Louis Van Gaal does not grace the technical area with his presence often. He prefers his perched stoop at Old Trafford, studying the games unfold while he takes titbits of advice from Ryan Giggs. However, come Sunday at the Etihad fortress of local nemeses Manchester City, the Dutchman may be forced to jump up from his seat, storm his pitch-side command centre and incite fear from his squad.
The way Manchester United’s defence have performed so far this season, it is not hard to imagine Sir Alex Ferguson chewing furiously at his players to tighten up, wake up or shut up. Van Gaal could do with channeling the spirit of Ferguson’s touchline fear factor as he faces his toughest assignment as the current incumbent at United.
To put it simply, United have been wretched defensively so far this season, with a laughable mismatch between Rafael Da Silva and Didier Drogba leading to Chelsea’s goal at Old Trafford last Sunday the product of the same harebrained tactics that have impeded their renaissance in the post-Moyes era. They have conceded 13 goals, a tally only beaten by Everton out of the top half of the league table and the reality is they lie at the mercy of a rampant Sergio Aguero and City’s myriad of attacking talents this weekend.
That is not to say United do not have the necessary personnel to quell a semi-inevitable Blue Moon rising but on the basis of recent form, a drastic improvement is essential for them to travel back across the A57 with at least a point. The disorganised, at times sheer chaotic nature of their defending at times this season does not arouse a great deal of confidence for Van Gaal’s men. The cataclysmic implosion against Leicester City a month ago being the nadir, United have yet to convincingly demonstrate the required refinement to shield them from the storm.
Chris Smalling and Marcos Rojo look very much like a partnership still getting to know each other while there remains misgivings over the reliability of Rafael and Luke Shaw. Rojo has shown glimpses of quality since arriving from Sporting Lisbon but the Premier League is a marked step-up from the Primeira Liga and he has given the impression that his adaptation will be a drawn out process. The misplaced passes inside his own half with players of Eden Hazard’s quality waiting to spring into life was they definition of living dangerously and a repeat of those errors may have more dire consequences for his team against City.
Similarly, Chris Smalling’s lack of care in possession, particularly when trying to release Rafael on the right-hand side are not the work of a player who has spent four years with the club. The margin of error in the Premier League is minuscule and sloppiness will, in all probability, be magnified when pitted against the ruthlessness of their opponents this Sunday. They are missing the leadership, composure and aggression that became a hallmark of the Vidic-Ferdinand bloc and have yet failed to stand up to the mark.
Tyler Blackett had a torrid time against Leicester City- leading to his early dismissal- but he has now served his suspension and whether or not Van Gaal will see fit to reinstate him in the starting line-up for a game of this magnitude is an issue that provokes debate. Van Gaal has shown faith in youth products Blackett and McNair but the former showed his lack of top-level experience with that indiscretion and it would perhaps be a wiser move to stick with the more developed attributes of Rojo and Smalling.
Desperate for their first clean sheet since the 4-0 triumph over QPR six weeks ago, United’s stuttering back-line owe it to the fine form of David De Gea, at least, to extinguish the Manchester City threat this weekend and prove they are a unit fit for a stint at the title.
Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero in devastating form at the right time as Derby Day approaches
Sergio Aguero has been goalscoring dynamite for City of late. With nine goals in the league already, he has himself primed for an exhilarating battle with Diego Costa for the Golden Boot. In the more immediate reaches of his mind though is the Manchester Derby, a match which has seen him radiate with brilliance in the past. Aguero scored twice last season when United last visited the Etihad, in a 4-1 crushing of their rivals, and has given every indication possible in recent weeks that he will once again prove the difference.
Aguero has the greatest goals-to-minutes ratio-108- of any Premier League striker in history with more than 20 goals to their name and considering his exalted company, that is quite an achievement. His unshakeable balance, strength and appetite for goals make him an absolute nightmare for defenders and, as previously discussed, he may prove to much to handle for United’s work in progress at the back.
He may have only flickered sporadically in the 2-1 defeat to West Ham on Saturday but the Etihad Stadium is Aguero’s playground and City’s home matches usually result in the Argentine running riot. His stunning performance in the 4-1 hammering of Tottenham in City’s last home match should be studied scrupulously by United’s defenders if they are to stand a chance against the 26-year-old’s killer instinct.
Aguero has eight in his last six appearances and is once again looking like the attacking centrepiece in a formidable City line-up that has the ability to torment United if they bring their A-game. The extrasensory understanding between Aguero and David Silva is a particular worry for Van Gaal and United. If Silva is deployed centrally, the likelihood of United shutting him out for an entire 90 minutes is inconceivable. Silva’s nuanced understanding of playing behind the strikers guarantees the creation of chances and he has the perfect man waiting to bury the ball in the bottom corner in Aguero. The possible return of Samir Nasri, following confirmation that he was included in Pellegrini’s provisional squad for Sunday, only adds to their ammunition too.
Other talking points
- Robin Van Persie’s late equaliser against Chelsea will work wonders for the Dutchman’s confidence following a patchy spell this season. It is crystal clear now that during David Moyes’ time in charge at Old Trafford, internal discord between himself and the former Arsenal hitman may have contributed to RVP’s indifference in front of goal. He looked to have a sharpness and enthusiasm against Chelsea that has been sorely lacking from his game in recent months and if he puts in a similar performance this Sunday, the goals may continue to flow.
- Wayne Rooney’s return following suspension is key for United. Whether he is as effective as he once was is irrelevant; the reality is he still brings a lot to this United team. With the club captain on the pitch, United always look bolstered in the creative department. Rooney’s range of passing and acute understanding of the game, accrued over some 500 games for United and Everton, gives Van Gaal an unequivocal attacking force.
- Eliaquim Mangala has not had the easiest of starts to life in England. His wretched display in the defeat at Upton Park on Saturday was symptomatic of the Frenchman’s level since arriving from Porto and he is in need of a drastic improvement. His misery was compounded after the West Ham defeat when Sam Allardyce revealed he had pinpointed him as the weak link in the City team. Pellegrini has stood by his defender this week and has insisted he has every faith in the under-fire centre-back developing into an indispensable figure like Vincent Kompany. Van Gaal will be more than aware of Mangala’s tribulation and may follow suit in making it a specific strategy to target.