Where to begin? Manchester United looks to rebound off its most disappointing season in decades with a new manager in Dutch genius Louis van Gaal. The man who watched over a third place Netherlands finish at the World Cup has quite the resume and reputation, having led Ajax, Barcelona, AZ Alkmaar and Bayern Munich.
How much difference can one man make? We may find out, as van Gaal will be cooking with a lot of the same ingredients as his predecessor David Moyes. The Red Devils continue to be linked with a bevy of big names, but so far the major acquisitions have been Luke Shaw and Ander Herrera. That means LVG will be focusing on Juan Mata, Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie... just like the sacked Moyes.
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Transfers In: Luke Shaw (Southampton), Ander Herrera (Bilbao)
Transfers Out: Ryan Giggs, Alexander Buttner (Dynamo Moscow), Patrice Evra (Juventus), Federico Macheda (Cardiff City), Nemanja Vidic (Inter Milan), Rio Ferdinand (Queens Park Rangers), Bebe (Benfica)
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Last season: United’s disappointment was a relative one, as the Red Devils finished just five points out of Europe, scored the fifth-most goals in the Premier League and allowed the fifth-fewest. Where the club really failed was allowing Old Trafford to be far less than a fortress, as West Brom, Everton and Newcastle were teams to snap historic winless skids in the building. In fact, United posted seven of its 12 losses at home. That’s no good.
But remember, the team also advanced deep into the UEFA Champions League without a cup-tied Mata. Bayern Munich needed the second leg at home to pick up a win. Could LVG have made a difference simply in selection in preparation? Absolutely.
Star player: Wayne Rooney
Hard to choose between Rooney and van Persie, but England’s bulldog led the Red Devils with 17 goals last season. RVP’s strike rate was slightly better, but Rooney makes more of a difference at both ends of the park (something that infuriates some fans). Rooney also requires the freedom to freelance, and that could become a problem with van Gaal if the wins aren’t coming and the freelancing has left gaps in the formation.
Coaches’ Corner: Louis van Gaal
As mentioned earlier, we’ll learn a lot about how much of a difference a manager can make from van Gaal’s first year in charge. The fact remains that players are far more important than a boss, but LVG won all five of his friendlies on U.S. soil and will have the full backing of van Persie as he looks to rebuild the United brand.
PST predicts: Manchester United returns to battle for a Top Four spot and needs January additions to push itself into the championship discussion. The late moves don’t come in time to push them above Chelsea or Manchester City, leaving the club to duke it out with Arsenal and Liverpool for 3rd and 4th place. Do they make it? Not as currently constructed. United finish fifth and LVG uses the summer of 2015 to build his title contender.