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Van Gaal offloaded rubbish - United's problems are the players they signed

Louis van Gaal sold players like Angel Di Maria and Wilfried Zaha – and was right to do so
Louis van Gaal sold players like Angel Di Maria and Wilfried Zaha – and was right to do so

Manchester United were linked with a move for Jonny Evans in the run-up to their game against West Bromwich Albion on Sunday. It is not the first time that United have been linked with an opposition player just before they played them, and it will probably not be the last.

Regardless of how credible the rumour really is, it was given a boost by the fact that Jose Mourinho has said in the past that he would not have sold Evans were he in charge at the time.

Mourinho has levelled criticism at the sales of players by Louis van Gaal before. He has said, for example, that he would not have sold Javier Hernandez, and there are other players who have gone on to do well since their departure from Old Trafford.

Radamel Falcao has improved now he is finally back at Monaco, and Angel Di Maria played far more impressively for Paris Saint-Germain than he did in England. There are other examples, too, but for the vast majority of cases, the problems for United have not been caused by reckless transfers out of the club, but haphazard quality control of players in.

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Hernandez left Old Trafford after two seasons of moodiness, first under Alex Ferguson, and then one under David Moyes. He was perhaps underused by both managers, but that doesn’t change that when he was used as a first choice striker, he did not offer similarly important contributions as he did when he was a substitute.

Hernandez cannot do it for 90 minutes and is an impact player
Hernandez cannot do it for 90 minutes and is an impact player

He enjoyed an impressive season in his first year at Bayer Leverkusen, but has demonstrated at West Ham why he was not reliably useful as a Premier League striker. It must be hard to accept that you are best used for only 20 minutes in a game that is usually 90 minutes long, but Van Gaal was not wrong to let him find that out elsewhere.

Di Maria joined United as a signing pulled off by Ed Woodward, and Van Gaal understandably did not turn down such a player. However, Di Maria was outplayed by Ashley Young in the same position for his first and final season as a United player.

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His vast improvement in Paris suggests that he never wanted to be in Manchester in the first place. Given that is likely true, it would be wrong to look at his performances in Paris wistfully, because there was simply no obvious way to change his attitude.

Shinji Kagawa was never going to replace Wayne Rooney
Shinji Kagawa was never going to replace Wayne Rooney

It was a surprise when Robin van Persie was sold, given he was perceived as a teacher’s pet, yet at Fenerbahce he has performed well, but not exceptionally. Of course he would have been better than Wayne Rooney, but his contract and reputation made him impossible to sell until he was properly hung out to dry by Mourinho.

Rooney’s potential replacement at number 10, Shinji Kagawa, could not adjust to a starting position 20 yards to the left on the pitch. Their sales were justifiable.

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Patrice Evra is a popular figure among United fans, but he was exhausted by the time he left, and his exit was for personal reasons, so there is no reason to hold that against any club. Just as Nemanja Matic was allowed to join a rival because of his good service at Chelsea, being generous to a player is no bad thing.

There are younger players, such as Wilfried Zaha and Michael Keane who often look promising players, but Keane’s step up to Everton has been unconvincing, and while Zaha is much improved, he is far from the quality of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial.

Rashford and Martial have definitely proved their worth
Rashford and Martial have definitely proved their worth

Danny Welbeck and Rafael are missed by some, but given Welbeck can’t break into the Arsenal first team and Rafael has not reliably held down his right-back spot for Lyon, United did not sell players who would improve the current squad.

There is one overwhelmingly valid criticism of United’s approach to sales, and that is compared to Manchester City and Spurs, they sell at bargain prices. That might be holding back Jose Mourinho in the recent transfer windows, but it pays to be sceptical here, too.

Flurry

As Woodward has shown with Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku, there is plenty of money should the Glazers want there to be, and there is enough to give Mourinho the tools to qualify for the Champions League. They have millions in unused cash, despite the flurry of activity.

But as they have shown with their reluctance to buy defenders, something obviously needed, or get Mourinho many of his preferred targets, they demonstraby won’t spend more than they deem necessary. They own a club to take money, not to achieve any particular glory.

It is not the sales that are the problem with United – it is the purchases. Ander Herrera passes sideways and dives, and little else. Marouane Fellaini helpfully tall. Matteo Darmian and Daley Blind are only exceptional for their sheer mediocrity, and Eric Bailly is too injury prone to have proven his worth.

Mkhitaryan doesn’t appear to have the rigour to drag a game away from the opposition, which isn’t enough for such an uneven squad. These recent transfers in have failed to improve United where they have sold players in the same position.

United are rumoured to be ready to buy another defender this transfer window, with names like Alex Sandro and Danny Rose mentioned. Mesut Ozil is a potential playmaker who wants to play under Mourinho again.

If they succeed, wonderful for the club. But looking at the track record of United and Woodward in particular, they will never get close to being a proper rival for Manchester City until they stop cutting corners, and start buying players sensibly.