The signing of Van Persie markedly bolsters United’s attacking options but creates potential dilemmas in United’s formations this season.
Manchester United’s signing of Robin Van Persie, in addition to Rooney, Welbeck and Hernandez, completes one of Europe’s top striking units and it has been reported that Van Persie has been promised the lead striking role with Rooney playing a free role behind him. Ferguson has often preferred, particularly in major games, a 4-4-1-1 system in the last few years with Rooney accompanying either Javier Hernandez or Danny Welbeck but how will United integrate Shinji Kagawa into their system?
Ferguson declared after the announcement of the deal to sign Van Persie that United’s current attacking options is comparable to that of the 1999 treble winning strike force. ‘In 1999 I had Dwight Yorke, Andy Cole, Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the four best strikers in Europe. We are going towards that now with Javier Hernandez, Wayne Rooney, Robin, Danny Welbeck and Shinji Kagawa.”
Is Kagawa, in Ferguson’s eyes, interchangeable with these other forwards? For Dortmund, Kagawa played as an attacking midfielder playing behind Lewandowski and it appears at United the £15m signing will challenge Wayne Rooney for a similar role.
Does this ultimately mean Kagawa will be second in line behind Rooney or can he be utilised in another role? In the recent friendly to Hannover 96, Rooney indeed played along with Javier Hernandez and Kagawa occupied a central midfield position with Tom Cleverley playing as a deeper holding midfielder since Michael Carrick had to deputise at centre-half. Nani and Ashley Young occupied the wide positions but the win saw United concede 3 goals. Having two striker, two widemen and an attacking midfielder in this instance left United exposed at the back.
Gary Neville today tweeted out a picture of his projection for United’s starting line-up against Everton. He sees United lining up in a more narrow 4-2-3-1 without Ashley Young or Nani but has Kagawa and Giggs playing slighter further up the field than Michael Carrick and Paul Scholes who anchor the midfield.
The speculative formation provides more balance to United than the formation used against Hannover and utilises Rooney, Kagawa and Van Persie but will see Kagawa take up a slightly wider role than he may be accustomed to. In such a system there is an onus on the full-backs to provide that width in attacking play and Neville places Luis Valencia as the starting right-back.
In view of the number of games Manchester United play, Ferguson has recently frequently rotated his squad and formations will be adjusted according to the upcoming opponents. Presumably game time will be distributed equally amongst first-team members to negate the exertions of the long season but what will Ferguson perceive his best team to be in the big games?
Can Rooney, Van Persie and Kagawa coexist with wingers Ashley Young and Nani without upsetting the balance?
image: © Schwenke
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