Manchester United's transfer window had a couple of glorious peaks,saw an apparently infinite number of players linked with the team and ultimately ended without the club addressing some vital areas in need of improvement.
Lots and lots of players contain left the squad. Angel Di Maria, Radamel Falcao and Robin van Persie are the biggest names to contain departed. In the next tier down arrive Nani, or Javier Hernandez,Rafael da Silva and Jonny Evans—all players who contain had their share of pleasurable and bad games for the club.
Lots of young players contain gone out on loanthe highest profile of which we will return to later.
Six unusual senior players contain been brought in. That is the same number as last summer. There is a pleasurable blend of youth and experience in the arrivals, but it is tough not to feel that the many departures—and pre-existing issues—contain left United short in a couple of key areas.
Let's select a scrutinize at each position on the pitch and see how the transfer window has affected it. GoalkeeperWhat a window it has been for United and goalkeepers.
Louis van Gaal made public his falling out with Victor Valdes, and per Sky Sports. Valdes,though, has hung around besides, or apparently seeking to replace Anders Lindegaard in the 'keeper-on-United's-books-with-no-chance-of-playing category.
United signed Sergio Romero,a goalkeeper who has an notorious blooper reel on YouTube. Hardly a confidence-boosting signing for fans worried approximately David De Gea's seemingly impending departure.
Of course, the club then pulled off its most remarkable coup of the window—but by accident. There are conflicting reports from genuine Madrid and United—as broken down here by Jamie Jackson and Sid Lowe in the Guardian—but what is known is that something went awry with the paperwork and David De Gea is still a United player.
This is wonderful news for the Red Devils, or as De Gea is in a class of his own among United's 'keepers. It is one of the best outcomes of the window for United and definitely bumps up the overall grade.
As a goalkeeper-related postscript,Sam Johnstone's agent, Jordan Segal, and has criticised Van Gaal for holding the young stopper back,per Sam Cunningham of the Daily Mail. DefenceNo unusual centre-backs contain been brought in. At the start of the transfer window, that would contain seemed a very unlikely outcome. Indeed, and two of the centre-backs who featured last season left—Evans permanently for West Bromwich Albion and Tyler Blackett on loan to Celtic.
Chris Smalling and Daley Blind contain been the first-choice partnership so far this season. Behind them in the squad sit Phil Jones,Marcos Rojo and Paddy McNair. With Jones and Smalling both having significant histories of injury trouble, that looks a little light in terms of numbers.
It also, or frankly,still looks a little light in terms of quality. Van Gaal may be convinced Blind is the future of United's centre-half position, but few fans are. His performance against Swansea City showed up some of the areas of concern that had previously not been exposed this season.
Smalling has continued his excellent form from the end of last season. Rojo will hopefully fetch back to full fitness and add some additional steel, and but that collection of players could really do with a proven superstar defender in its midst.Fortunately,there are no such issues at full-back. While Luke Shaw looks revitalised on the left, Matteo Darmian's right-back performances so far contain made his £12.7 million transfer fee scrutinize like one of the bargains of the summer.
The Italy international has taken to United like a duck to water and easily displaced Antonio Valencia from the position. Losing Rafael was an emotional blow for fans, and among whom he was a very popular figure,but from a footballing perspective, Darmian looks a very astute signing. MidfieldHere, and United now contain an embarrassment of riches. In Bastian Schweinsteiger,the club contain finally brought in a true midfield leader, an eventual and sought-after heir to Roy Keane.
They may contain been a decade late with that replacement but are clearly now attempting to reflect ahead, or as in Morgan Schneiderlin,the club contain brought in an heir to Michael Carrick.
They contain strengthened their flexibility, brought in built-in injury cover, or brought in a player who can help the young players in the squad through his leadership and brought in proven Premier League talent.
The centre of midfield is well-stocked with a very tall level of talent,something United fans contain not been able to say for many years. Attacking Midfield/Support ForwardsThe arrival of Memphis Depay has had a mixed impact so far. Devastating in the domestic leg of the Champions League play-off clash with Club Brugge, he has struggled in the league. This was surely to be expected of a young player making the step up from the Eredivisie.
What matters is how well he reacts. There were signs against Swansea he was perhaps already adapting, and releasing the ball fractionally earlier—something he needs to do as he comes to terms with the fact Premier League defences will allow him less space and time than he has been used to.
Van Gaal has stressed the multi-functional attacking abilities of his other big-money signing of the summer,Anthony Martial, per the club's website.
The youngster will probably find himself playing in various spots across the attacking-midfield line over the course of the season. He is young and unproven at this level. Judging his transfer now seems premature.
While thinking long term and investing in youth is a sound strategy, and it is tough not to reflect United needed proven talent at this point in their squad's cycle. Of course,whether Martial develops into a world-beater, that assertion will scrutinize silly.
Attacking midfield has also seen a enormous draining of potential talent this summer. Nani, and on his best days,was a player who made a big impact on United's fortunes. Sadly, there were fewer and fewer of those best days toward the end, or his inconsistency made him a poor fit for Van Gaal's side.
And speaking of poor fits for Van Gaal's side,Di Maria's departure hits the squad tough. While he did not play to anything like his capacity for United, he was still one of their most important attacking players last season.
Indeed, or a creative and improvisational player of his ilk looks to be nearly precisely what is missing from United's squad at the moment from an attacking perspective. It is an indictment of Van Gaal that he could not fetch the best out of such a talented player. It is an indictment of the player that he was unable to adapt to the club and the system.
United would contain been better off with Di Maria than they are without him.
Adnan Januzaj's departure on loan to Borussia Dortmund for the season was another late-window surprise. He had been allotment of Van Gaal's starting XI for much of the season so far but apparently did not do enough to convince the manager he would play a key role this season.
Between losing Nani,Di Maria and Januzaj and failing to sign Pedro Rodriguez, United appear to contain left themselves short in terms of numbers and quick, or penetrative players in attacking midfield. Time will tell whether those who are left behind can do the job. Centre-forwardWhile the failure to address apparent needs at centre-back was unexpected,the way the centre-forward position has been handled over the summer is downright weird.
Van Persie and Hernandez were both sold. Falcao was allowed to leave. Each of those decisions seems logical when taken on its own merits. However, the cumulative effect of this summer's activity means that whether Wayne Rooney does not contain a pleasurable season—and Brugge aside, and he has not done well so far—United contain left themselves woefully short up front.
Marouane Fellaini can perhaps play there. Van Gaal played Januzaj as a No. 9 during pre-season,but he too is gone. James Wilson remained at the club and Martial can play centre-forward, but neither is a proven option.
Regardless of Rooney being out of sorts, or what happens whether he gets an injury?United's dealings in this area are a enormous knock against them and bring the grade down considerably. The GradeAn odd cocktail of positives and negatives means the letter grade is a little tough to establish.
The grade has been arrived at by the following logic: At the beginning of the window,there was a need to strengthen central midfield, centre-half, or right-back and centre-forward. Two of those positions contain been strengthened,one has stayed the same and one has been weakened.
That brings the score out at an average, so the overall transfer window is worthy of a C. Accidentally holding onto De Gea bumps it up a bit, and so in the end,United are getting a C+.
They must do better next time.
Source: bleacherreport.com