Manchester United v Everton FC: scouting report
An in-depth look at the Red Devils before their Old Trafford clash against the Blues
Manchester United's Angel Di Maria up against Leicester City's Daniel Drinkwater
Match: Manchester United v Everton
Date: Sunday, October 5 (kick off noon)
Manager: Louis van Gaal. The Dutchman’s coaching CV reads like a Who’s Who of European football. Having managed Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich (not forgetting AZ Alkmaar too), there was never any question of van Gaal being fazed by the size of the United job - unlike his predecessor David Moyes.
The 63-year-old was confirmed as Moyes’ successor in May, his three-year contract kicking in after he had guided Holland to a third-placed finish at the World Cup, a tournament which gave him the chance to showcase his inventive array of formations and tactics, not to mention a canny use of substitutes.
Van Gaal won widespread praise for his work in Brazil and barely had time to draw breath before being unveiled to the world’s media as the 24th manager in United’s history.
It did not take long for the man to Dutch media nicknamed the Iron Tulip to deliver a blunt assessment of what he had inherited from Moyes, namely a “broken” squad.
He spent more than £150m this summer trying to put that right.
Form: United under van Gaal have hardly hit the ground running, despite the fixture computer handing the Red Devils what looked to be a gentle introduction to the 2014-15 campaign.
Their first seven games of the new manager’s reign have yielded just two wins - home victories over West Ham (2-1) and QPR (4-0).
There have been a couple of surprise beatings, with a 4-0 Capital One Cup loss to League One side MK Dons being followed a few weeks later by a 5-3 capitulation at Leicester City, the Foxes scoring four unanswered goals as they roared back from 3-1 down.
It was the first time in Premier League history that United had surrendered a two-goal lead and lost - an unwanted early blot on van Gaal’s record.
As well as an opening-day defeat at home to Swansea, there have been draws with Burnley (0-0) and Sunderland (1-1) too, with United’s haul of eight points from a possible 18 representing a disappointing return so far.
How they’ll set up: Van Gaal might have beefed up United’s squad with the acquisition of six expensive summer signings, but he has also had to contend with an ever-lengthening injury and suspension list which has gone into double figures.
Ander Herrera, a £28.85m capture from Athletic Bilbao, is the latest player to be sidelined. He broke a rib against West Ham and joins the likes of Michael Carrick, Phil Jones, Jonny Evans, Chris Smalling and Ashley Young in the treatment room.
A crippling shortage of fit defenders means United will probably line up with a back four, rather than deploy three centre-backs as van Gaal did so often at the World Cup with Holland and during some of United’s pre-season games.
In front of keeper David de Gea, the defence should feature Rafael and Luke Shaw in the full-back slots, with Marcos Rojo partnering Tyler Blackett (now free from suspension) in the centre.
But while Blackett returns from his ban, Wayne Rooney begins a suspension for his sending off against the Hammers, robbing the Red Devils of one of their key creative forces.
The England captain had been playing ‘in the hole’ behind United’s fearsome strikeforce of Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao, but his absence means a more conventional flat midfield might be deployed with Daley Blind and Darren Fletcher (a likely deputy for Herrera) in the centre, flanked by Argentine maestro Angel Di Maria and either Juan Mata or Adnan Januzaj in the wide areas.
It all means five of van Gaal’s six summer signings - Shaw, Rojo, Blind, Di Maria and Falcao - should face the Blues.
Sum them up in 140 characters: Goals, goals, goals - at both ends. Frightening attacking talent, but troubled at the back. The Theatre of Dreams is under reconstruction.
Player to watch: Angel Di Maria. United paid a British record fee (£59.7m) to Real Madrid for the services of the 26-year-old this summer and it already looks to be money well spent.
The Argentine’s debut at Burnley was low-key, but his Old Trafford bow a week later against a hapless QPR won rave reviews. He opened the scoring in the 4-0 win and also netted a sublime goal against Leicester, before United capitulated.
And Di Maria has history when it comes to playing Everton. He set up three goals in the 5-0 Europa League victory over David Moyes’ men in 2009 - the Blues’ heaviest European defeat - and also shone in the 2-0 win at Goodison a month later.
Source: Echo
