Every Premier League season has it’s dark horses – sides which go on to hugely exceed expectations. Last year it was Liverpool and Southampton, the year before that it was Swansea City, and in 2011/12 it was Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur.
This year, could the Premier League’s dark horses, especially in regards to the title race, come in the form of Manchester United? That may seem like a counter-intuitive prediction; after all, we are talking about an English superpower that’s won 13 out of a possible 22 titles (and two Champions Leagues) since the Premier League’s incarnation.
But still ruptured to the core by the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson and the subsequent nightmares of David Moyes’ ten-month tenure, following a 5-3 defeat to Leicester City a few weeks ago, the Red Devils looked unlikely to stage a genuine Champions League bid this season, let alone attempt to reassert their dominance on the English crown.
Yet, victories over West Ham and Everton – inspired by Manchester United’s monumental attacking force that’s seen their 13 Premier League goals only surpassed by Chelsea and Manchester City – have dramatically altered the table’s landscape.
Now in fourth place as Arsenal, Liverpool and the Toffees struggle for consistent form, are United the outside candidates other teams should be fearing? Or, boasting style over substance to degrees unprecedented at the Carrington club, are they simply this season’s entertainers?
The back-to-back wins will breed huge confidence around Old Trafford, not only because they’re Manchester United’s first consecutive victories in competitive fixtures under Louis van Gaal, but due to the quality of the opposition.
Liverpool found themselves unstuck against West Ham in late September, succumbing to a 3-1 defeat at Upton Park. Judging by the series of shrewd signings Sam Allardyce made this summer, including Alex Song, Enner Valencia, Ryan Cresswell, Diafra Sakho and Cheikhou Kouyate to name a few, in combination with their positive start to the season and the continued cliché that Big Sam’s sides, home or away, are always tough to beat, the Hammers look set for a top half finish.
Likewise, Everton have endured a harrowing start to the campaign – in fact, they currently find themselves just two points above the relegation zone with the worst goals conceded column (16) in the Premier League. But the Toffees are a strong outfit and based on their league standing over the last ten years, remain the essential litmus test for clubs looking to qualify for the Champions League.
In short, if Manchester United are to be competitive in this term’s title race, these are the calibre of teams they need to be claiming three points off. Perhaps most pleasingly of all, the turnaround of results coincides with van Gaal’s prior prediction that it would take around three months for his methods and philosophy to start bearing fruits.
Yet, the intrinsic flaws in Manchester United’s squad are hard to ignore and will surely catch up with them at points throughout the season. The fact Johnny Evans, at the ripe old age of 26, is now the most experienced defender in the entire roster tells its own story about the lack of continuity and experience in United’s backline. Van Gaal has already handed Premier League debuts to no less than three academy centre-halves this season – Patrick McNair, Tyler Blackett and Michael Keane – whilst even summer signing Marcos Rojo is only 24 and has featured as frequently at left-back as he has centrally over the last few years with Sporting Lisbon and Argentina.
Likewise, although Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao remain a formidable partnership on paper, one that will unquestionably produce a healthy supply of goals, it lacks the mobility and power we’ve become accustomed to in the Premier League. In fact, in comparison to prior United sides, the absence of penetrating pace throughout the team – perhaps excepting Angel Di Maria, Antonio Valencia and Wayne Rooney – has become disturbingly noticeable in the last year.
Of course, the mantra remains a Kevin-Keegan-esque ‘we’ll score more goals than you’. Van Gaal’s Netherlands side bagged an incredible 34 goals during the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, the most of any European side, despite Group D containing decent enough opposition in Romania, Hungary and Turkey. The Dutchman’s ‘Gaalactio’ top-heavy recruitment during the summer, in combination with his attacking philosophy, are an extension of that ideal.
Even with capitulating backlines and limited pace in comparison to other Premier League sides, United have genuine goal-threats and match-winners in most departments – players who only need a half-chance, a slender, angled view of one of the posts, to hit the back of the net. The impeccable standard of some of the goals scored, such as Angel Di Maria’s deft lob, suggests this isn’t simply the honeymoon form of United’s signings and will remain a relentless trend throughout the campaign. Likewise, Juan Mata, Angel Di Maria, Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney can all punish teams from dead ball situations.
That makes United incredibly dangerous in the sense that they’re an unknown quantity. The unpredictability of results thus far under van Gaal – the shock defeats to Mk Dons and Leicester City, a 4-0 thrashing in the Capital One Cup and a 5-3 comeback in the league respectively – and the immeasurable power of United’s history further adds to the feeling of ambiguity, as if opponents aren’t quite sure what or who they’re preparing for. The old, rugged, determined United? The new breed of world-class attackers? Or a shambolic XI of youngsters and foreigners, still searching for balance, leadership and familiarity? Are they the returning monarchy-elect, or just the court jesters?
The next few months will give us indication. United face Manchester City and Chelsea, followed by Arsenal three weeks later, all before the end of November. Wins aren’t necessarily vital in regards to Champions League qualification – it’s likely that these clubs will constitute the Premier League’s top three come May-time – but if the Red Devils are to push a step further than expected and make themselves a genuine factor in the title race, they must produce positive results and competitive performances against their divisional rivals.
The element of surprise remains Manchester United’s biggest strength; they’re yet to face a major opponent under van Gaal and opposing managers can only hazard educated guesses in regards to how he’ll set the Red Devils up. But that alone will not be enough, considering the quality at Chelsea, City and Arsenal’s disposal. More than anything else, these coming fixtures will determine the level of substance behind United’s emphatic, eye-catching style and whether the van Gaal philosophy is something to be genuinely feared.
[ffc-quiz ]
[ad_pod id=’ricco’ align=’center’]