Man United's big spending paying off in return to Premier League's top four
Manchester United spent a pretty penny before the 2014-15 season, and, despite a chorus of criticism, the money spent has paid off in points earned.
[FC Yahoo: Manchester United taking the good with Louis van Gaal – for now]
With the exception of Luke Shaw, a 19-year-old who has time to develop into a good player, all of United’s big-name transfers have played their part in helping the Red Devils slot into third place with only seven rounds remaining in the Premier League.
Angel Di Maria may not be the first name on the team sheet these days, but the Argentine carried the dysfunctional Red Devils early in the season. Di Maria began his Man United career with three goals and three assists in his first four games. Hinting at a slight return to form, the 27-year-old from Rosario has three assists in his last three appearances going into Sunday’s Manchester derby.
[FC Yahoo: Why Manuel Pellegrini should be kept as Man City manager]
One of the side effects of Di Maria’s incredible loss of form was Juan Mata’s resurrection. Mata sulked on the sidelines while United struggled to score goals. With Di Maria losing his touch to spectacular effect, Mata reemerged to claim a place in the first team. The 26-year-old Spaniard has two goals and an assist in his past two appearances.
Speaking of Spaniards, Ander Herrera failed to keep a steady place in Louis van Gaal’s setup early on, as the former Athletic Bilbao midfielder only started and finished three of his first 10 appearances in England. Often featuring as an unused substitute, the 25-year-old looked like a waste of the more than $40 million United reportedly paid for him. However, as United gained form and Van Gaal converted non-believers into believers, Herrera became a central figure in the first 11. In his last two starts, Herrera has matched Mata with two goals and an assist.
[Premier League: Scores and Schedule | Current Standings | Teams]
For the Netherlands in the 2014 World Cup, Daley Blind primarily played as a distributing midfielder in front of the back four. Van Gaal tried the Dutchman in a similar role for Manchester United, but the chemistry simply did not fizz. With the return of Michael Carrick in the midfield, Blind has moved to the left side. He may not be perfect, but he has been one of the most reliable figures for United.
Tossed directly into the fire, Marcos Rojo took a while to adjust to the Premier League. With Van Gaal testing formations and changing defensive setups early and often, Rojo made mistakes that in-form goalkeeper David de Gea usually managed to erase. However, the Argentine appears to have found his comfort zone and should open his Premier League scoring account sooner rather than later with a bazooka for a left foot. Rojo has featured in United’s defense in 19 Premier League games, which is more than any other Red Devil defender.
The final big money signing, even if was technically only a loan, was Radamel Falcao. The Colombian has been nothing short of consistent – consistently bad – but his struggles have helped the squad. Falcao’s impotence in front of goal, combined with Robin van Persie’s persistent injuries, allowed Wayne Rooney and Marouane Fellaini to play as forwards. While the Rooney and Fellaini partnership may not sound entirely natural or make much sense, it has served as the base for United’s recent run of form, as defenders understandably dread Fellaini’s physical style and Rooney’s scoring instincts.
Of course, the biggest summer signing for Manchester United was Van Gaal. Under the immense pressure of living up to Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford, the Dutch manager has never wavered in the face of criticism or poor play. Unlike David Moyes, Van Gaal speaks and acts with an air of confidence that dulls the criticism leveled against him. Also, his pedigree makes it difficult to argue tactics with him.
Winning the league may not seem plausible for Manchester United, but it surely isn’t impossible. However, the goal at the season’s start was to qualify for the Champions League and return to European play. Sitting in third place with an eight-point gap over fifth-place Liverpool, Van Gaal and the Red Devils can point to the results in the table when questioned on the transfer business done over the summer.
If Van Gaal and Manchester United can take three points from Manchester City on Sunday, the Red Devils can just about brush palms and exclaim, "Business done!"
Shahan Ahmed is a soccer columnist for Yahoo Sports. He has previously written about the 2014 World Cup and 2013 Confederations Cup and regularly provides opinions on the English Premier League, UEFA Champions League, German Bundesliga, Italian Serie A and Spanish La Liga. Follow Shahan on Twitter: @ShahanLA and @perfectpass
