Man Utd Preview/Prediction - 2015/16 season
A Look Ahead... Man Utd 2015/16
So... we're approaching to that time of year again, when football fans across the country will be eager to once again, watch their beloved teams play the sport of the beautiful game. Hey Guys, so like I did last year, I will once again be looking at Man Utd where I take a look and share with you my thoughts and opinions on I think they'll perform this upcoming season. Now the only change that i'll be making from what I did last year is that I will be only looking at Man Utd simply because I'm not only from Manchester and therefore a Man Utd fan since I can remember, but if I'm honest, it took a fair while on doing previews for the other teams like Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool etc. It just makes it easier this way since I don't have to presume on the other teams; I can at least with Man Utd make a fair judgement since like I said, I've been since I was very little. I am sorry for those who would like to see preview other teams, but it is very time consuming and I'm sure you guys understand. Just so you guys know up front, the statements and opinions that I put forward won't necessarily be correct. Even from last year, I remember after the first Post I did of one of these, Man Utd went on to sign Di Maria and Falcao and there's no way anyone could of predicted at that time that we would of signed those players. So the main talking points that I'll go through are - My thoughts on Last season, what I expect of this upcoming season, the transfers and of course the line-up I think United could line up as. Without further delay, let's get straight into business.
Last Season - THOUGHTS
I'm not going to delve much into last season since it was after all, another season where United didn't win anything, but overall I would say that in summary, it was a stepping stone which allowed us to get to the top again. Rightly so, I think just finishing in the top 4 last season was just the main priority as it has actually allowed us to build a new and hopefully successful foundation going forward. Finishing outside of the top 4 obviously would have been a disaster and only god knows where we would be now if that happened. Chelsea throughout the course of last season deserved to win the league due to the fact that they were pretty much consistent in terms of their performances and the results they got out of those performances, and the fact that they had some really important players added into the mix such as Fabregas and Diego Costa which guaranteed goals. As far as things that I liked seeing United do last season, there honestly wasn't very much excitement to witness as the season went on. Obviously near the end of the transfer window we did get world class talent in the form of Di Maria and Falcao. However, both individuals disappointingly had below average seasons by not scoring as much as they should do. Going out of the League cup was really annoying to see since like the F.A cup which I will elude to in a minute, was a trophy that we could have gone on and maybe win the cup. The switching of the formations didn't help everyone in the squad. Even though I know it was Van Gaal's very first season as Man Utd manager and it does take considerable amount of time to adjust to a new team and league, I think the switching of formations was unnecessary. I always knew from day 1 of last season when United played 3 at the back that it was never going to work in the premier league due to the fact that nearly every-single game is ultra fast and teams these days like to press constantly.
Then obviously later on in the season when we faced Arsenal in the F.A cup Quarter Final, it was one of those games before the game started that something drastic would happen. Evidently it did with Valencia's back pass to De Gea was intercepted by who else then Danny Welbeck of all players. It's not like I don't want Welbeck to go on and have a good sticking career, but it was like seeing your own son stabbing you in the back or something along the lines of that. That game against Arsenal was a real chance to go on and possibly win the F.A cup which I thought we could have done easily. Hopefully next season that will be the case. As far as individual performances go, you can't really argue with me, I don't think, when I say that David De Gea was our best player last season. I mean, the amount of points that gave us was unreal. It was arguably one of the best goalkeeping performances of any premier league season in what De Gea had done. If he does miraculously stay, then I can see him surpass the likes of Van Der Sar and Cech, even Schmeichel. Besides De Gea though, the other players that impressed me was the other Spanish flair of Mata and Herrera. Out of the players that we have at Utd, I would put Herrera up their as one of my favourite players to watch. the way he puts himself out there in the midfield and links with Mata is really fluid and exciting to watch. For me, Herrera is an instant starter as he's the only central midfielder that can make everything tick; he's the one that can bring the ball forward from defence into the attack. It certainly will be interesting where he is played this season for sure. As for some players that I haven't' mentioned yet, it was really pleasing to see both Ashley Young and Fellaini out-do themselves after performing below par last season. To be honest, I never really got the criticism that Young gets. The main criticism of his play style would be that his check back in and crossing the ball inward is predictable and not effective. What I say to that is, what a load of nonsense. I think this season again, Young will perform better than the previous campaign by scoring more goals and create more assists since the likes of Falcao, Di Maria and Van Persie have all flew the coup.
With Di Maria gone, Van Gaal has expressed that he does need a player with pure speed to contend against the very best in Europe and domestically. One player which has been touted to go to United by numerous News Media outlets and is somewhat an obvious target considering his price range is Pedro. Like I said before, if we do get him which is looking likely every single day now, he'll be utilised very effectively then compared to someone like Di Maria. Within Barcelona's team, he's certainly a hidden gem that doesn't take the spotlight like Messi for the work and goals he contributes to the team. The addition of this player will certainly bolster our 3 pronged attack. Just imagine seeing Pedro, Rooney and Depay alongside each other upfront? Sure it's nothing like what Barcelona have now, but it's something that most team couldn't handle. A must buy in my opinion.
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| Of all players to score against us last season... |
Transfers - A mixed bag full of surprises and let-downs
Now that I can forget about last seasons endeavors, let's now concentrate on what this upcoming season hold for us, United fans, more specifically however, the signings that we've made and the players that have gone on to take on new challenges. To start positively, I think it's best that we firstly talk about the players that we've brought in so far as I think this is probably one of the most successful summer transfer windows Man Utd have had in a long time.
The first of a few signings that we did make was of course Memphis Depay which feels like it was done a while ago now. Even though funnily it might seem like Depay signed ages ago, he's certainly a player that still makes the most biased Man Utd fan lick their lips in anticipation due to the skills, goals and assists that this guy will do over the course of this new campaign. I mean I'm not an expert on watching Depay in the past, for instance the only footage I've seen is from YouTube when he was playing for PSV and his matches in this pre-season. But having said that, there's no doubt he'll be a world beater in recent times to come. He's definitely got that aura of arrogance about him similar to Ronaldo, but evidently, we'll have to wait and see if his confidence can translate onto the Premier League stage. Before the pre-season started, Utd signed trio of Schneiderlin, Schweinsteiger and Darmian who I think all are really solid signings as they were the sought of players that were needed to be brought in.
Out of those three however, I think the most important and arguably one of the best signings of the summer is Schneiderlin due to the fact that he's a player that knows what the Premier League is like with it's toughness and speed and in some ways, fills the void when Carrick eventually calls it quits. What I like about him only from seeing him play in pre-season is his ability to do different things in midfield. While his best trait is to sit back and intercept the opponent's attack, I believe that Schneiderlin is someone that can grab a few odd goals here and there. Like Depay, Schneiderlin will be someone I can't wait to see what he can do. The next signing after this was of course Schweinsteiger and this is certainly an interesting signing that has had a lot of people talking positively and negatively.
On a positive note, I think Schweinsteiger if he stays fit for the majority of the season, will be a key player over the many years he'll be at Utd. I don't anyone can dispute what this player can do due to the fact he's won so much with Bayern Munich and won the World Cup with Germany. What I find really pathetic is the criticism of the signing such as that 'he's too old and his best days have forever gone'. Again, what a load of nonsense. If I'm right in saying, when Paul Scholes turned 30, did he lose his touch? No, I don't think he did. In fact, I think he went on to win a few more trophies. Some football pundits today I swear have no logic whatsoever. But getting back to the point, Schweinsteiger will be an impact player for United this season since we have Champions League football (hopefully) back.
The last of the trio that we did sign before the start of our Pre-season was of course Matteo Darmian, who I knew absolutely nothing about before hand and I'm sure everyone else was in the same situation I was. Being that he has only played in the Italian League until now, there's no doubt that it'll be difficult for Darmian to settle in due to the League's toughness and speed the games go at, the same will be for Schweinsteiger as well. Having said that, after seeing Man Utd in the pre-season, Darmian was one of the better players over the course of the American tour. The facts that he can run with pace, his passing, and tall stature over time, will be a great asset in United defencive armour. The last and recent signing that United did in fact make was the recruitment of goalkeeper Sergio Romero who is a signing that does certainly spark up the goalkeeping position at United in an awkward way. While the De Gea issue of him leaving to Real Madrid isn't dragging on enough, we do also have the likes of Victor Valdes and Lindegaard who are both touted to leave the club. It's certainly a tricky issue. However, here is my take on things. If De Gea finally manages to leave, it would be wise to either stick with Valdes as the first choice since he has the experience and did play well near the end of last season, or go for other goalkeeping options in either Lloris or Cillessen. Romero for me, isn't going to be number 1 for me, I just don't see it.
Now naturally with the players that you've brought in, it's a certainty that players will unfortunately move on and United have most certainly got rid of a lot of players, one in particular causing a lot of controversy was of course Di Maria who by the time you are reading this, is already a PSG player. If I'm honest with you all with Di Maria, I see his departure as something that is positive for the club and hatred for the fans. With the hatred part, it's really disappointing to see Man Utd go all out for a player like Di Maria with all the talent in the world, and a year later just give up and leave the ship. A real player would stay and show what he's got.
To me, all I can say that he's weak minded; he obviously can't handle the pressure of being a Man Utd player. Yes, he may have all the skills in the world in which other players would be killing to grab what ability he's got. Obviously however, he's someone that can't hack it and it's truly disappointing. For sure he'll look back at his career and think to himself 'what if'. On a much more positive note from Di Maria leaving, it does inadvertently give chances to the likes of Januzaj and Pereira. I think both of these players will contest with each other and bring out the best between themselves. We all know from two seasons ago what Januzaj can do on the wing and his tricky. I believe he'll be someone that is deployed centrally as I think he has likenesses to a player like Modric or Deco. With Pereira, its the same thing. I don't watch the tournament whatsoever, but from I heard, Pereira was the standout player in the Under 20 World Cup for Brazil. If he can somehow reawaken that raw talent that everyone knows he's got, then he'll be someone to look out for as a contender for young player of the year by the end of this campaign. Now another positive we can take from Di Maria somewhat Snakey exit, is the opportunity to claim Barcelona's Pedro. If I had to compare both Pedro and Di Maria, although Di Maria arguably has way more attributes to his game then Pedro, I think Pedro is someone that can easily adapt to any team quicker than Di Maria. With Di Maria, he's the sought of player that likes to switch positions throughout the game constantly and I think that's one of the reasons why Di Maria got on his bike to Paris as Van Gaal wants players to stick to their assigned positions. With the potential arrival of Pedro which looks set to be done next week, I think Pedro will be that player that is disciplined but is someone that has that flair also. Pedro for me is a hidden gem. He is seriously an underrated player when he plays with the likes of Neymar, Suarez and Messi who tend to take the spotlight. If Pedro comes to United, then all this talk of Man Utd having no attack will be the equivalent to rubbish. Just imagine a front trio of Depay, Rooney and Pedro? That to me is seriously deadly, especially for the Premier League. Moving Di Maria into the past now, another departure which I think was probably the right one was Van Persie going to Fenerbache. I think it was a good sell due to the fact that Van Persie wanted to play more regularly and he obviously couldn't adapt to Van Gaal's system similar to Di Maria. Van Persie's play style whenever you see him play upfront reminded me of the old strikers that I grew up with like Van Nistelrooy or Raul. He's a player that moves efficiently but you know whenever he got into the box, you know without a doubt he would score. But obviously with football constantly changing, specifically with how everyone plays 1 striker upfront, Van Persie was nothing more than a broken record and it was time for him to prove himself again for another club. All I can to what he's done at United is basically, thankyou. Thankyou for when you came into United under Alex Ferguson's last season and single-handedly won us back the League for the 20th time. Similar with Di Maria as well, I think Van Persie's Turkish adventures will allow the likes of Hernandez and especially James Wilson to show what they got. Wilson in a few years time will undoubtedly be someone that is exciting to watch, he's got good pace and good understanding of Van Gaal's system. If Wilson can improve his finishing, then who knows what limits he'll be able to achieve. Van Persie however wasn't the only player leaving for Fenerbache, as Nani before hand went to the Turkish team. Like Van Persie, this was a transfer that looked always set to happen. Nani in the end never performed consistently for United; there were games when he could rival the best tricksters in the world, and there were some where he flopped like a pancake. The only other departure which was a bit upsetting to see was Rafael's move to Lyon. Again, I do have to say thankyou to this expressionate and passionate guy since he's always been a player that has been loyal and worked hard. Never have I really seen him strop and get upset like other players when they don't get picked. It's unfortunate that he didn't fit into Van Gaal's plans as I thought it would have been good to see him bomb up and down the pitch with the formation that United now use. I just hope he kills it in the French League.
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| Has all the talent in the world, but is simply weak minded. |
Potential Signings
Although already we've made some great signings in Depay, Darmian, Schneiderlin, Schweinsteiger and Romero, I think I'm right in saying that there are some players that we do need due to the fact that the likes of Di Maria, Van Persie, Falcao, Nani and Rafael have all left. What is important to consider firstly is another attacker as I think a full season for Rooney, Wilson and Hernandez is a little spread thin. Sure we do have the likes Depay, Fellaini and Januzaj that can inadvertently play in the striking role. But, I think to be safe if Rooney or any other the strikers get injured, we must buy a striker who is reasonably young, can play in Van Gaal's system comfortably and has the experience and flair. I think in terms of the defence, we need at least 1 central defender as I think United don't at this moment have a bully player like Stam or Vidic. As for goalkeepers, while I think De Gea will stay for one more season, you can't ignore the fact that we do need to at least make up a list of replacements.
Pedro
With Di Maria gone, Van Gaal has expressed that he does need a player with pure speed to contend against the very best in Europe and domestically. One player which has been touted to go to United by numerous News Media outlets and is somewhat an obvious target considering his price range is Pedro. Like I said before, if we do get him which is looking likely every single day now, he'll be utilised very effectively then compared to someone like Di Maria. Within Barcelona's team, he's certainly a hidden gem that doesn't take the spotlight like Messi for the work and goals he contributes to the team. The addition of this player will certainly bolster our 3 pronged attack. Just imagine seeing Pedro, Rooney and Depay alongside each other upfront? Sure it's nothing like what Barcelona have now, but it's something that most team couldn't handle. A must buy in my opinion.Otamendi
There's no arguing really that United at the moment don't really have a defence that can say win the the domestic title. I mean I saw Blind put in the left-Centre back position over the Pre-Season and that kind of scares me a bit due to his lack of pace. I mean, imagine him up against the likes of Aguero. There's only one outcome out of that. My pick to put in defence as a defender who'll start all the time and will bully attackers is Otamendi. There's been lots of speculation on whether this player will come to United or whether Sergio Ramos will swap with De Gea. In my own opinion, I wouldn't want to see Ramos at United. Don't get me wrong, he is someone that has done it all with Real Madrid and Spain and has good ability to send himself off the pitch. I just think he's a player that's overrated and plays in a league that is miniscule compared to the Premier League. Yes, Otamendi also plays in the same league, but he isn't playing with international superstars in Ronaldo and Bale. From the highlights I've seen of him from various Youtube videos, he does remind me of Vidic in that he tackles in a ruthless fashion. The other thing is that he's a bit younger that Ramos, so if we do get Otamendi, he won't be past his best in football ability.
This upcoming season...
For the first time in what seems like ages ago, we're a Man United team that has finally got Champions League football... for the moment. What seems better at this very moment in time compared to last years start is the preparation in our team chemistry. Last year looking at our start to the season, everything was all over the place in terms of the formations and the injuries which didn't help progress and evolve the team. This year does seem a lot better for us to get a good winning streak going since now we have a formation that everyone is comfortable with, hardly no injuries to anyone and a team that does look reasonably balanced compared to last seasons. I think the first important thing that United must do is qualify to the group stages of the Champions League. Playing against an reasonably easy team like Club Brugge should be a piece of cake and if we do get into the group stages, not only are we potentially fighting against top quality teams which will determine where we are as a team, but it will allow multiple players to interact with the team; everyone will have their chance to participate and contribute towards the team. Over the course of the season, I would like to see United challenge for the league this season along with Chelsea, Arsenal and Man City. While I think all three of those teams have invested wisely to their own structure such as Cech going to Arsenal, Falcao going to Chelsea and Sterling going to Man City, I genuinely believe we'll certainly be at least closer to the top spot. Compared to those 3 teams when we do face them, I think at this moment in time, we can easily push ahead and beat all those teams home and away. I just don't get this underestimation from football pundits when they see United's attack now and say 'oh but if Rooney gets injured'. So? I'm sure the likes of Wilson, Hernandez and possibly Pedro will be happy enough to fill the void. This might come across as purely biased, but again compared to those top teams, on our day, we do have the better midfield. The central midfielders on offer now with Schneiderlin, Herrera, Carrick and Schweinsteiger is really strong now. I can say that it'll be tough for opponents to try and break that down. What I would like to see more of though this season especially in more conviction when we're going for goal. The problem when it came to getting goals last season was the partnership with Van Persie and Falcao in some games never blossomed which instead guaranteed goals for midfielders like Fellaini and Herrera. Now that it seems we have one striker upfront with Rooney, we have to score more than last year if we are to be close in clinching the title. The addition of Pedro would help massively in this. I did also slightly elude to this as well in the start of this Blog but we need to win either of the two domestic cups rather than get humiliated in both. If we did win either the League cup or the F.A cup and finished the League in a manner that has us challenging for the League title, then I would be happy with that. For the Champions League, I think the best we could get from that will be the quarterfinal stages. Even though we'll most likely get some sought of group of death, I think the quarterfinals is achievable, beyond that it's a little hard to try and predict. The last thing that I'm going to add is that similar to what Young and Fellaini did last season, I would like to see a few players out do themselves in what they are expected of them. Personally, I would like to see Hernandez, Januzaj and Shaw shine for United this season. In recent times, these players have in different ways, felt pressure to excel. It would be great to see Januzaj, Hernandez and Shaw explode and do well for the team like Young and Fellaini did last season.
My Team Selections
So since the formation issue is finally resolved unlike last year where it constantly changed from 3 at the back to the diamond and finally towards 4-3-3, it's certainly exciting to pick the next United team since we do have multiple options that all look good. What is a worry is the formations we did play over the pre-season since the games we played showed that structurally, we set out as a team that played 4-4-1-1. For me, I don't like the idea of that; Depay a lot of the time was played behind Rooney which worries me since he performs way better out on the left-wing. Another worry of soughts was seeing Blind play at in the back 4 as a centre back. I personally don't think he has the wit and pace to play in that position since most attackers in the premier league would steam-role him. Nevertheless, I am indeed going to pick different selections of what Man Utd could and should play. Don't forget this is my own opinion, so what ever team selection I go with, it's purely based on my own opinion and doesn't reflect what United are playing. Having said that, it would be nice to hear your opinion on what United team United should play and if you like, give an opinion on my own selection. Don't forget, I'm only using the players that we have at the moment, so Pedro won't be included.
My Man Utd using the 4-2-3-1 (1):
De Gea
Darmian Smalling Rojo Shaw
Herrera Schneiderlin
Mata Depay Young
Rooney
Subs - Romero, Schweinsteiger, Fellaini, Blind, Januzaj, Pereira, Hernandez
My Man Utd team using the 4-2-3-1 (2):
De Gea
Darmian Smalling Rojo Shaw
Carrick Schneiderlin
Mata Herrera Depay
Rooney
Subs - Romero, Young, Schweinsteiger, Januzaj, Pereira, Blind, Hernandez
My Man Utd team using 4-3-3 (Defensive):
De Gea
Darmian Smalling Rojo Shaw
Carrick
Schneiderlin Schweinsteiger
Mata Depay
Rooney
Subs - Romero, Herrera, Young, Blind, Hernandez, Fellaini, Januzaj
My Man Utd team using 4-3-3 (Attacking):
De Gea
Darmian Smalling Rojo Shaw
Schneiderlin Schweinsteiger
Herrera
Mata Depay
Rooney
Subs - Romero, Carrick, Blind, Hernandez, Januzaj, Fellaini, Young
Right, and that about wraps everything that I wanted to say for this upcoming season for Man Utd. to those who don't support Man Utd who are reading this and want to see me other team previews, I am sorry that I'm not doing other team previews. It does take a considerable amount of time to do every team so please forgive me on that front. I will be back for another football Post around after Christmas time when the season reaches its half-way stage in which i'll be discussing how I think United are doing in the season. If you are a regular reader on this Blog, then I will have a Film Review either on Monday or Tuesday. So until then, I bid you farewell. Enjoy the start of the season!! :)
Alex Rabbitte
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