Rooney doesn't fit Van Gaal's rigid system

Van Gaal’s system is a more detailed style of play that lays more emphasis on ball control, tactical rigidity and seeks to reduce frequent risk-taking. The ultimate aim of this formation is to dominate the opponent by starving them of possession. The Dutchman system seems to limit individual efforts putting more emphasis on team efforts. As Herrera was quoted saying in an interview with El Pais earlier this year that Van Gaal believes in "not running with the ball" and "doesn't risk the ball" "because he loves possession". Whilst this in itself is a brilliant defensive strategy, it somehow blunts the United attack.

By virtue of this 'slow tempo possession football' extra creativity is required of all our attackers. This is because before they get the ball, the opposition will have regained their defensive shape limiting available space  to cause havoc. Creativity is at its all time low. That's why we need a ruthless predator to be able to turn the few chances we create into goals at a frequent rate. 

For a foward to prosper in Van Gaal’s system, he must possess certain key attributes; He must be strong enough to to hold up the ball, take on defenders and bring others into the equation. He should also be tactical disciplined enough not to go wandering, which gives opposition defenses the freedom to push up. The ability to make meaningful runs in behind the defense and is also a big requirement. A good header of the ball would be an added bonus. Now let's look critically at our main striker, Wayne Rooney, to see whether he cuts it as a lead marksman in this system.

Although Rooney is a good header of the ball, he is almost never in a great position to get on the end of crosses. Manchester United have made just 17 successful crosses out of 79 attempts so far in the league. Reasons for this poor ratio could be attributed to the fact that no one is there to get on the end of those crosses. Out of the 17 successful crosses into the box, Rooney has got on the end of only 4 of them. Off the four, he has won two, but he still couldn't generate enough power to beat the goalkeeper or hit the target at all.

One of Rooney's main job description is to keep the opposition back four busy all the time. Effective pressing and making incisive runs is one way to achieve that but unfortunately this is almost missing in Rooney's game. He prefers to drop deep to get on the ball that in fairness he does nothing really with. As a lone striker, it is common knowledge that he wouldn't see much of the ball but that's no excuse for him to lose his tactical discipline, drop deep and allow opposition defense push up foward. Swansea's equalizer against United highlighted this fact. Rooney lost the ball in midfield, a couple of touches and Andre Ayew was heading into our net.

Does Rooney take on defenders nowadays? The stats suggest that he seems to have lost that ability to do that on a regular basis. He has taken on and beaten his man just once in four league games. He’s lost that fierce burst of acceleration he once possesed. No wonder he is not able to do much on his own with the ball. He also lack the strength to be able to hold the ball up too.

Against Swansea, Rooney played like a man who had not hit the back of the net in nine league games. His extra touch for his second chance on Sunday showed a player devoid of real confidence. He was just over complicating things.

All in all, it could be argued that Rooney doesn't fit the number bill in Van Gaal's system. The last thing I would add is that all these could be due to lack of confidence or simply that Rooney, having played in midfield for so long, has lost his instinctive finishing attributes.

What we learnt from Manchester United's decimation of Club Brugge

We all expected a win against Club Brugge. With all due respect to them, I think the Europa league is their level. Yet again the team came away with a clean-sheet. But this time we totally decimated our opponent scoring 4 goals in the process. It could have been more had Hernandez converted his penalty later on. And oh, less I forget Rooney finally ended his goal scoring drought and Ander Herrera started a game for once. My thoughts on the game will be shared in the paragraphs that follows.

Claims of Rooney's demise seem to have been grossly exaggerated. Rooney might not have a great first touch, he might be disciplined and may have lost pace, but as I said in my previous post, give him better service and he would score. He didn't score one or two, but manage to convert 3 of the four chances he got. After the game, Rooney was quoted saying "I know my qualities and what I bring to the team. Thankfully I've got the chances tonight and taken them, but I wasn't worried."

Herrera showed on Wednesday night that Januzaj offers little in attack. Herrera, who overcame a dreadful start as a holding midfielder played his part in the dismantling process when he was pushed into that "number 10" role. A brilliant assist to Rooney underlined his importance to the attacking prospects of Van Gaal's side. If you thought that was enough, his awareness to get onto an exquisite Schweinsteiger pass and calmness to slot home would have kept you off your seat. A goal and assist in just 20 minutes as an attacker capped a brilliant night for the Spaniard. Surely, he has done enough to warrant a place against Swansea.

Memphis needs to improve his decision making. His pass for Rooney's goal was a testament of his talents, but more often than not he tends to remind us of his immaturity. Twice, he had the opportunity to score but bad decision making cost him. Especially in the 34th minute, when he was through on goal. He could have shot. He could also have set up Rooney to his right but he couldn't quite make his mind up delaying just long enough for the Brugge defender, Duarte, to steam across and deflect his goal-bound effort over the bar. 

We need a leader at the back. There were moments in the first half that we sat on tenterhooks because our center defence decided to fall asleep. Van Gaal's decision to partner Herrera with Carrick was always a recipe for disaster giving Herrera willingness to move forward. This normally left Carrick alone to cover for the back four. This exposed our shaky central defensive partnership on a couple of occasions. Both Blind and Smalling were guilty of not sticking close enough to their targets. A better team would have punished us.

Thank you for reading 

Is it frustrating to play as an attacker in Van Gaal's system?

Before Louis van Gaal took over the reins at Manchester United, History showed that, United did not find it difficult finding the back of the net. In fact, in the last five Premier league seasons, from 2009/10 to 2013/14, the Reds have failed to average fewer than two goals per game only once. That ill-fated feat unsurprising was achieved in the 2013/2014 season under the guidance of David Moyes. 

The Dutchman's first season in the premier league saw the team averaging 1.62 goals per game which was much less than what Moyes's team achieved (1.68 goals). The silver lining was that Van Gaal's team conceded less goals per game (0.97) compared to Moyes's (1.1). 

Much was said of United's leaky backline but they have started the new campaign with 3 clean-sheets. In doing so, United have conceded less league goals (23) than any other team since November 8 last year. This stat shows that United are somehow beginning to find the defensive solidity that existed when their last great centre back partnership, Vidic and Rio Ferdinand, were at their peak. In contrast, as the defensive attributes of the team increases, the team's attacking prospect seems to be dwindling. 

It's interesting to note that the Red Devils managed only 62 goals with an attacking line up that generally consisted of the likes of Rooney, Falcao, Robin van Persie, Mata and Di Maria as opposed to two seasons ago (64) when Falcao and Di Maria were at different clubs. Surely, there must be something wrong.  

Who is to blame for Manchester United inability to score goals? Rooney? Louis cautious approach?  All the stats show that LVG has sacrificed offence to a certain degree at the expense of defence. Especially considering the fact he deploys a 4-2-3-1 system that includes 2 holding midfielders who contribute minimally to the team's attacking play. The central-midfield partnership is too rigid and doesn't have free-form movement, which is needed to create chances in top-flight league. Schneiderlin, Schweinsteiger and Carrick, who appear to be Van Gaal's favourites to fill the holding role have hit a total of 2 shots and given just 3 key passes in the 3 league games they have played in so far.  This has resulted in the attack being 'isolated' at certain times. All this is happening because LVG doesn't trust his defense to perform well in a setup with width.

Apart from the apparent isolation the attack suffers from. It also seems to lack cohesion and width especially with players being played in their least favourite position. Rooney is struggling as a lone striker whilst Mata is also having problems creating chances out wide as a winger. It is of sufficient interest to know that both players tend to drift towards the ‘No 10’ position that neither is assigned to play by Van Gaal. Mata has created more chances when he has drifted in-field as opposed to the wings. This begs the question as to why he is not playing behind the striker. Januzaj's best position seems to be on the wings where he could use his pace and trickery to stretch opposition defenders. Rooney hasn't been in good form, but he requires better service. His fans can argue that not enough chances are being created for him to capitalize on to score. It's not surprising that most of the goals we have scored this season have come from individual efforts and defensive blunders rather than total team play.

Is it frustrating to play as an attacker in Van Gaal's system?

Why Herrera has fallen down the pecking order at Manchester United

Ander Herrera hasn’t started a single game for Manchester United this season. With only 2 substitute appearances in the Premier League, Herrera finds himself sidelined just like the beginning of last season. Last season, Herrera was iced out by Van Gaal for several months, prompting suggestions that he could become the next 'Shinji Kagawa'. The 26 year old Spaniard, however, fought hard to work himself into the starting 11 making himself indispensable with some magnificent displays. Eight goals from 31 games with 5 assists was a brilliant attacking return for a 'newcomer'. Those 'signs' are yet prevalent and with Louis Van Gaal preferring Schweinsteiger or Carrick to partner the mightily impressive Schneiderlin, the odds are heavily stacked against him. So what is the real reason why Herrera is on the bench? Surely, this brilliant chap deserves a shot, especially at a time when goalscoring appears to be a headache.

After our game against Aston Villa, Van Gaal was quoted saying "I like a second striker in that position [behind Rooney] more than a third midfielder. That is why, for example, Herrera is not playing, but is always coming on as a substitute, because he is more of a controlling midfielder there." Notice the keyword 'controlling', I will refer to it again. I think the primary reason why Herrera is benched is because Van Gaal doesn't believe enough in the Spaniard's ability. This mistrust is complicated because it also emanates from the limitations associated with both our defence and attacking options. I will express the reasoning behind my thoughts in the accompanying paragraph.

Why would Van Gaal play two holding midfielders? How many top teams in Europe play two holding midfielders? 

The obvious resolution is that Dutch tactician doesn't still trust his defence. The 4-2-3-1 system enforced by Louis van Gaal this season with two holding midfielders, Carrick or Schweinsteiger and Schneiderlin, is intended to compensate for the defensive limitations of his centre-half partnership. Schneiderlin's role is to press the opposition, using his physicality to get close when opponents are in possession. Carrick's (or Schweinsteiger's)  role, on the other hand, is to drop back and cover space. These provides defensive stability and prevents the defence from being over-run. Herrera could play either role in that partnership, although playing him so deep and demanding him to prize defence over attack is probably not playing to his strengths. 

Despite Louis Van Gaal saying we don't need a new striker. Deep down, he has doubts about Rooney's ability to lead the line effectively. Rooney, whose United drought dates back 858 minutes, represents an increasingly blunt spearhead. Notice the 'controlling' word Van Gaal used to describe Herrera, this clearly shows that the 64 year old clearly doesn't believe in Rooney ability to play as a lone striker and wants another attacker behind him to complement his efforts. The same word also reveals Van Gaal doubts in Herrera's ability to offer enough creativity going forward. This is unfortunate, given the way the former Athletico Bilbao knits play in advanced areas and his ability to bridge the gap between defence and attack with such fuss, without disturbing the balance of the team whilst adding fluidity to the attack. 

It is as a result of these factors that Herrera finds himself deep down the pecking order when names are being chosen for a starting berth.  Most fans, including me, would be hoping that Van Gaal rethinks his formation so that Herrera gets more playing time. 

Thank you for reading.

Review of Manchester United vs Newcastle

Where do I even begin from? How did we not win against Newcastle? How come we didn't end this game 3 or 4 up? These questions lingered in my mind after full time even unto now. By virtue of the chances created, we should have scored at least once. We created 15 chances in this game which was 3 than the chances we created in the first two matches of the premier league season but somewhat somehow we failed to put the ball at the back of the net legally.  We have scored just two goals from a total of 27 chances. What does this say of our attackers? Do we need a need a new number 9? Do we create enough chances for our strikers to finish off? Why does last season's best scoring midfielder, Herrera, struggle to get a game when we lack goals? How come our most creative player, Mata, plays on the wings? 

Again, like in our first two games, we dominated possession albeit this time we moved the better a little more quicker and with purpose especially in the first 20 minutes. For the first 20 minutes, we were excellent, playing exquisite little triangles all over the pitch, before releasing players like Memphis Depay and Adnan Januzaj into space. However, the final ball was often poor much to the frustrations of Rooney, his supporting cast and the fans. Right now, Rooney just doesn't look fully connected with Januzaj or Depay. At that point, we could have been at least 3-0 up with a bit more composure from our attackers. Not to single anyone out but Memphis particularly had a very poor game. 

From the last two games, it could be seen that Januzaj likes moving to the wings where he gets lots of space to use his pace and trickery to outwit defenders. Mata, on the other hand likes drifting inwards to create scoring opportunities. Mind you, although Mata created 4 chances, he left Darmian hopeless exposed to the runs of Haidara and Perez. So what stops Van Gaal from switching the roles of these two players? Is this perception that United's best attackers are only ever allowed to truly create in minimized bursts true?

The defence and midfield were generally solid. Schneiderlin and Schweinsteiger (later Carrick) marshaled the midfield well breaking most of the Newcastle counter attacks. Chris Smalling, Blind, Darmian and Luke Shaw were all impressive dealing with most of the attacks that by-passed the midfield. Blind especially has over-performed giving the conception before the start of the season that he could be our weakest link in defence. His ability to read the game and make crucial interceptions has been crucial. Rojo would have to work very hard to get his position back. 

To sum up everything, it seems we are a striker away from being a very strong team. Rooney doesn't quite cut it as the top marksman anymore. Hernandez in 24 minutes showed us what was lacking in Rooney's game. The ability to  press defenders, avoiding dropping too deep and creating something out of nothing. It was a shame that the Mexican international missed that glorious chance that he worked hard to create.

Thank you for reading 

You can follow me on Twitter @kriticalstorm

Manchester United always get better replacements when they lose out on a major target

I was left angry and frustrated when Pedro was announced by Chelsea. In fact, it took almost a day for that news to sink in. The trolls from rival fans didn't help the case either. So to distract myself, I did a short research on the club that I have come to cherish so much and found something very interesting. So I found out that whenever Manchester United miss out on a top target, we always get a better replacement. 

We missed Paul 'Gazza' Gascoigne in 1989. Sir Alex Ferguson confessed that missing out on Gascoigne was the biggest regret of his career. But we signed Mark Hughes, who Sir Alex once described as the best big game player he has ever known. He scored in 4 of 7 cup finals, he appeared in, with his two goals against his former team Barcelona in the 1991 European cup winners final being the most famous. To sum it up, Mark Hughes, Manchester United's career was phenomenal winning 11 trophies and scoring 163 goals in 467 appearances.

We missed out on Alan Shearer in 1992. The brilliant former international actually confessed he was 'a call away' from joining the 20-times English champions.  However, we got someone better in Eric Cantona, who proved to be the missing piece in the long-awaited championship jigsaw. His nine goals in 22 league games helped Manchester United win the inaugural Premiership trophy of 1992/93. The club's first top division trophy since 1967. He scored a total of 82 goals in 185 appearances, helping the Red Devils win 3 premiership titles, 2 FA cups and 3 community shields.

We missed Alan Shearer again in 1996 but Signed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. On the field, the Norwegian became an embodiment of United’s never-say-die spirit, often scoring late goals when points or trophies looked to have been lost. The 'baby faced assassin' had many career highlights at United but surely the most special memory of all would be the Champions League final in 1999 when his injury-time winner against Bayern Munich completed United's Treble and cemented his place in Reds history. In total, Solskjaer scored 126 goals in 366 games which is not a bad total considering his 'super sub' status.

Last but not the least, we missed Ronaldinho, but Signed Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese superstar matured from an inexperienced, young winger in 2003 into officially the best footballer in the world in 2009. Ronaldo Manchester United's career highlight came in the 2007/08 season, netting a staggering 42 goals in all competitions firing United to domestic and European glory.

So whenever United have missed out on the signings of certain good players, we have always found better replacements that are more suitable to the club's traditional way of playing. So the loss of Pedro or as a matter of fact the loss of any player doesn't affect the club with status such as Manchester United. We will continue to win trophies.

Thank you for reading  

Review of Manchester United vs Club Brugge

For five minutes, anxiety started to creep into Old Trafford.

A year out of the champions league seemed like eternity for the fans. They had waited too long to see their darling club dominate Europe again so when they trailed after eight minutes against the second best team in Belgium, the alarm bells started to ring.

The three times European champions went into this qualifying tie off the back of two unconvincing 1-0 wins with many of their fans concerned about the team's tempo and creativity. Genuine questions could be asked about the team's character, especially when they are behind.

Club Brugge's goal, albeit via an unfortunate Michael Carrick own goal was a setback that in the Sir Alex Ferguson days would have been considered a catalyst for better performance and ultimately victory. Under David Moyes, it would have been an entirely different proposition. United too often fell to the floor and failed to respond to going a goal down under his tenure.

Up came Memphis Depay to the rescue. He showed why he is one of Europe hottest talents with two absolute brilliant goals on his champions league debut. Both goals came in similar fashion, with him cutting in from the left and firing home. United hadn't been great, but they led at half-time. The former PSV man had picked a perfect night to shine.

United seemed to have more control of the game when Bastian Schweinsteiger was introduced at the start of the second half. Too many chances were missed with Depay and Smalling being the worst culprits. Louis Van Gaal's side, however, had the maturity and intelligence to finish off the game, and likely the tie, when Marouane Fellaini headed home in the last minute (Fergie's time).

Fellaini, too often last season seen as plan A, was now plan B. Last season, Fellaini was needed as a starter to bully teams and rescue valuable points to get United to this level. He is no longer deemed good enough to be start for a team that has higher standards. But he sure will offer something different in attack especially when the going gets tough.

But I must chip in that United looked a better team with Hernandez and Fellaini (both substitutes) on the pitch as compared to Rooney and Januzaj. Hernandez gave the attack a focal point something which was lacking in Rooney's game. The Mexican international fought for 50/50 balls and pressed the Club Brugge's centre backs effectively. The red card given to Brandon Mechele was through the efforts of the 27 year old.

Memphis was the star with a brace but Chris Smalling, Matteo Darmian and Morgan Schneiderlin had excellent games. The Red Devils looked solid and organized, led in defence by the magnificent Smalling who has significantly improved as a defender. He will, of course, face bigger tests but he has so far acquitted himself very well.

It's refreshing to know that United saved their best performance of the season for this all important game. 

Why players use Manchester United as leverage in contract negotiations

I was happily enjoying my Monday afternoon until I picked up the news that Real Madrid have announced a new 5-year contract extension with Sergio Ramos. The Spaniard was heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford all summer. It now appears to be the new tact when players are negotiating a deal. 

This is not the first time, Manchester United has been played and humiliated. Former club favorites, Cristiano Ronaldo and the likes of Fabregas and Dani Alves have used this great club as leverage at one point to obtain better deals from their clubs. The rate at which, these unfortunate events are happening is becoming more rampant.

One question, I and many other Manchester United fans will ask is 

Why should this happen only to Manchester United and not Chelsea or Barcelona??  

Several answers sprang to mind. I would discuss some of these in the accompanying paragraphs.

Manchester United are still in the rebuilding process desperately needing reinforcements to be able to contend with the best in England and in Europe. Take for the instance, the issue with Dani Alves, he knew for a fact that the club was looking for a good right-back, especially at a point when our options were Rafael (who was out of favor) and Valencia. The Brazilian defender played the whole transfer fiasco superbly as he had no intention of leaving Barcelona, however, on getting the  hint about United’s desperation of signing a world-class right back, the player used the Red Devils as a leverage in getting his new contract.

Secondly, our negotiators are not firm enough. Normally, when a player flirts with a club, the buying club demand that the player submits a transfer request or goes public with his intentions to leave. This could be seen when Real Madrid wanted Bale, Modric and Rodriguez, also could be seen when Barcelona wanted Suarez, Rakitic and co. But you rarely see this happening when United are involved in a transfer. What is worse is that the club don't come out strongly often to reject or deny numerous rumours that emanate everyday. Take for instance the issue of Gaitan, who we are linked with almost every single summer.

I just hope the club take measures to stop this incidents from being an annual occurrence. 

Thank you for reading.

What we learnt from the Aston Villa game

Once again, the Red Devils started the game on the back foot. Gradually,  finding their way as the game progressed. Seems this will be something the fans should expect often this season. The usual backwards passing and slow tempo was visible throughout the game. Though this culminated in less chances being created by Aston Villa (they created only 4 chances without two of them coming from set-pieces), it deprived us of exciting forward football. We created just 8 chances ourselves with just two shots on target. Overall, it was an average performance. Here are some of my sentiments from that game. 

Where should I even start from? Oh yeah, I know, of course from Rooney. Written a lot about him recently (you can take a look at my "Rooney will deliver" article). He seems to be getting worst game after game. His first touch was bad as always, his passing was atrocious (77.8%) for a player who is supposed to link up play and score. I know, you must be thinking 77.8% is not so bad but that figure is inflated by the numerous back passes the United captain gave (made 19/19 successful back passes). Positionally, he was even worse, the 29 year old started dropping deep into midfield as early as the third minute. Aston Villa ball playing centre backs had all the time in the world to find their team mates simply because Rooney was not there. Going forward, he needs to improve, but I believe he can still do the job (with better service)

Manchester United will be more creative with Mata as a "number 10". The World Cup winner was brilliant all game, attacking with panache (created 3 clear chances). He also helped the brilliant Darmian also cope with threat of Scot Sinclair and Amavi (with 2 vital interceptions, 3 successful tackles and one clearance). It will interest you to note that all 3 chances that the diminutive Spanish maestro created were all from a central position. He was rewarded with the assist after a superb ball to Januzaj to score the only goal and perhaps should have had more if Depay had taken his chance. 

During the pre-season games, Smalling was second fiddle to both Blind and Phil Jones. But after Jones lost his place in the team as a result of his disastrous performance against PSG coupled with his unfortunate injury, Smalling has seized his chances well. The England international was as impressive as his last outing against Tottenham Hotspurs . Three interceptions and 6 clearances was  impressive considering the number of times Aston Villa were on the offensive. More impressive is the fact that his leadership qualities seems to be growing. We just hope he keeps this impressive run.

Januzaj's goal was a reminder of undoubted quality but apart from that he was bullied all day. He needs to be more stronger on the ball and his decision making has to improve.  For instance, there was a critical moment when the Belgium talent should have released Depay for the counter-attack but he held unto the ball for so long and was dispossessed. When Louis Van Gaal was asked about Januzaj performance he said "Adnan scored a wonderful goal but there's more to football than scoring a goal". Clearly, you can notice that Van Gaal was impressed with  Januzaj goal but not with his overall output.

Louis Van Gaal's substitutions were spot on. The introduction of Schweinsteiger  especially helped to regain control of the midfield. The Germany international's calm, steady presence in midfield was vital for United. Herrera helped coordinate the transition between attack and defence better than Januzaj did and Ashley put in a disciplined defensive performance.

Despite the fact Red Devils have taken 107 points out of a possible 138 off Aston Villa since the Premier League’s inception in 1992. Despite the fact that it wasn't a vintage performance. Despite the fact we had only two shorts on target. The 3 points gained was by all means not a small feat. The team deserves praise.

Glory glory Manchester United. Thanks for reading 

What we learnt from the Tottenham game

Manchester United got off to the perfect possible start in the 2015/2016 season with a narrow victory over Tottenham Hotspurs. Considering what happened in last season's opener against Swansea city, this was a big improvement. But in truth, all who watched the game will be quick to add that United laboured to win. Perhaps it's just one game, maybe it's too early but Saturday's match brought out more questions than answers. 

Tempo is something that was a hallmark of the great teams Sir Alex Ferguson built and it's also something Van Gaal looks for in his teams but it was clearly  missing here. United spent a lot of their time passing backwards. Our attack was almost rendered sterile as a result. Despite having majority of possession, the 20 times league champions only created 4 chances and had only one shot on target. This should be a concern.

Depay is a Ronaldo type of player; players that depend on pace and definitely needs space to cause havoc unlike the Messi type of players (Mata) who can make space in tight areas and determine a game. The number of times  Memphis was caught in possession seems to affirm this statement. Despite the brilliant defensive input of Young, he failed to glitter as an attacker. The 30 year old had so much space but his end product left much to be desired. Stats show that he attempted 5 take-ons but wasn't successful in any. Depay would have done better against a struggling Kyle Walker especially with that pace of his. It's not clear why Van Gaal plays Depay as a second striker but using last season as a guide, the Dutch international is much suited to the wings.

In my last article, I wrote about the areas Rooney needs to improve to become that 30 goal-striker that United fans crave for. This factors included his bad first touch and positional or tactical indiscipline. From what we saw against Spurs, it seems he hasn't improved. Rooney was lucky to record the first assist of the League season. He should have really has the net rippling long before Kyle Walker saved him the bother but his first touch wouldn't let him. His heavy touch allowed Walker to take the ball off him too easily. If Rooney is to stay as an attacker for the rest of the season, he has to buck up sooner rather than later.

Now let's talk about Matteo Darmian, one of the few positives that arose out of this game. Finally, Manchester United  have found an heir to the Gary Neville throne (mind you, Rafael was too erratic and injury prone whilst Valencia is simply not a right back). He is one of the rare breed of defenders who can both defend and attack. Defensively, he didn't put put a foot wrong, the Italian right back made 5 important clearances and succeeded in all 3 tackles he attempted. He was good on the offense joining the attack whenever he could. 

But as a fan, I would take the 3 points all day. I just hope we improve as the season progresses.

Thanks for reading.

Rooney will deliver

Say the name Wayne Rooney to a typical football fan, and you will evoke all sorts of reactions. Rooney, in truth, is a character that divides opinions. He is either adored to the core or loathed in the same fashion. Following the summer departures of Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao, it is looking more and more likely that the goal-scoring burden of the team will fall upon the 29 year old once again. Nonetheless, it seems many United fans seem to doubt his capabilities to lead the lines efficiently. This issue seem to be generating a whole lot of debate on social media especially as to whether Rooney can break the 20 goal barrier this season. The reservations are quite understandable considering the fact Rooney has a few glaring flaws. Of head, you can speak about his scoring record, positional indiscipline and hold up play. This article will look to assess some of these flaws.

Critics say as a striker Rooney has been grossly over-rated that in 10 full season’s at Manchester United he has hit 20 goals just twice in the Premier League. In that regard it is very hard to describe him as a world class striker. But what they forget is that Rooney has played 335 premier league matches in those 10 seasons and racked up an impressive 170 goals and 94 assists. Directly contributing to goal every 114 minutes during those times. 

This stats even looks more impressive considering that since he joined Manchester United, only twice has the English captain been handed the chance to consistently spearhead the United attack. Those were the 2009/2010 (26 league goals) and 2011/2012 seasons (27 goals).  In the 2009/2010 season, 22 non-penalty goals coupled with 3 assists made for a scoring contribution of 82% per 90 minutes which was an excellent total. The 2011/2012 season proved to be even better, the then 26-year-old put together 27 goals over a 31.5 game run. Even though this figure is inflated by 6 penalties, it was still an impressive achievement. Add in 4 assists and you get a scoring contribution of 80% per game.

Having said that, there are a few glaring flaws Rooney needs to work on. Age, injuries and being shunted all over the place has had a toll on his pace. He is no more powerful or explosive enough. Therefore he has to maintain his positional discipline to conserve some more energy for attacking. Too often as a no.9, he easily gets frustrated without the ball and starts dropping deeper and deeper. This might seem like he is 'hardworking' or 'helping his team' but adhering to tactical instructions is key. Rooney dropping too deep crowds the midfield and leaves the attack without a target man. This normally makes our attack sterile.

Another weakness of Rooney's games is his first touch. He has never displayed the first touch of a world-class player. This has had grave consequences on our attack. A typical example was at Burnley last season, when his dreadful first touch broke down a classic counter attack led by Di Maria. Now more than ever, he has to improve his first touch in order stretch the opposition especially at a time that he has lost a yard of pace.

All in all, I think Rooney can flourish as an attacker this season, his performances as the lead marksman suggest he is more than capable of shouldering the responsibility. 74 of the 105 league goals, Rooney has scored in the last six seasons have come when he has started out as a centre forward. He can be that 30 goal striker a season that the United faithful desperately want, all he needs is a little bit of faith.

Herrera deserves to start

Ander Herrera Manchester United's career has been interesting to say the least. Right from the outset, there seemed to be uncertainty surrounding 25 year old's future. The slow start added to the intrigue and there was a danger that he could become the next 'Shinji Kagawa'. However, he rose to become a key figure in Van Gaal's side. 

The odds are stacked against him this season too (at least that's what we have noticed from the pre-season). Herrera has started from the bench in almost all our pre-season games and this shouldn't be so. A fit Ander Herrera needs to start every game for Manchester United. He is an all-rounder, capable of playing creative, passing football, as well as contributing defensively with tackles and interceptions.

Michael Carrick, Schneiderlin and Schweinsteiger are slightly deeper-lying players. They tend to play slow, short predictable passes (although this helps to protect the defence but doesn't contribute much in an attacking sense). At times, these trio have looked completely ineffective in an attacking sense. For every Schweinsteiger, there needs to be an Ozil to release the ball quickly for an attacking move to be initiated. 

That's is where Herrera comes in. Naturally blessed with creative abilities, he is able to change a game in an instant. The 2014/2015 season saw him creating 26 chances with 4 assists. This is more impressive considering the fact that he started and stared games in the central midfield position only 14 times. He can charge forward with the ball, skipping past defenders (1.1 successful dribbles per game last season) drawing fouls for the likes of Fellaini to capitalize on whilst meticulously assessing his options in front of him. It’s no surprise that he attempted as many through balls as he did last season (0.2 through passes per game).

Herrera has an impressive minutes per goal ratio. Herrera scored eight in 22 starts – the best goalscoring season of his career – with six coming in the Premier League. Only Van Persie, Rooney and Mata had more with Herrera averaging a goal every 267 minutes of play. 

The Spaniard is a danger in the final third. His tailored measured opening effort against Villa highlights this unique ability to charge into the box unnoticed and find the back of the net. Arriving late into the box, or lurking on the edge of it, is very much part of Herrera’s game. It would interest you to know that all 6 of the Spaniard premier league goals were from shots taken inside the penalty box. Even if he doesn’t take a shot, he still has the presence of mind and technical ability to keep the move alive.

But it’s about more than goals. In his understated way, Herrera knits the play in advanced areas. He is able to bridge the gap between defence and attack with such fuss without disturbing the balance of the team whilst adding fluidity to the attack. Herrera was so influential to Man United's attacking play. The Spanish international made a pass in the opposition half more frequently than anyone at United and the same applies in the final third as well.

Defensively he is very sound, he has this relentless desire to win the ball back, working tirelessly to make tackles (made an average of 2.8 tackles per game last season) and using his reading of the game to break up attacks through interceptions (2 interceptions per game).

It seems Herrera is a player who inspires confidence and helps others perform. Therefore he deserves to start