The transfer window closed this week with the only business being conducted at Old Trafford involving player exits – aside from a couple of bizarre purchases destined for little more than the under-21 team. Heading out the exit door: Brazilian misfit Anderson, who returned home to Internacional on a free transfer. Meanwhile, Darren Fletcher signed for West Bromwich Albion and Wilfried Zaha completed a permanent return to Crystal Palace.
Louis van Gaal’s now slimmer squad remains in a four-way race for third and fourth places in the Premier League, with Southampton and Arsenal then Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool all within five points of Van Gaal’s side. There is little guarantee the Reds will make the Champions League, although the Reds remains marginal favourites. After all, it has been anything but a consistent season, in part disrupted by injuries, in part by the vagaries of Van Gaal’s ever-changing approach.
The transfer window is about resources though – the real question is whether Van Gaal’s now fully-fit squad has enough to ensure a spot in the top four without additions. After all, while the Reds’ seemingly shaky defence boasts the third best defensive record in the league, it is up front where goals have been hard to come by in recent weeks. The balance between the two is yet to be found by United’s manager more than six months into the role.
In contrast a number of United’s rivals strengthened during the January transfer window. Arsenal signed 24-year-old Brazilian defender Gabriel Paulista, while Southampton added two talented midfielders in Filip Djuricic and Eljero Elia. Liverpool and Spurs, like United, played a more circumspect game by adding little over the winter.
It leaves the season on the edge – and Van Gaal in the spotlight, with supporters asking the questions…
[poll id=”97″]
it’s a no from me, tho a CB would’ve been nice, the more pressing matter is getting the attacking play sorted.. And Herrera
hate to bore but if the plyrs weren’t there to sign, wats the man to do?!Hold the sponds for next seasons assault on prem title
I think cuadrado would have been an awesome signing. Huge upgrade to Valencia
We have many defenders for the 2 central positions (hoping LvG sticks to 4-4-2 the rest of the season), although I just do not rate any of them. Jones invariably makes a mistake, Smalling’s distribution is poor, Evans is just an ordinary defender to even play for us, and Rojo is still coming to terms with a new, more physical league. We should have definitely bought a top defender to partner Rojo, who seems to be the best of our lot.
We have lost 2 midfielders this transfer window – Anderson and Fletcher – not that their loss matters to us anyway, and given LvG’s distrust of our best midfielder Herrera and our players’ propensity to get injured often, I would have been happy with a midfielder, but obviously the loss of Roma’s Strootman to injury stopped LvG from making a move for him. I guess we have to make do with Blind, Carrick and Rooney in midfield the rest of this season. With Rooney in our midfield, no wonder we are not creating many chances for our forwards. And no, Fellaini is not a midfielder, and LvG has finally realized that, playing him upfront with RvP against Cambridge.
@Lucas_MUTD
Where are the players? Its not enough to add players but they must be able to add values. For the first time in a while, we dont have values in the market. I think our squard is strong enough to challenge for 2nd or 3rd place if LVG can show more consistence in team selection and the players can be more consistent in their performance.
No I don’t think he should of spent January could be an over payment month, paddy mcnair and jame’s Wilson with Herrera is enough cover we just need a consistent first 11 I think considering we have had 44 injuries this season we have hone blood well, personally in the summer I would let smalling, Evans, Valencia, fellaini, rvp and falcoa, and young go and bring In marquinas from psg, Hummel’s, from Dortmund and Nathaniel clyne I would keep jones as I believe with more experienced players around him he will become the defender fergie believed he would b, and bring in martinez from Porto and benzema, from madrid and I like the sound of de pay coming as he is a rapid young player a top talent who can play wing back, my team for next season
. de gea
. marquinas hummels rojo
De pay. Shaw
. blind
. dia Maria. mata
.
. benzema
. Martinez
Subs: Valdes, jones, rapheal, Herrera, januzej, Rooney, wilson
To be honest, we only need 3 new additions. 1 CB, 1 MF (10 to support Herrera, Mhkitarian) and a winger (Martinez or someone else). LvG just needs to perfect his game, and the plays need time to start adjusting and understanding each other. Also, VP needs to get back in form and start scoring goals.
Agree with previous comments (except John’s which didn’t merit reading all the way through: you lost me at jame’s Wilson). The squad is adequate to finish 3rd or 4th, but still might not – because of the manager and his wrong formations, selections and tactics. He seems to think he lifted the World Cup playing that way; actually, Holland in that deployment wouldn’t have scored against Costa Rica or Argentina if they’d carried on playing until the end of the world.
4-2-3-1:
Falcao or RVP or Rooney or Wilson
Januzaj – Rooney or Mata – Di Maria
Blind – Herrera
Shaw – Rojo – Jones or Smalling – Rafael or McNair
Should have offloaded with Anderson and Fletcher: Valencia, Fellaini, Evans
no i don’t think it was necessary and will there be a press conference today?
You know what… I’ve been thinking for some time in the past few days and have come to the realization that Van Gaal was absolutely right to NOT have signed any player in this january window. Maybe we don’t feel all the same now but once we get this win against West ham the margin of supporters that believe Van Gaal did the right thing by not signing anyone will grow and gradually more so once we start putting results till the end of the season.
No point. Literally nobody available to buy who is at the level we need.
If only,
right back – Roger Byrne
centre-midfield – Duncan Edwards
striker – Tommy Taylor
R.I.P. The Babes
57 years ago today.
No for me. Van Gaal needs to prove what he can do with the players we have.