United went to the United States for pre-season as they did last season. They didn't win the International Champions Cup this time but did win all their matches there baring one. Hopefully not winning the Cup and having lost a game in pre-season is a good omen for the season and the start of it. Unlike last season, most of the transfer business was done before the team departed for the US of A but doubts linger over David De Gea's future. Maybe one or two more might be offloaded before the window closes. I certainly hope Jonny Evans is one of them. He has been very disappointing as the most senior central defender after the departures of Ferdinand and Vidic and has been shambolic in his defending and first touch.
Nani has left. I had thought maybe he had another chance to impress the manager but it was not meant to be. He has frustrated us all because we have seen what he is capable of when he is at his best. He has just not produced his best often enough and not been consistent enough for us. Perhaps his best seasons for us were in 2009-10 and 2010-11. I wish him well.
Rafael left today. By all accounts, he seems to have been a popular member of the changing room but his defending has just been rash and again another player that was not consistent enough. He is an all-action figure and fans appreciate him for the endavour he puts in as well as playing with his heart and the goals he has scored have been few but have been screamers, well not all but he has only scored 5. If only, he had played using his head more often than with his heart and learnt to be cooler in defending. If only, he had stayed injury-free. If only he had been more consistent. I wish him well too.
"Always Going To Be A Favourite If You Score Against Liverpool"
Victor Valdes has got on Van Gaal's bad books and it looks like there is no way back for him. Haven't we seen that before from a favourite manager from our past? No not Moyes, you anti-United fans! That's YOUR favourite manager not ours! I meant Sir Alex Ferguson! No-one is bigger than the club Sir Alex has said that before and Van Gaal is following suit by placing Valdes in the dungeon for refusing to play a game for the U21s. A pity because with De Gea's uncertain future, Valdes could have done without this issue and gone on pre-season with the team and even put in a strong claim to start against Tottenham on Saturday. We have only seen him play twice for us! A pity really. Angel Di Maria is moving on as well and he has been disappointing in his behaviour and mentality or lack thereof. He came to the club like a breath of fresh air. Fans were crying out for a world-class player and we got one. He was doing well, scoring goals and assisting them. Then his form dipped, he got injured and he hasn't look the same since. You can see that his confidence has been shaken up and he isn't the same player he was earlier in the season. However, instead of knuckling down and fighting back as he had vowed to do while on Copa America duty for Argentina, he is now off to Paris St. Germain, seemingly forcing his way out of the club by refusing to train. Professionally, it's not going to do a player that is out of form and low on confidence any good to not train at all. He can't expect to walk straight into the Paris St. Germain team without any pre-season training under his belt. The truth behind his reason to leave is open to much speculation. Could it be the decision of his partner? Advice of his agent? Or that he has bottled it? Whatever the reason is, he has been a failure and is not leaving on good terms.
Falcao left at the end of the season as expected. He went on to do perform the same way he did with us with Colombia at the Copa America and is still doing the same with Chelsea. You can see he is trying his best and trying hard but it is just not coming off for him as it used to before the nasty injury he picked up. Our best wishes are with him as well. Robin Van Persie left to join Fenerbahce. He helped get us the 20th league title, the final one under Sir Alex, could be the final one in a long while who knows....Did well that season and hasn't quite replicate the form in that season thereafter. He did get a decent number of goals but without Sir Alex, he hasn't quite looked the same. There were hopes he would be revitalised under fellow Dutchman, Louis Van Gaal but he actually got worse. Good luck though Van Persie. Thanks for your contribution towards title number 20.
Now on to what we have left in the squad. We have bought 5 players and if the rumour mills are to be believed, a 6th in the form of Pedro would join too. Let's see on that. I never trust transfer rumours. Is the present squad good enough to win the title or at least a cup? Time will tell. Trophies are not won on paper or in pre-season. They are won on the training ground and on the pitches when the season has started. I am glad with the signing of an Italian player (because I support Italy) Matteo Darmian. So far, he is performing as I have expected of him, like when he was at Torino and with the Italian national team. Morgan Schneiderlin has surprised me. I was opposed to signing him as I didn't feel a need to have a player of his profile as I felt the emphasis should be on an understudy for the most important player in our team, Michael Carrick but Schneiderlin has done well enough to push for a starting slot in the team. I was excited at the signing of Bastian Schweinsteiger but he has to prove that he is fit enough and has to adapt to the pace of the English game as does Darmian.
Pre-season matches are played at a different pace and it lacks the physicality you get in the English game. I hope he comes good. Memphis Depay has caught the eye more for his sideburns and bonding with his team-mates than his performances on the pitch which have been lukewarm. Let's see how he copes with the pace and physicality of the English game.
Another important aspect Darmian, Schweinsteiger and Depay have to cope with is seeing the ball go over their head quite a lot especially when they play away and playing during Christmas without a mid-season break. Romero has started for Argentina at the World Cup and Copa America and in both cases, he hasn't been a starter for Sampdoria. Let's see how he does when he is given the chance to play.
Daley Blind has played as left centre back for United in pre-season and that can be a concern because of his lack of pace. He has the ability to bring the ball out of defence and can distribute it well but could well get caught out against pacy strikers. It's good to see Luke Shaw stay injury-free but do remember he is still developing and is not the finished article yet. He will make mistakes and will be inconsistent. The right centre back position is up for grabs between Chris Smalling and Jones but Jones has not done his chances any good with his performances in pre-season. Could a centre back be signed before the closure of the transfer window? God knows! If someone is signed, Jones and/or Smalling would need to worry about their future at the club although they have formed a good partnership together at the back end of last season. I am puzzled on why they haven't been paired in pre-season. We have also got Marcos Rojo who has to play catch-up after missing pre-season due to his involvement at the Copa America where Argentina went all the way to the final. I reckon he is a better choice at left centre back than Blind and better at centre back than he is at left back. Antonio Valencia was touted as a starter at right back by Van Gaal but Darmian's performances in pre-season seems to have suggested a chance in opinion and he has to fight for his place but his versatility is such that he can play further forward as a right winger if needed too.
In midfield with the options available to Van Gaal, it could be exciting for United fans if the right combination is found and players are allowed to play with freedom of movement. The midfield could be fluid with players inter-changing positions, if they are allowed to do so. However, it could be pretty rigid if we play with 2 holding midfielders/deep-lying playmakers without anyone bombing forward to join the attack which is why I feel the role of Ander Herrera is important as he always gets into good goal-scoring positions in and around the box from the midfield position which is something we don't see from Schneiderlin, Carrick and Schweinsteiger. Fellaini as the go-to guy is a good variation to have but not an option for all matches. The emergence of Andreas Pereira and re-emergence of Jesse Lingard from his loan spell is exciting and I hope both get more playing time this season.
Andreas Pereira's Goal In Pre-Season
With all the midfielders we have and the variety of options we can play with, it's no wonder that we wouldn't sign another forward. I know United fans are worried that we are under-manned in this department but if the team is allowed to play with fluidity, we can expect goals from everywhere not just the forwards. Depay is only young and is still honing his skills. He is by no means the finished article and can only grow. Wayne Rooney has to find his sharpness and scoring touch. To be fair, the forwards need chances created for them too. It's lovely to see Javier Hernandez back with us but because of his injury, he has to play catch-up though in terms of fitness and match readiness as he missed most of the pre-season and finally we have the young and exciting James Wilson. The only way I see us signing a forward would be if we let Wilson go out on loan. Otherwise I would be surprised if we signed a forward. Adnan Januzaj has looked a threat playing in the "Number 10" role in pre-season.
Adnan Januzaj's Goal Against Barcelona In Pre-Season
A final mention is on David De Gea. He is either sold this season or he chooses to extends his contract and stays with us or stays with us this season and leave for free next season. In the last pre-season match against Paris St. Germain, we could see he was distracted. It beats me why he would want to go back to Spain and play for Real Madrid having been an Atletico Madrid boy. I can understand that he would want to go back to be closer to his family or for the weather as the Manchester weather is too awful for his girlfriend but looking at the way Real Madrid and its fans treat their players, I can't understand why anyone would want to go there aside from the glamour and prestige of the club. Whatever the reason, I still hope De Gea stays even if it looks unlikely. If his stay is temporary for only one season, I hope he stays focused and professional and gives us his best until he goes just like Cristiano Ronaldo did.
How well do I feel United would do this season? I am not sure. It could go better than expected or terribly. I don't know. I just hope for the best every game and take it one game at a time. You should too. Don't be pompous. Never under-estimate your opponents whoever they are and hope Liverpool and City have terrible seasons. That's what a good United fan should do every season. Football goes in cycles. Maybe we had a blip that lasted 2 seasons and are coming out of it now. Maybe we are still in transition for a few more years. I just hope it will not take us 26 years for the next league title to arrive. Good luck to everyone except City and Liverpool. If we don't win it, I don't want to see either of those teams win it.
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