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The new Premier League season is only two weeks old and Manchester United under Louis van Gaal are already playing catch-up. The pre-season tour feels like a very long time ago now.
The Red Devils have placed a significant number of eggs into an <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/2014/08/24/manchester-united-agree-to-record-breaking-63-9-million-fee-for-angel-di-maria-says-report/">Ángel di María-sized basket</a> and the spending may not end there with utility Daley Blind and defensive midfielder Nigel de Jong heavily linked to the Old Trafford club. Centre-back Mehdi Benatia has been mentioned as well, whilst van Gaal may have been a bit mischievous namedropping Arturo Vidal when answering a question regarding United’s transfer dealings.
This transfer window is not as bad as last year’s shambles – it would have taken a special kind of incompetence to surpass that level of ineptitude, but Ed Woodward and United shouldn’t look at this summer’s dealings with much satisfaction.
United’s fans were assured that lessons were learned and things would be different this time, but going into the last week of the transfer window it appears careless to the point of negligence that the club are still desperately trying to fill in key positions. If United do land their players, how and where would they fit in?
Let’s assume, dangerous a game as it is, that United sign their other realistic transfer targets and that no one else leaves and everyone is fit. Therefore, joining Ángel di María at United are Daley Blind and Nigel de Jong.
The additions will no doubt help but the next question to ask is who will best fit in van Gaal’s favored 3-4-1-2 system? One possible line-up could be:
De Gea
Jones/Evans/Rojo
Rafael/Herrera/De Jong/Blind
Di María
Van Persie/Rooney
In this line-up two expensive signings would miss out – namely Juan Mata and Luke Shaw. It is inconceivable that di María won’t start, so one of Mata, van Persie, or Rooney will have to be dropped. Robin van Persie has an extremely good working relationship with van Gaal and Wayne Rooney is the club captain so it is unlikely – though not impossible – that either of them will be dropped, leaving Mata as the odd man out. However, the Rooney-van Persie combination for one reason or another has never really sparked since the Dutchman joined from Arsenal. This season could well be a defining one to discover whether this partnership can really work.
Blind may be selected ahead of Luke Shaw because he is more accustomed to playing as a wing-back whilst on the other flank a fit Rafael simply offers more than Antonio Valencia, though van Gaal is reported to have his reservations about the Brazilian.
This lineup possesses strength and is complete with players who are comfortable in possession. In terms of pace there will be a reliance on Di María and Rafael to help stretch the game. There is an element of flexibility too as Ander Herrera could be encouraged to go forward to support the attack with Rooney dropping deep to allow van Persie to play as a lone striker. There’s even possibility of switching to a 4-4-2 with Blind dropping into the left-back role, allowing di María to play as an out-and-out winger.
De Jong’s role is important as he would provide a defensive screen for the back three as well as looking out for Herrera as the Spaniard adapts to the Premier League.
However, what if the 3-4-1-2 isn’t the best system to employ with the addition of the new personnel? Could van Gaal switch to a 4-3-3? If that were the case then the lineup could look something like this:
De Gea
Jones/Evans/Rojo/Shaw
Herrera/De Jong/Blind
Rooney/Van Persie/Di Maria
Jonny Evans and <a href="worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2014/08/20/marcos-rojo-will-be-a-perfect-additiion-to-manchester-uniteds-defense/">Marcos Rojo</a> should figure as the center-back pairing given their ability to accurately distribute the ball from the back. Phil Jones could well be shifted to right-back if the manager opts for defensive solidity over Rafael’s attacking prowess. If United play with a back four, that could open the door to Shaw and see him given a run in the first team. De Jong will once again provide the screen, allowing Herrera and Blind license to push forward and support the attack. The attacking trio once again poses the most questions. The odd man out could well be Mata again, but playing a 4-3-3 could also see Rooney deployed on the left or right of the attacking three – not his natural position. Indeed it was instructive to see Rooney play high up the pitch in the match against Swansea and to a lesser degree against Sunderland. It appears that he is being told to stay up, in part to cover for his lack of pace, and maximize his potential to score. However, if the skipper is to be part of a three and is deployed in a wide area, then his impact on a game may be greatly diminished. It’s arguable that United would be better advised playing Adnan Januzaj as part of a front three in order to create a more mobile unit.
But what if the playing squad is more suited to a 4-2-3-1?
De Gea
Jones/Evans/Rojo/Shaw
Blind/De Jong
Januzaj/Mata/Di María
Van Persie
This formation has the potential to see an extremely dynamic United with Jones, Shaw, Januzaj, and di María providing the pace United have lacked this season.
Van Gaal could trust the defensive midfield responsibilities to de Jong and Blind, giving the central area the right blend of silk and steel. Blind’s versatility may tip the scales in his favor ahead of Herrera and see the Dutchman picked for the starting XI.
Mata is arguably the best No. 10 at the club so should get the nod in that role, though his recent performances haven’t been great. &nbsp;If he doesn’t perform Shinji Kagawa provides an adequate alternative to the Spaniard.
The big decision is to who should play in the lone striker role? Van Persie may just edge Rooney for the role of lead striker. The Englishman may be club captain, but that doesn’t mean that van Gaal would be afraid of dropping him if it benefits United and van Persie is arguably the better striker.
In the unlikely event van Gaal opts for a 4-4-2 United could line-up as follows:
De Gea
Jones/Evans/Rojo/Shaw
Valencia/Blind/De Jong/Di María
Rooney/Van Persie
If it’s a straight, flat 4-4-2, then keeping shape will be vital so that could see the dependable, if limited, Valencia starting ahead of Januzaj. Di María could be given a license to roam though he may not be afforded as much freedom in a 4-4-2 as he would find in other systems. Again, Mata misses out but could figure if van Gaal opted to play a diamond formation:
De Gea
Jones/Evans/Rojo/Shaw
De Jong
Valencia/Di María
Mata
Van Persie/Rooney
If van Gaal used a diamond the emphasis would be on the fullbacks to push forward to provide the team with attacking width.
There are a multitude of formations Louis van Gaal could try but the smart money would be him persisting with a 3-4-1-2, and use the 4-3-3 system as a back-up option.
There are other tactical considerations van Gaal will need to make regardless of the formation. If he wants his team to press high up the pitch, then he’ll need to get David de Gea position himself around the edges of the box to allow the defense to do this. The Spaniard does have a tendency to stay deep in his penalty area, thus forcing his defense to drop to compensate. In de Gea’s defense, given how shaky United’s backline is at the moment perhaps it’s not a surprise that he’s choosing to anchor himself well inside the box.
Van Gaal could spring a surprise and opt to do something completely different, but whatever he does he will do whatever he deems pragmatic.
Come the end of the transfer window Louis van Gaal will hope to have made a few more signings. If he gets who he wants, then a couple of United’s stars could witness the Van Gaal revolution from the bench.

Assessing The Louis Van Gaal Selection Predicament

Assessing The Louis Van Gaal Selection Predicament - World Soccer Talk

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During the World Cup 2014 at Brazil, millions of soccer fans and thousands of experts saw the renaissance of the 3-5-2, the classical continental formation of the 1970s and 1980s. Louis van Gaal, who throughout his managerial career has stood by a philosophy akin to the Dutch “Total Football” but been highly flexible in terms of formational choice (e.g., 4-3-3 at Ajax, 2-3-2-3 at FC Barcelona, 4-4-2 at AZ Alkmaar), was one of the coaches who employed 3-5-2 with his Dutch national team, that is, with players who for the most part have been educated in the traditional Dutch 4-3-3. It certainly raised some eyebrows, not least in his home country, but Van Gaal’s experiment paid off as Holland won the bronze medals.
I have already written in an earlier piece what consequences the conversion from 4-4-2/4-2-3-1 to 3-5-2 inevitably have on a team’s attacking profile. Just to repeat the main point: The creative epicenters of the 4-4-2 are the two wingers, that is, the team creates most from the peripheries, whereas the creative fulcrum in a 3-5-2 is associated more with the classical number 10 playing centrally behind two attackers. It seemed to make a lot of sense that Van Gaal made the switch with Holland since Wesley Sneijder had a good tournament (although not a dazzling one), Robin van Persie scored the goal of the tournament and of his career, and, not least, Arjen Robben was the star of the World Cup (together with Toni Kroos). However, in several matches it was also clear that Holland had some difficulties in dominating the game, in keeping ball possession, and in creating chances. It was as if the team comprised one very good attacking midfielder and two brilliant forwards and six pretty ordinary defensive oriented players. Too much depended on Robben’s speed and dribbling and on Van Persie’s moments of clinical or breathtaking finishing. But still, two things point in the direction that Van Gaal got it right: With the types of players he had at his disposal, it seemed logical to adapt to a system which basically was meant to create free roles for Robben and Van Persie, and with the players available it was an achievement in itself to reach third place.
Taking over the manager’s seat after David Moyes at Old Trafford, it couldn’t surprise anyone that Van Gaal chose to stick to his successful World Cup formation. After all, it had secured him a bronze medal, and fans and experts alike did agree that the Dutch Iron Tulip was one of the master tacticians during the World Cup. Apart from having been triumphant with the 3-5-2 formation in Brazil, Van Gaal immediately took a look at the squad he had inherited from Moyes, and his verdict was clear: it was unbalanced. What did he mean by that? First, the squad consisted of too many number 10s (Juan Mata, Shinji Kagawa, Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck, perhaps even Adnan Januzaj and Marouane Fellaini) and too many number 9s (Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck, Javier Hernandez, and James Wilson). Choosing a 4-2-3-1 would mean either playing the Rooneys and Matas out of position or putting them on the bench. Second, the other thing he meant by “unbalanced” was that the squad lacked wide players, or, as he corrected himself, “world class wingers on the same level as Cristiano Ronaldo or Angel di Maria”. It was a pretty damning verdict on players such as Nani and Ashley Young, whereas Antonio Valencia had already proven himself capable of occupying a more defensive wide position (right back) under Alex Ferguson and David Moyes. As for Januzaj, he never had any reason to belief Van Gaal’s verdict included him. So, Van Gaal realized that he had loads of creative talent centrally and not enough of it on the wings. So far so good. The conversion to 3-5-2 still makes sense. This opinion was only strengthened after Manchester United’s preseason tour to the United States where the team came out as (undefeated) winners in a highly prestigious tournament including opponents such as Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Liverpool, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/2014/08/15/manchester-city-2014-15-season-preview-champions-face-unsure-season/">Manchester City</a>, and Roma. In addition, Rooney was named the best player of the tournament. Finally, Ander Herrera, the Spanish midfielder bought from Athletic Bilbao seemed to hit the ground running, and Darren Fletcher, out for so long with what could have turned into a life-threatening bowel disease, appeared to be back to his competitive and combative best.
There are three things, though, which challenge the logic and suitability of Van Gaal’s conversion. First, if Van Gaal was right in his characterization of the squad as being “unbalanced” in terms of not enough wing talent and too much talent centrally, the change from playing with two central defenders to three basically means that you need more central defenders. Did he have that? No, he did not. In fact, after Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand left Manchester United, Van Gaal inherited a squad with only three central defenders (plus a couple of talents). Luke Shaw was brought in to replace Patrice Evra, but only very recently Van Gaal and Ed Woodward managed to secure another defender, Marcos Rojo, who may have had a very good World Cup, but is not exactly one who the fans expect to take over from Vidic or Ferdinand in terms of responsibility and level. So, does it make sense that Van Gaal converted from 4-2-3-1 to 3-5-2 at Old Trafford? In my opinion, not entirely. He may have a point in terms of getting the best out of Mata, Rooney and Van Persie, but a backline of three consisting of the likes of Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, Marcos Rojo, and Jonny Evans is not exactly frightening to attacking trios such as Neymar-Messi-Suarez, Ronaldo-Benzema-Bale, and Silva-Dzeko-Aguero.
The second reason why Van Gaal’s decision of formational change may prove unsuitable is that Manchester United’s success has often been intricately linked with flamboyant wingers such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Ryan Giggs, Andrei Kanchelski, George Best, Johnny Berry, and Billy Meredith. Attacking width is almost ingrained into the club’s DNA. Of course, what was in the past was in the past, and that cannot determine whether future success can be secured by other means. The game of soccer constantly evolves, and Van Gaal may be one of its greatest innovators and tacticians. Still, there is something very strange in seeing a Manchester United team without attacking full backs and flamboyant wingers.
Third, if Manchester United fans thought, after the successful U.S. tour, that the good times were returning to Old Trafford, and that the Iron Tulip had worked miracles instantly, they woke up to a reality that was only a prolongation of last year’s disasters at the Theatre of Dreams – a fitting name nowadays, since the gap between dream and reality has never seemed larger at Old Trafford in the last 30 years. During the reign of Sir Alex Ferguson, the dreams at Old Trafford were often converted into reality, and if it may sometimes have been a conversion that came late, in Fergie time, it nevertheless often came. Not anymore, though. Decades of creating a fortress of fear was ruined in just nine months by David Moyes, his staff, and the players, and Swansea’s 2-1 win at Old Trafford against Manchester United in this season’s first match merely showed how far Manchester United and Louis van Gaal are from the glory of the past. Even though Van Gaal converted from 3-5-2 to 4-2-3-1 at half time, things did not improve greatly in the second half. It did give the fans a glimmer of hope in regard to what I would think were their preferred formation, one with wingers and attacking width.
If there is one thing that offers hope for Manchester United’s millions of fans worldwide, it must be that Louis van Gaal is a slow starter wherever he is. He has said it himself: It is all about surviving the first three months, because this is the time it takes for the players to adapt to his “vision”. I am not sure, though, that Manchester United, in the hunt for a Premier League title or, at least, a Champions League spot, can afford a three-month period with sustained losses of points. If the club does not manage to secure the signatures of Mats Hummels, Arturo Vidal/Kevin Strootman, and Angel di Maria (or someone on the same level as these players), the future sure does not look bright at Old Trafford, despite the tactical genius of Louis van Gaal.

Analyzing Louis van Gaal’s 3-5-2 Formation at Manchester United

Analyzing Louis van Gaal's 3-5-2 Formation at Manchester United - World Soccer Talk

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Assessing The Louis Van Gaal Selection Predicament

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Analyzing Louis van Gaal’s 3-5-2 Formation at Manchester United