Manchester United Season Review 2014/15
After last season’s disappointment at only finishing 7th as defending champions, Manchester United went under serious overhaul in the summer. Louis van Gaal arrived on the back of a very good World Cup leading Holland to the semi-finals and he has led United back into the top four of the Premier League.
They also brought in a number of players for a huge amount of money with mixed results. Ander Herrera and Daley Blind have looked to be inspired signings who could play a huge role for the club in the coming years. Although Luke Shaw, Angel di Maria and Radamel Falcao have all failed to live up to their reputations, showing the hierarchy at Old Trafford that they can’t just throw money at high-profile players and expect success on the pitch.
It has been an up and down season for Manchester United as they have got back on the right track with Champions League football returning to Old Trafford. However, the club have failed to win any silverware and were embarrassed in the Capital One Cup against MK Dons. They have now gone two years without a major trophy which is a huge disappointment for the giants of English football who have been at the top of the pile for the majority of the Premier League era.
They have now had two full seasons without Sir Alex Ferguson and three different managers, although Ryan Giggs was only a temporary custodian. The time for transition has now ended and the club have the base of a very good squad. Manchester United must now return to the top of the English game and challenge for major trophies. Louis van Gaal is a manager who has a lot of experience at huge clubs, but this is probably his largest task to date as he tries to get United back on track after the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson. His first season in charge has stabilised the club, and he needs to now take them back to the top of the sport.
What went well?
The club have managed to climb back into the Champions League spots which will be pleasing for the club’s hierarchy as the commercial side to the club relies on the exposure that Europe’s premier competition brings. There were doubts about the side’s ability to get a top four finish in the early stages of the season, but in the end they did it with relative ease as the likes of Tottenham, Southampton and Liverpool simply didn’t have the quality to finish above Van Gaal’s men. Although it wasn’t done convincingly, it is huge for the club that they finish in the top four every season and they now have a base to build on with Van Gaal in the coming years. The top four was the priority this season, but it won’t be good enough for the club next season as they must be aiming to challenge for the title as that is what the fans expect.
Another positive from the season was Van Gaal’s ability to revitalise some of the fringe players with Ashley Young and Marouane Fellaini playing a huge part in the second half of the season. Neither may be seen as players for the long term, but the Dutchman managed to get both to contribute to the team game and between them, they contributed massively to the side. Fellaini wasn’t seen as a Manchester United player, but his ability to create chances for his teammates and to provide a target in the final third gave United an effective plan B. It’s unlikely that Van Gaal will see Fellaini as a starter next season, yet the Belgian will provide another option from the bench if they need to be more direct. Ashley Young managed to restore his reputation this season with some impressive wing play and he will also provide a useful squad option next season.
The final positive I will talk about has to be the role of Wayne Rooney. He has been given increased responsibility under Van Gaal after receiving the captaincy and he has thrived under the pressure that the armband brings. He has played a number of roles this season and hasn’t moaned when being played out of position. His energy and hard-working style of play are so important to the side as he often drives his side forward. Rooney also showed that he can be more disciplined when playing as a centre forward as he stayed in the position more and didn’t try to drop deeper to receive the ball like he usually does. At the age of 29, Rooney will be feeling the strain of playing first team football since the age of 16, but his contribution of 12 goals and 5 assists in the league shows that he can still contribute and he is by far the most reliable forward at the club. It’s also worth noting that the form of Ander Herrera, Juan Mata and David de Gea were also positives for United.
What went badly?
The main disappointment from Manchester United fans will be directed towards their two big name signings failing to deliver. Angel di Maria cost around £60m and he just hasn’t looked capable of being the creative lynchpin which he was signed to be. He arrived off the back of a wonderful season with Real Madrid, while he also played a key part in Argentina’s run to the World Cup final. It seemed a low-risk deal for the Manchester club, but the attacking midfielder hasn’t lived up to his price tag this season. He has managed to contribute with three league goals and ten assists, which looks to be a good return on the face of it. However, he hasn’t been as influential as either Alexis Sanchez or Eden Hazard and for a player of Di Maria’s quality, he needs to be contributing as much as the best players in the league.
Furthermore, Radamel Falcao who was on wages upwards of 250k per week also failed to make an impact during his loan spell, which hasn’t been made permanent. The forward was coming back from a serious knee injury when he arrived at Old Trafford and he has looked a shadow of his former self. He has played 26 times in the league for United, but he has only managed to find the back of the net four times. The fortunes of these two world class players show that the club need to put more thought into their transfer strategy and sign players on the back of what they will add to Manchester United and not on reputation.
What they need to do this summer?
The transitional period has come to an end and the club needs to add quality in some areas of the pitch. The signing of Memphis Depay adds a genuine goal threat from the wing, which they don’t have at the moment, but this is just one of the positons that needs strengthening at Old Trafford. The club desperately needs a right back and at least one centre back to improve the backline. Moreover the club needs to buy a central midfielder with Morgan Schneiderlin rumoured to be close to a move to Old Trafford in his native France. With Falcao leaving and Robin van Persie struggling with injuries, the club may also look to buy another striker this summer. This summer is crucial for the club as it will either see them move back to challenging for titles or see them again struggle to live up to their past success.