kayode OGUNDARE
@kaybaba99
From a one-horse race at the end of November, it’s now a two-horse race with Man City appearing to have gotten close to their intimidating best BUT is it also possible that we may yet see a three-horse race as we enter the new year, judging by the way Man United appeared to have stabilized over the past few weeks and going undefeated in eight straight games.
I know it sounds preposterous to even harbour a shred of hope that United could be challenging for the title by May but, let’s face it, who thought they would be able to turn around their early season debacle and be just seven points off the team in second.
Yea, seven points is huge, infact sometimes too far a bridge to gap, but when you remember that United were at a point some 15 points off the Champions League spots then you’ll appreciate what Louis van Gaal’s men have done.
And, though I don’t join the mass-hysteria that United WILL win the league, I think thighs can only get better for the Red Devils. You doubt it? Okay, look at my reasons for uttering this blasphemy.
1. LVG’S PRAGMATISM: The manager came with a huge reputation, based on his records but he too seemed to have under-estimated the rot at United when he stated up-front that he was going to adopt his fabled 3-5-2 system with checking on the quality of players he was inheriting. He also bought big, splashing a record £145million on new acquisitions, but neglected the vital defence department which ideally should be the bedrock of his system.
The result was catastrophic, with a shock 2-1 home loss to Swansea City welcoming him to life in the Premier League. The team then stumbled from one fiasco to the other under his watch, prompting the overly-critical British press to begin a subtle campaign for his sack by comparing his record with that of the recently departed David Moyes who’d plunged the club into this crisis in the first place. Imagine the cheek of it!
To his credit, LVG saw that he didn’t have the personnel to play his 3-5-2 because the club is wired on 4-4-2 and that’s where the players lay. He dumped his own formation for the more favoured 4-4-2 and the club instantly saw a revival of fortunes. Another manager, in his stead, would have stubbornly stuck to his philosophy even when it is not working as expected.
In the twist and turns ahead, as the Premier League battle hots up, it is this pragmatic approach to issues that would help the Dutchman in his quest.
2. UNITED’S STRENGTH IN-DEPTH: Except you’re Tottenham Hotspurs, no one spends over £100million on players and end up with trash. United struggled in the early days but nobody doubted the quality at the disposal of the manager.
A team that has Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie, Falcao, Angel di Maria, Danny Blind, Ander Herrera, Marouane Fellaini, David De Gea, Rafael etc on its roster cannot be called an average team and, as expected, when the team re-inforces in the critically lacking areas by January, then you know they’ll become a fearsome juggernaut.
This team is two or three players away from becoming serious challengers for the title. Mark my words.
3. NO EUROPEAN DISTRACTIONS: Last season’s disappointment of missing out on Europe may eventually turn out to be a blessing in disguise for United because while the frontrunners battle every weekend for supremacy in the Premier League and face Champions League opposition in midweek, the Red Devils have all their energies concentrated on the Premier League.
Apart from the little inconvenience of the FA Cup, which of course the other teams will also be playing, van Gaal has his work cut out and will definitely prioritize if he has to choose between the FA Cup and the EPL. No prizes for guessing which he would choose between the two.
4. INJURY WORRIES NEARLY OVER: Apart from a new manager trying to introduce a new philosophy to a newly assembled crop of players, the other major reason why United have struggled this season is down to the injury epidemic which has decimated the team such that, at times, the manager had been forced to poach players from the Reserve and U-18 teams to cobble together a first eleven and a passable bench at times.
By the last count, the club had recorded over 50 injuries to key players at different times this season with record buy Di Maria and Falcao the worst hit.
Now Falcao is back, Di Maria and Herrera approaching full fitness but Blind, Rafael, Marcos Rojo, Smalling all still out. It’s not a coincidence that United’s best run this season has coincided with the return to full fitness of some players so you can imagine what havoc they will wreak when the manager is able to call on all his players.
5. THE DE GEA FACTOR: Of the 35 points United have up till the Boxing Day fixture against Newcastle, more than half was due to the mercurial effort of Spanish goalkeeper David De Gea. Undoubtedly talented, the young man’s real ability has come to the fore in the face of the team’s adversity.
On more than two or three occasions, cases in point being the games against Everton, Liverpool and Southampton among so many others, he’d been the difference between United and defeat and such is his importance to the cause now that the players rest easy knowing they have a De Gea in the rear-guard ready to come, or more appropriately, leap to their defence.
So, injury permitting and except for a drastic loss of form, you can count on De Gea to keep United up there for as long as possible.
Having said all of these, let me put a caveat. Like I observed above, I’m not sure United WILL win the title (lest you forget, I said at the beginning of the season in my article titled WHY VAN GAAL WILL SUCCEED that a fourth place finish and Champions League ticket will be a massive achievement for the team) but in case of a slip-up by the front two, Man United are well positioned to grab the opportunity with both hands, going by the five reasons I’ve highlighted above.
My hunch still says it is Chelsea’s title to lose. For United’s sake, I pray I’m wrong. LOL
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