Radamel Falcao ai??i?? Analyzing El Tigreai??i??s Transfer To Manchester United

By Guest Author
10 years Ago

The addition of Radamel Falcao brought joy and excitement to every Manchester United fan, although there were some questions raised. Radamel Falcaoai??i??s arrival was something no Manchester United fan could have dreamt of in their wildest dreams. Of course, there was joy and excitement among the fans as they thought, how fearsome would be a strike-force of Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao. Thatai??i??s where eye-brows were raised and questions crept into the minds of Manchester United fans: Why did they sign Falcao, a centre-forward instead of signing a centre-back?

In the name of forward players AS Monaco are currently left with are Lacina TraorAi??, Dimitar Berbatov, Anthony Martial, Dylan Bahamboula and ValA?re Germain (vice-captain) as their strike-force with the depatures of Falcao to United and Emmanuel RiviA?re to Newcastle United. After returning from injury and before his transfer to ManUtd, Radamel Falcao played 3 games for AS Monaco in Ligue 1 and scored 2 goals. Radamel Falcao scored a total of 13 goals and provided 1 assist in his short-spell at AS Monaco.

The Colombian, 28, is generally considered as one of the world’s most lethal attackers, having scored 104 goals in 139 league games for FC Porto, Atletico Madrid and AS Monaco since moving to Europe in 2009. Having scored a goal every 117 minute, Radamel Falcao is a natural, cool finisher, and isnai??i??t shy to be unorthodox in front of goal. He is an ace with his head when he does get to a cross ahead of his marker. Despite his small stature he is no pushover in body-to-body contact, and he has the ability to outmaneuver the average defender in a tight space.

Where does Radamel Falcao fit-in?

The Manchester United philosophy is to compete and succeed at the highest level. Changes had to come and drastic actions were a necessity. Manchester United, have to have the best players available to compete ai??i?? as the quality of competing clubs was way better. Any youth system might assist in that quest but cannot be relied upon, and Louis van Gaal is a manager who is known to rely upon youth for squad-depth.

The transfer of Falcao to United has raised the level of competition in their strike-force. Falcaoai??i??s caliber cannot be questioned, his place within Manchester Unitedai??i??s hugely unbalanced ai???broken squadai??? can be. Louis van Gaal has already struggled to fit the pieces of his first team puzzle together, and the arrival of another supposedly first-choice attacker only complicates matters. It is with the attack, then, that Louis van Gaal was most concerned. He surely used this system to get Mata, Rooney and Van Persie in their favored positions, because it did not suit the rest of the squad. And as these three are not performing, playing 3-4-1-2 formation becomes pointless. Itai??i??s hard to see how this famous yet flawed attack will be broken up any time soon.

Wayne Rooney, amongst the 3 strikers along with Falcao and Van Persie wonai??i??t be out ai??i?? neither will be sold or dropped to the bench given the captainai??i??s armband and a glamorous contract he signed with Manchester United under the ai???The Chosen One,ai??? David Moyes last-year. Juan Mataai??i??s arrival in the January Transfer Window for A?37.1 million from Chelsea was over-shadowed by A?ngel di MarAi??aai??i??s transfer from Real Madrid for A?59.7 million in terms of money involved. Itai??i??s been two seasons since, Robin van Persie signed for Manchester United, and since his arrival at the club Robin van Persie has been a fan favorite ai??i?? from his 93rd minute winner versus Manchester City at the Etihad stadium in his first season and his three goals versus Aston Villa at Old Trafford which sealed their 20th Premier League title, and of course, his wild celebration at the Old Trafford turf after scoring the winning-goal versus Arsenal, last-season.

Back then, United consisted the likes of Javier Hernandez, who is now on loan at Real Madrid for a season and Danny Welbeck, who was shown the exit door by his ai???boyhood club,ai??? as he joined Arsenal on the Deadline Day. With both being ineffective coming off the bench, Louis van Gaalai??i??s marquee signing Radamel Falcao has been signed to replenish Manchester Unitedai??i??s options beyond Louis van Gaalai??i??s starting 11. Bringing a world-class striker to warm the bench may sound absurd but, not beyond the realms of possibility.

At Ajax, Van Gaal used back-up strikers to great effect to turn games, famously winning the Champions League thanks to a goal from super sub, Patrick Kluivert, and he also regularly made good use of Nwankwo Kanu as an impact player, introducing him late on in games to get the best of tired defence. So, why not at Manchester United? Though, at Ajax both the strikers were young, and Rooney and Van Persie, together offer something more than goals to the team. It will be surely tough to see-off one of them as they can win games single-handedly. Falcaoai??i??s transfer might be surprising to most of the United fans at this point. But, even David Moyes was convinced that together Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie donai??i??t add the dynamics at the front, and tried signing Cavani last-season.

Louis van Gaal clearly regards Wayne Rooney as the central-figure of his plans with Manchester United. The loan-accusation of Falcao may just have signaled the beginning of the end for Wayne Rooney, as a Manchester United striker. The days of Rooney in Manchester Unitedai??i??s front-line appear to be drawing to a conclusion and the capture of Falcao can be the catalyst for a crucial change in the England captainai??i??s role for United. Wayne Rooney, playing in the midfield should not be something which was not expected.

Sir Alex Ferguson believed down the years that a player does not maintain the same level of his fitness through-out his career, and the sooner the player realizes it, more beneficial it becomes for himself and the club. A player should change his style and position during the later stages of his career keeping in mind the change in his physical ability to play a game for a longer stretch. Case in point – Ryan Giggs developed himself into a central-midfielder from a right-midfielder and Steven Gerrard from a box-to-box midfielder to a deep-lying-play-maker role at Liverpool.

Louis van Gaal, however insisted that he wonai??i??t change the 3-5-2 system and his team should adapt to his ai???philosophyai???. Though, Louis van Gaal pointed the change in shape ai??i?? a possible ai???Plan Bai??i?? in-between games. However, considering the fact that United do not alter their formation, the only way to allocate Radamel Falcao, Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney in the same XI is when United drop Juan Mata to the bench.

Juan Mata has been criticized by Jose Mourinho at Chelsea about his lack of defensive ability and to pressurize the oppositionai??i??s midfield, and acts as a ai???liabilityai??? if he doesnai??i??t assist or score goals while he is on the pitch. Placing Wayne Rooney in the hole, behind the two strikers ai??i?? Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao will add more than what Mata provided in the hole in terms of physical presence, ball-winning ability, defensive runs and pressurizing the opposition. Wayne Rooneyai??i??s work-rate is undoubtedly more than Juan Mata, and will hold the midfield comprising of Angel Di Maria and Daley Blind more effectively than Mata. Mata has looked utterly inconsequential of late as the playmaker in Louis van Gaalai??i??s 3-5-2 formation.

Against Burnley, he looked like a wasted man out on the pitch, especially given the deficit Fletcher was left to deal with as the teamai??i??s only defensive midfielder at Turf Moor and Van Gaal has never been afraid to leave out players who previously considered themselves mandatory first-team picks. Wayne Rooneyai??i??s presence in the midfield will also ensure Angel Di Mariaai??i??s forward surging runs on the wings, through the middle and into spaces. Radamel Falcao and Robin van Persie might or might not take time to settle-in together as partners. With Falcao playing as a centre-forward and Robin van Persie along-side him, there can be eyebrows raised about their pairing as Robin van Persie also, requires his own space to operate in. Robin van Persie is familiar and capable of working with a centre-forward as during his Arsenal days, Van Persie used to play with either Adebayor or Bendtner, and at-times behind Huntelaar in the Dutch National team.

Mata might be experiencing insecurities although that will always be the way of big clubs and at least Manchester United can be certain now that they still appeal to category-A footballers. The ai???Gaalacticosai???, as they have been recently called. It is just a pity for Louis van Gaal, perhaps, that they all occupy roughly the same positions. It will be sad to see Mata being dropped on the bench. Football is a sport full of emotions, and Juan Mata has certainly established his position as a ai???fan favorite,ai??? with his duties on-and-off the pitch for the club. It will be hard to see Mata again becoming a scapegoat twice in two seasons ai??i?? first at Chelsea and then, at United.

This might possibly be Manchester Unitedai??i??s starting XI throughout the season keeping aside any concerns which will keep a player out of the starting XI. Luke Shawai??i??s not only is he able to defend effectively, he is equally able to bombard up the sideline and deliver lethal crosses. While Valencia, despite his lack in accuracy to cross the ball is a very quick attacker with decent defensive abilities and one of those classic wingers who takes-on players purely with his pace rather than cutting inside-out alike modern wingers with a commendable work-rate. Daley Blind, the 24-year-old is someone who thrives in situations where he can have lots and lots of possession. He is still not the ai???completeai??i?? midfielder who will be the solution to Unitedai??i??s woes in midfield, as some seem to think at the moment.

However, Blindai??i??s passing range was easily the best in the Ajax squad (after Eriksenai??i??s departure) and one of the best in the Dutch squad. He can spot the runs his attackers make and in addition to that vision, he possesses the execution of playing accurate aerial balls in behind defences. Use of a trequartista, a man (Falcao/Van Persie) capable of providing that ball that splits the defence in half, largely favors the Dutchman and Colombianai??i??s style, and Blind and Di Maria are very capable of providing them. ManUtdai??i??s defence is quite questionable and it will be a matter of time until the defenders understand their roles and implement it on the field in terms of good performances. Sir Alex explained about, how centre-back were the foundation of his ManUtd sides. He looked for stability and consistency. Insisted his centre-backs will play every week. The Transfer Window was bizarre on many levels. But, knowing Ferdinand-VidiAi?? would leave and not having centre-backs in place for 1st 3 games tops the lot.

~ written by Guest Author Balbir Singh Aulakh

Categories: English Premier League, Features, Manchester United
Tags: Falcao Manchester United mata Rooney Van Gaal van persie

Where does Radamel Falcao fit-in?

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