After a tedious international break, and a wait that has felt like aeons, Manchester United return to action in the Barclays Premier League on Monday. They visit the Midlands to face West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns before the more gruelling task of playing Chelsea and then Manchester City in the two subsequent fixtures.
The international break has, it could be argued, been beneficial to United and Louis van Gaal. It has provided the Dutchman an opportunity to ruminate on his first three months in the job, to look at what has worked, what hasn’t while allowing him time to collect himself as we edge ever closer to the hectic winter period. Luckily the squad has emerged from the international break unscathed, having sustained no further injuries. This coupled with the fact that Ander Herrera, Michael Carrick, Phil Jones and Chris Smalling have all returned from injury puts United in a position of relative strength as they look to recommence the season with an away win at West Bromwich Albion, thus conserving precious momentum.
Starting XI prediction (4-4-2 diamond):
We’ve gone for Tom Thorpe as putting Jones or Smalling back into the team would be a bigger risk than giving Thorpe, the U21s captain and Mr. Reliable, an opportunity just like he did with McNair.
David De Gea: The Spaniard gave what was arguably his best performance in a United shirt in the 2-1 win over Everton before the international break. Saving a Leighton Baines penalty is no mean feat, the Evertonian had converted every single one of his Premier League penalties prior to taking one against De Gea. The penalty save was later topped by an exceptional one on one save and then an acrobatic leap to palm away a last-minute shot, securing the victory for United.
Rafael da Silva: He has proven his importance to this team and formation, providing attacking width, tenacious defending and relative experience. He has remained quietly impressive since returning from injury.
Phil Jones: Forces his way back into the XI as he returns to fitness, replacing the injured Paddy McNair. It remains to be seen how he performs alongside his new defensive partner; Marcos Rojo, having returned to a more conventional back four.
Marcos Rojo: Another quietly impressive performance against Everton was tempered by the occasional rash decision while in possession, yet Rojo has proved his worth in his preferred position with aggressive, passionate and efficient performances. Currently a diamond in the rough, all Rojo requires is a little polishing until he is the finished article.
Luke Shaw: Much the same as his counterpart Rafael, Shaw has impressed since returning from his spell on the sidelines. Adept in both attack and defence, Shaw promises to develop into an exceptional left back.
Daley Blind: The unsung hero of the two previous wins, Blind is always there to snuff out danger before it harms the team. His distribution is excellent as is his reading of the game, in his current central midfield holding role it’s hard not to see similarities between Blind and Barcelona’s Sergio Busquets. High praise indeed.
Ander Herrera: A speedy recovery from a broken rib means Herrera could well start this match, albeit with a pain killing injection. His nous on the ball and obvious reluctance to ever relinquish possession is an absolute joy to watch. As is his obvious chemistry with Mata, Di Maria and Blind. Herrera will have an important role to play in the more decisive fixtures to come.
Angel Di Maria: Another game, another goal and another assist for Di Maria means he is rightly the name on every United fans lips. His instinctive curled shot past Tim Howard was exquisite, as was the overhead flick he performed to give Falcao a shooting opportunity. I’m even willing to give him the benefit of the doubt on his scuffed shot which ended up providing the assist for Falcao’s goal.
Juan Mata: It is painfully obvious how much coherent and cohesive Manchester United are as a team when Mata plays in his favoured number ten role. Yes he isn’t as defensively diligent as Rooney, nor as well-built but the Spaniard is wonderfully incisive and is largely undeserving of the criticism levelled at him from certain quarters of the press, members of the press who have some crazed, unwavering bias towards Rooney purely because he somehow remains England’s best player due to the dearth of talent in the national setup.
Robin van Persie (C): A perceived lack of form appears to have been troubling Van Persie, a player who having been a lone striker for the majority of his career now has to adapt to sharing the central berth with another of the world’s greatest strikers; Radamel Falcao. United fans will hope this partnership continues to blossom.
Radamel Falcao: Getting off the mark versus Everton will have done Falcao a world of good. Still feeling his way back from his cruciate ligament injury the Colombian will look to build on his already impressive performances for United with more goals, starting against West Brom.
