will win 4-0. Van Gaal and his men understand the growing complaints of United’s fans and need to do better to calm fears. Only a big score line and a dominant performance will do the job. Memphis will bounce back. Mata will score. Rooney will score.
Brugge are at home, but that will do nothing to dampen United, who will come out here like vicious bulldogs. United will most likely go in with an unchanged side. Fellani is an option, so it will be interesting to see how involved he will be.
Tactics, Antics, And Semantics 