Louis Van Gaal Has Finally Found The Right Attacking Balance

The shock of Manchester United finally scoring in the first half at Old Trafford for the first time since September on Wednesday wasn’t just immediately undercut by their second soon after, but because they fully deserved it too.

Manchester United genuinely beat Stoke City at a canter. By half-time they could have even been 4-0 up, and watching United confirm victory in the 53rd minute before then spending the next 37 gently keeping Stoke at bay harked back to the days of a certain knighted Scot.

Far from being the norm, this was an anomaly. And if Manchester United are to have any chance of overtaking either Arsenal or Tottenham Hotspur (let’s face it Manchester City won’t drop out of the top 4 and Leicester City are on a one team mission to rejuvenate the magic of football with their majestic consistency) it’s plainly obvious that they now need to go on a winning run to really increase the pressure on the teams above.

As a stark reminder of Manchester United’s topsy-turvy campaign, infuriatingly, West Ham United are still just a point behind too.

Far from a tinkerer, Van Gaal has previously proven that he is happy to stick with a team in order to give them time, and he’s likely to do that once again now that United have scored the unprecedented amount of 6 goals in 2 games.

During Louis Van Gaal’s most successful period as Manchester United manager - between March 15 and April 12 last season when they beat Tottenham, Liverpool, Aston Villa, and Manchester City – he only made one change to his side, with Rojo replacing Smalling at centre-back.

In fact, one of the most divisive elements of Louis Van Gaal’s reign has been his dedication to playing Juan Mata or Anthony Martial out on the wing, Wayne Rooney up front, or simply Maraoune Fellaini at all.

Against Stoke City on Wednesday Manchester United’s starting eleven had a balance and rhythm that it had been severely lacking for months. Fresh from their professional victory over Derby County in the FA Cup on Friday, Van Gaal decided to play Wayne Rooney up front, Juan Mata just behind elegantly pulling the strings, and Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial on the wings terrorising the full-backs with their pace and running.

The result was fast, direct, and devastating football. Juan Mata has been begging to be played in the number 10 role, rather than as a left-footed right-winger, for the best part of a year. In his favoured position against Derby and Stoke Juan Mata was constantly looking to be on the ball, and actually looked like he was having fun. He was also repeatedly able to find Anthony Martial on the left wing, a position that the formidable French-man is beginning to make his own more and more.

Sure, it’s lazy to make the obligatory Theiry Henry comparison, but Anthony Martial’s drive, pace, and single-mindedness to head towards goal, but without being selfish, smacks so much of Mr. Va Va Voom that it’s the best way to describe him. There aren’t words to do his goal justice. I’ll just let your involuntary moans of joy when you see it do the talking. While the ease with which he is getting to the byline on the wing is reminiscent of a porsche speeding past a post box.

Jesse Lingard’s importance on the right-wing can’t be understated too. Like a disciplined pooch, Lingard keeps strictly to his position, which keeps the opposition’s defence stretched and means there is much more space for Martial to exploit and Mata and Rooney to roam.

While he might not be spectacular, Lingard seems to be a sublime reader of the game too, and it’s hard to imagine either Mata when he was forced to play there, Adnan Januzaj, Antonio Valencia, Ashley Young, or Memphis Depay taking the gamble and being in the six-yard box for United’s first goal.

And that just leaves Wayne. Rooney’s return to form has been a sight for sore eyes. While the England and Manchester United captain wasn’t missing chances before the turn of the year, the fact that he wasn’t having any was seen as bona-fide proof that United were better off without him.

Since 2016 became official Rooney’s luck has changed. Chances have started to fall his way, and he’s been taking them with aplomb. Rooney has now scored seven goals in seven matches, and they’ve been of all different shapes and sizes too. His curling efforts against Newcastle and Derby County were a technical marvel, while his impromptu flick against Swansea was reminiscent of Denis Law, and even his six-yard tap in against Stoke City showed that he’s now in sync with the attacking trio around him.

Sure, it was only one game – maybe two if you want to include the Derby victory. But, it’s the first time in months that Manchester United have shown an attacking fluidity and rhythm to get truly excited over. And it needs to continue if they are to have any chance of getting into the Champions League places.

[Images via Getty/Alex Livesey & Clive Mason ]