Mandatory Credit: EFE via USA TODAY Sports
It would be an understatement of drastic proportions to say that Manchester United have been below substandard this season under first year headmaster David Moyes. Despite which side of the debate your views fall on, the numbers really cannot lie. Moyes’ record with United this term are identical to his record with Everton last season at the same juncture, the only difference is United have allowed one less goal. While people say that the players must hold the weight of responsibility, which to a certain degree they do, it is highly unlikely that this team magically went from first to seventh without plenty of help, or lack there of, from their manager.
The biggest issue, at least for me, as to why Moyes has failed at the helm for United was not because he struggled to gain the belief from his players and trust in the dressing room, but it is because his tactics were not the right sort. Moyes has been incredibly negative and, when it comes down to it, has been trying to deploy the same tactics used at Everton. Simply put, United are a side you take the leash off of and allow them the freedom of expression, to attack and to control proceedings. Too often Moyes has been the manager to be negative in his tactics and it has cost United time and time again.
In that same light, his selections have come under plenty of scrutiny as well and the fact that he failed to bring in fresh faces save for Marouane Fellaini, United were not properly reinforced and even if Moyes wanted to bring a different tactical approach, he did not do enough to recruit the players necessary. What United have lacked most over the course of the campaign and even last season, has been a creative spark in the center of the park. For all their talent through Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney and now Juan Mata, they struggle to control the match and tempo from central areas and deploy a player who can pull the strings from behind the attack – it is a key cog in the wheel of any side that wants to win anything. The beauty of this situation, is that United have already have a player at their disposal who could fit that role perfectly – Shinji Kagawa.
It may sound a little crazy, but Kagawa would fit into that role seemlessly. He is excellent on the ball, knows how to beat players on the dribble and has an excellent range of passing at both short and long distances. The Japanese international came to United by way of Borussia Dortmund after being a huge success in the Bundesliga. Kagawa was usually deployed on Dortmund’s right flank or could slot in behind the striker, but he could also play on the left – Kagawa already has a bit of versatility about him. In his first campaign at United he scored 6 goals in 20 matches, which is a solid return for a player in their first year in a league with such high physical standards, with the addition of no winter break.
Kagawa was always known for his creativity, but under Moyes he has barely featured all season, with the manager preferring to use Fellaini as much as possible when he has been fit, or some other combination of players. If you think the notion of playing Kagawa as a central midfielder smacks of lunacy, look no further than Luka Modric. Modric made his name in Croatia at club level and for the national team as an attacking midfielder, but at Spurs he eventually dropped into a deeper central role and that is where he continues to play today for Real Madrid with huge success. Kagawa and Modric are very like for like players, from physical size, to their creative nature, to their skill on and off the ball – it is not as drastic as some would make it out to be.
The key to the success of this deployment however, is slotting in a player next to Kagawa who is defensively responsible and who does not feel the need to make forward runs all that often – a true holding player if you will. Right now United have Michael Carrick and the aforementioned Fellaini (who actually prefers to play in the holding role) as the only two realistic options who could perform that duty. Fellaini has not been good for United since his arrival at all, while Carrick has been no where near his best. To facilitate this, United could change their set-up and take one out of Brendan Rodgers playbook and deploy in a 4-3-3, thus allowing the trio of Carrick, Fellaini and Kagawa to play simultaneously with Kagawa at the top of the midfield trio. It may not be perfect, but it is certainly a strong option and given the way United’s season has gone, how could it possibly get worse?
There has been plenty of speculation if tonight’s European affair at the Theatre of Dreams will be the last for Moyes at United – a loss could see him sacked before the season is out, and honestly, it could even see him sacked the following day. Whether it is Moyes or another manager at the helm who will be in charge of the rumored transfer war chest in the summer, they must remember that they possess in Kagawa already, a player of genuine creative ability who has truly yet to be given his chance to shine in a United shirt. And while whomever gets the joy of going on a shopping spree this summer, they must remember that spending money is not always the best solution – sometimes the solution is right in front of you, you just have to be willing to gamble. As they say “if you want big rewards, you have to take big risks.”
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