It has been an intriguing season and the next season promises to be even better. Today, we analyze how Manchester United needs to cope up and become a winning side as they were under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Get some new defenders on board:
United’s back four looked shaky and they need a solid defender who could anchor them throughout the season. United fortunately had David De Gea who was like a brick wall and saved them several times last season. But, with the departure of the Spanish goal keeper which is pretty much imminent they need a man who could save those shots coming in.
The Red Devils have been linked to star defenders like Mats Hummels initially and now with Valencia centre half Nicolas Otamendi and Real Madrid legend Sergio Ramos. However, Hummels wants to stay with Borussia Dortmund and has rejected a move to the Old Trafford. Otamendi seems to be a realistic target for United however, Valencia have demanded a whopping 35 million euros for the services of the Argentine defender. Also, Ramos’ move seems to be a possibility but the news about his move still seems to be unclear.
So as it stands, van Gaal desperately needs a center-half who can stand tall and command his troops like the days when they had Vidic and Ferdinand at the helm. The only positive news so far has been the signature of Torino full back Matteo Darmian, who according to the major tabloids has agreed personal terms with United.
A backup to Rooney:
Wayne Rooney has been calm, composed and consistent. He has shown why he deserves that armband and proven that he is one of the best Premier League players. Sadly, his striking partners Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao failed miserably. Van Persie and Falcao contributed with just 14 goals, very poor considering how highly both the strikers are rated.
A new striker is the need of the hour after Falcao’s loan deal has ended and I feel last season’s surprise package Harry Kane could be the solution for LVG’s men. However, Tottenham have demanded a fee of around 30 to 40 million euros for the forward. Kane might be a good option and is touted as a long term replacement for Wayne Rooney. If they do splash the cash on the English youngster, he could learn the art from his English compatriot and could very well go on to be the future of Manchester United upfront.
Replacement for Carrick:
The Englishman joined Manchester United from Tottenham in 2006 and has always played as a second fiddle to Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs for the major part of his career and now with few years left in his career United fans have realized his worth. The midfielder has been a diligent and a silent contributor in Manchester United’s growth years and has always stayed strong with them even when they failed to perform a season ago. It seems that Carrick’s swansong is imminent and a replacement for him is imperative. Morgan Schneiderlin has been heavily linked for a switch to United this summer. Also, Van Gaal is weighing up his options to sign by shortlisting Arturo Vidal, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Ilkay Gundogan but Schneiderlin’s move seems to be the deal United would like to strike.