Manchester United bob up and down from third to fourth with little worry over their league position. Yet performances have shocked many who assumed that, after a 7-1 drubbing of LA Galaxy and wins over Real Madrid, Liverpool and Roma in pre-season, United would amble with ease into the top four. Then Louis van Gaal brought in Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao and United’s form rocketed upwards from an early disappointment to 6 wins on the bounce and 10 games undefeated.
Yet now performances are lackluster at best, the stalemate at League Two Cambridge United a demonstration of the rapid decline in United’s attacking prowess. Van Gaal’s side crave a quick player who can cause trouble from the drab passing around the box that earned a reply of ‘attack, attack!’ from United’s traveling fans at Queens Park Rangers. Angel Di Maria is that man, surely? But while the £59 million has had a huge impact at United, averaging a WhoScored rating of 7.27 while contributing to 9 goals, the small spark that is waiting to be ignited in his magic left foot often fails to be ignited and often fails to produce the magic required.
It is the forgotten man, Adnan Januzaj who has played just 435 minutes of football, starting only 4 games, who should be seen as someone who can ignite the spark to produce the magic.
Each time he popped out of the darkness of the left side of the pitch he added some excitement to the game. He caused the United fans to sit forward in their seats because although all four of his shots were saved he had a spark. He attempted 6 dribbles, more than anyone else on the pitch and one attempt saw his wind his way through two players and attempt to recreate Ryan Giggs’ famous dribble against Arsenal.
Of course rewards for his effort must arrive if he is going to stay in the first team of a club who has Falcao, Di Maria, van Persie, Rooney, Mata and Herrera. But it is he who I foresee bringing the light at the end of the tunnel that can clearly be seen, unlike last season, ever closer.
via WhoScored.com
His heatmap against Cambridge demonstrates where you want your left winger to be. Penetrating into the box.
That red area on the left hand side of the box is where you want a Manchester United winger to be. Not where Falcao is, whose main area was in his own half, or where Di Maria is whose main area was non-existent because he floated around so much. Robin van Persie is the only other Manchester United player to have a red area within the opposition’s 18-yard-box like Adnan Januzaj.
Yes, Di Maria and Falcao and the other players may have had a bad day but even as he didn’t look like the man who was going to score Januzaj continued to probe at the League Two defence and make them worry.
United are in need for someone like Ryan Giggs of old who no matter how he played could always do something. Angel Di Maria has failed to excel in Louis van Gaal’s system but Adnan Januzaj can and will; if only he was given the chance.
All stats courtesy of WhoScored.com
Harry Robinson
Manchester United Editor at FansCorner and VAVEL UK.
U7's coach at AFC Southgate.
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