The re-shuffling and general reduction in Manchester United’s striking options has been the topic of much debate this summer, with Louis Van Gaal re-instating Wayne Rooney as the main man in the front line.
The move though, also means that the supporting role has been handed to new signing Memphis Depay.
Van Gaal has given his summer recruit the number ten role and it seems therefore, that he expects his compatriot to dictate his side’s attacking play.
Of course it is early days in the season and the coach will not be frightened to alter his system as the campaign develops but the tactic was the preferred one during pre-season and used on the opening day against Spurs.
With Depay new to the league and arriving for a sizeable fee, is it possible that the decision to deploy him as the fulcrum of United’s attack is too much too soon?
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On his home debut, Memphis performed ably without inspiring the Old Trafford crowd that had eagerly awaited his first appearance.
His passing in the first half was excellent as he played some decent through balls and made some quick interchanges with his team mates. In the second half his passing accuracy fell but he was intent on trying to make something happen for his side before his substitution. His shooting though was off target.
Finding the net however, is something he has proven is not a problem. The 21 year old was prolific for PSV Eindhoven and in his final season finished as the top scorer in the Eredivisie with 22 goals, while bagging a total of 28 in his 40 appearances last term.
When questioned on his tactics, Van Gaal explained that he sees Depay’s current responsibilities as closer to that of the second striker, rather than a third midfielder.
This would indicate that he has given his summer capture greater freedom to support Rooney at the expense of some defensive duties. The former Bayern Munich and Barcelona boss also stated though that Depay would also be deployed on the left wing in other variations of his new tactic.
The manager will no doubt be thinking back to his player’s PSV days when he caused many a problem cutting back in from the left flank to shoot or cross with his right foot.
In fact the Dutch international’s pace and dribbling ability make him suited to either wing where he could be a danger for United if they chose to deploy alternatives more centrally.
The craft and guile of Juan Mata would be one such option, with Depay taking the Spaniard’s place on the right flank, while Adnan Januzaj got the role against Aston Villa.
Depay’s finishing ability could see him being pushed above Rooney to spearhead the attack with the captain dropping back into the hole.
Should Van Gaal wish to switch to a 4-4-2 then the two should compliment each other well as a partnership. In the event of the England man being unavailable, Memphis could support some of United’s other options including Fellaini whose contrasting physical style could open up gaps for the young attacker.
The point here is that while Van Gaal has begun the season with a formation which appears to place great responsibility on his new star in the number ten role, the start has both the ability to excel in the position and the versatility to make another his own, should he need to find his feet elsewhere first.
The players around him such as Mata, Rooney and Young also lend themselves to a certain degree of flexibility in the Red Devils’ forward line, which should see them able to interchange, simultaneously creating space and problems for the opposition.
Van Gaal, while applying a certain amount of pressure to Memphis Depay, is giving him every opportunity to make Old Trafford his own.
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