Time to take Manchester United seriously again

It has been a while since United fans have been able to confidently talk about their team.
Last season was a disaster under David Moyes as he took the reds from 1st to 7thplace. Louis van Gaal eventually took over, and United have just won their fourth game in a row. That is not exactly a mind blowing statistic, but the recent performances suggest Manchester United have finally got their mojo back.

It all started on a Saturday night at the Emirates. Arsenal controlled most of the first half, but De Gea who turned out to be one of the stars of the show kept United in the match. Valencia ended up drilling a deflected shot into the back of the net, and from that point onward it was a case of defending well and picking Arsenal off on the counter. Di Maria and Rooney linked up devastatingly and it could have ended 0-3.

Hull City next, and United passed them to death. It was arguably one of United’s most dominant performances since Ferguson departed. The fans are beginning to watch confident performances which were non-existent last season.

Considering there have been 41 different injuries since van Gaal took over. United have coped miraculously and with them comfortably sat in fourth spot already, what is going to happen when a fully fit squad is available?

The biggest mystery this season has been the defence. More defencive injuries have occurred than any other season. It is impossible to build a solid defence without a consistent back four. According to most experts, the back four is United’s weakness. Maybe so, or is that just a scapegoat?


When you have van Persie, Falcao and Rooney up-front, with Di Maria on the wing, how can other departments in the team live up to that. Since that strange game against Leicester City, United have conceded 0.88 goals per game. Hardly a crisis.

In terms of momentum, the Stoke win was a huge one. It was a hard fought victory, grinded out right until the end. In the past, the best teams have grinded out victories to win the title. This season United will not get near the title, because Mourinho has had a whole year to build his team. They are miles ahead.

My argument is how good will this United team be once van Gaal has had a year to build. The good signs are certainly there and it is time to take United seriously. Under Moyes United would get rolled over but Old Trafford is a fortress again. I am confident this team will only go from strength to strength. The good times will be back soon.

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About Jordan Street 18922 Articles
Mancunian. Red through and through. Season Ticket holder block E332.

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