United’s problem lies in midfield

Having just shipped out around 60 million pounds on Argentinian star Angel DI Maria, bringing their spending to over 130 million pounds, it is clear United are willing to spend big to improve their fortunes in the league this season, but are United spending wisely?

The signings of Rojo and Shaw, despite the hefty fees were needed due to the departure of Vidic, Ferdinand and Evra. Similarly the signing of Di Maria is a good addition especially with the lack of pace currently in the United attack.

One problem remains however, United’s central midfield has been a problem for many years now and their summer signings seem to ignore this fact, yes Ander Herrera is a welcome addition but he is more of an advanced playmaker similar to Juan Mata, not a player who can dictate the game from deep.

Herrera is undoubtedly a great player, his passing range however is not up with the best in Europe and should Van Gaal decide to play him from deep it is unclear whether he could hold his own. A possibility for Van Gaal is to play him alongside a more defensive-minded midfielder, an unlikely outcome considering the preferred 5-3-2 formation.

The Manchester side have numerous options in midfield, Carrick, Cleverley, Anderson, Fellaini, Fletcher, none of whom have impressed in recent years or instil confidence that they can be the man that pulls the strings in United’s midfield.

The days of Paul Scholes running the midfield are long gone and it is time to replace him with a top quality midfielder, Tom Cleverley was seen as the natural replacement but it is clear at this stage of his career Cleverley is not up for the challenge.

Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso are perfect examples of the type of player the Red Devils need, both are leaders for their teams dictating the tempo of games with their superb passing range and anticipation of the game.

These players are hard to come by but if United want to be a major force again you feel it is a necessity, one player linked heavily with United this summer is Chilean international, Arturo Vidal, someone who fits the bill perfectly.

There is just under a week left this transfer window and should Van Gaal decide to make a move for Vidal it could be the difference in turning Manchester United’s fortunes around and helping them break back into the top 4 and maybe even challenging for the title.