Manchester United - What Do Di Maria And Falcao Mean For Van Gaal?

When Manchester Unitedai??i??s new manager, Louis van Gaal, introduced the 3-4-1-2 system with the Netherlands during the World Cup in Brazil, many pundits were shocked to see its success. Van Gaalai??i??s Dutch were able to reach the semifinals of the competition, only to lose out to Argentina on penalties. It seemed as if the formation was the trick for Manchester United too, as they won all six of their preseason games en route to the International Champions Cup title. Once the season started, though, it was another story. After four competitive games, van Gaal is still looking from his first win, and with the new signings of Angel di Maria from Real Madrid for A?59.7 million and Radamel Falcao (on loan with an option to buy) from AS Monaco, the question is how will they, along with the current attacking players at United, fit in to van Gaalai??i??s formation.

In his debut against Burnley, di Maria played in behind the two strikers, Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney. Although there are reports that van Persie may have knee surgery, in the case that he doesnai??i??t Falcao would slot into the striker role in place of Wayne Rooney, who could drop back into a more creative, central attacking midfield role. This would leave Mata and di Maria in the central midfield role. Two attacking players need at least one defensive-minded midfielder with them. This could be new signing Daley Blind from Ajax, or Spaniard Ander Herrera. This would mean 6 midfielders/attackers on the field, only allowing there to be four defenders.

Although he is famously known for being stubborn, there is only one way to optimize the talent van Gaal has at his disposal, and that is to change to a 4-3-1-2. Although many people believe that Unitedai??i??s defense is extremely shaky, they have only conceded 3 goals in the premier league, which is tied fourth-best. With their attacking prowess, theyai??i??ve only scored two goals themselves, which needs to be improved. Falcaoai??i??s aerial presence and clinical finishing will surely help United add some more goals to that tally. A 4-3-1-2 would also allow Phil Jones and summer signing Marcos Rojo to man the center of defense. Jonny Evans and Tyler Blackett have been extremely shaky at the back, and if not for the heroics of David de Gea and Phil Jones, United may have shipped a lot more goals. When heai??i??s on form, Rafael is one of the most interesting players to watch in the world. His crosses can be deadly and he can hit one from range as well, as we saw last year with his wonder strike against QPR. Even if heai??i??s not able to play, Antonio Valenciaai??i??s strength and dangerous crosses make him a more than capable replacement.

This formation would help United play their best and most creative attacking players in their preferred positions. Even in his 65-minute cameo appearance against Burnley last weekend, di Maria showed his incredible vision not only from a deeper position in the center of midfield, but also from out on the wings. A team of Unitedai??i??s caliber, with the tremendous amount of talent that they have at the moment, should be scoring 1-2 goals per game at the minimum.

Despite the big-name signings who have come into United, there have also been some notable departures. Backup strikers Javier Hernandez (Real Madrid) and Danny Welbeck (Arsenal) have both left, along with Nani on loan to Sporting Lisbon and Shinji Kagawa (Borussia Dortmund). With the signing of Falcao, it would be unlikely that either of the two strikers would get into the team, and although Rooneyai??i??s versatility means he can play both as a striker and a midfielder, there are no strikers to come off the bench and provide energy to the game as Chicharito did. With Ashley Young and Adnan Januzaj off the bench, Nani was definitely surplus to requirements. Getting Kagawa for a measly A?8 million is a steal for Borussia Dortmund, if he can get back to the form he had when he played for Dortmund back in 2011-2012, he could be worth almost three times that much.

As mentioned before, van Gaal is renowned for his stubbornness, but the 3-4-1-2 isnai??i??t the only formation he has played throughout his coaching career. With both Ajax and Bayern Munich, van Gaal played a 4-3-1-2 or a 4-3-3, both of which suit Unitedai??i??s style more than the current 3-4-1-2. Although it may be too early to say that the formation is a failure, even after four games. it is obvious that change is necessary for Manchester United. Van Gaal says he is ai???positioning [United] for Champions League glory,ai??? which is what Red Devilsai??i?? fans across the globe have been waiting to hear. To win the Champions League, United need to qualify for it obviously, which means finishing in the top 4 of the competitive Barclays Premier League. For 18 consecutive years, they were a force to be reckoned with in European football, and if Louis van Gaal wants to help United achieve Champions League glory once again, it starts now and he needs to change formations. The six new summer signings van Gaal has made are all versatile and able to play in multiple positions, but they all obviously play best in their preferred positions, something that cannot be achieved with the current formation. The experiment of a 3-4-1-2 is over, it is time for Manchester United to go back to a 4-3-1-2 and let their talented players play in their favored positions.

Written by guest author Arjun Balaraman

Manchester United – What Do Di Maria And Falcao Mean For Van Gaal?

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