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What’s Going Wrong At Manchester United? An Outsider’s Perspective

As we head into game week three of the Barclays premier league, Manchester United have a grand one point from the two games they’ve played and don’t look particularly convincing enough at the back on an away trip to Turf Moor facing Burnley who beat them at this ground the last time these two teams met.

It has been a tumultuous year for United. Angry fans, players seemingly publicly expressing dissatisfaction, turnover in managerial responsibilities, another key player retiring have all combined to place the club under even more scrutiny than usual. Here are three things that could help understand the current situation of one of the biggest clubs in the world.

1. Louis Van Gaal

Louis Van Gaal

The authoritarian Dutch coach has had a stellar career, winning the Champions League twice, unearthing players like Thomas Mueller and Bastian Schweinsteiger and mentoring coaches such as Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola. Before the Moyes sacking, Van Gaal was reportedly very close to the Tottenham job and before taking up the reins for his national side, he was approached by Southampton for the hot seat. With utmost respect to both clubs and Van Gaal, these approaches seem like those made to someone who is nearing the end of his career and is no doubt well past his peak. However, Van Gaal showed in the World Cup that he still had what it takes to go the extra mile and fight through tight games. The question remains if he can do it with a considerably less talented United midfield and defence.

With David Moyes unceremoniously sacked, van Gaal took the top job and at the very least seems to be unfazed by the pressure of the post which got to Moyes all too easily.

His inexplicable penchant for a 3-5-2 formation that he himself took up for Holland in a last minute scramble after an injury to Kevin Strootman also baffles most people. In theory it is probably the only way to accommodate both Rooney and Van Persie while playing Mata centrally behind them. The acquisition of Angel di Maria strengthens an already potent attack but a predictable midfield and questionable defense continue to be thorns in the flesh.

2. Woodward

With the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson, United also appointed a new CEO in Ed Woodward whose name is now something of a byword for United fans for incompetency. Since the change in guard, Manchester United have missed out on signings such as Mesut Özil, Cesc Fabregas, Toni Kroos and so far, Arturo Vidal; all players that one feels Sir Alex would’ve definitely gone for. The acquisitions of Juan Mata and Di Maria have both cost the club in the region of £100+mn and resulted in a surplus of attacking midfielders at the club which sees Shinji Kagawa, compared to Eden Hazard on his arrival, possibly head back to Borussia Dortmund at a loss. While the club have done well to sign Mata and Di Maria, both those signings have broken the club record at a time when the club is at it’s worst position in the league in ages.

The management needs to step up in the next few days as the transfer deadline approaches because Manchester United quite clearly needs to sell a lot of deadwood and restock the midfield and defence if they want to compete in a very tight race for a top four finish.

3. The Squad

A noteworthy feature of Ferguson’s teams was their manic belief in their own supposed inability to lose in the long run. The Scot’s teams were all about chasing lost causes, coming back to win games and championships late and from behind. That belief seems to have all but evaporated with the manager’s departure as Old Trafford has become a shadow of the fortress it once was. The players need to reassess the situation for they were as much at fault for David Moyes’ un fruitfully brief and chaotic reign and his ultimate sacking. Wayne Rooney, now earning £300,000 per week seems to not be producing performances to back the wages.

Robin Van Persie seems to have returned to the familiar comforts of the treatment table and players like Tom Cleverley and Marouane Fellaini have made internet memes of themselves. Barring the goalkeepers, every position at Man Utd seems to be occupied by someone either not good enough or being too slack and non commital in their play. This is when players like Rooney, Carrick, Van Persie and Fletcher need to step up and put their experience and leadership skills to good use.

Whether that’s enough to save United’s season, already off to the rockiest of starts, remains to be seen.