It’s almost here folks. With the Premier League kicking off tomorrow lunchtime with Manchester United facing off against Tottenham, the Football Transfer Tavern is awash with excitement.
And what a game we have to kick things off with big spending United starting their new campaign at home against a Tottenham team that will again harbour ambitions of breaking into the top four under Mauricio Pochettino this term.
United fans will have nightmares when thinking back to how the opening day went last season when Swansea City inflicted a surprise defeat on United in Louis van Gaal’s first Premier League game in charge.
With the likes of Jesse Lingard starting that day, United can call on a whole host of new big name arrivals this time around with the Red Devils having splashed the cash in the transfer market.
With Matteo Darmian, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Morgan Schneiderlin and Sergio Romero having already arrived, many of the tabloids are claiming the Red Devils aren’t finished this summer with Barcelona’s Pedro reportedly coming in to replace the now departed Angel Di Maria.
Add to the fact that they may need another goalkeeper as well as a centre half and United fans are looking forward to the next couple of weeks.
In the meantime, we’ve devised what we believe to be the best Manchester United XI Louis van Gaal can field against Tottenham tomorrow lunchtime.
[ffc-gallery]
Click on the image below to reveal the best Manchester United XI Louis van Gaal can field against Tottenham.
[/ffc-gallery]
Sergio Romero
According to reports scattered around the web on both social media and the tabloids right now, apparently David De Gea isn’t in the correct mental state to play in tomorrow’s season opener against Tottenham.
In a much publicised pursuit from Real Madrid, you can imagine that De Gea’s head has been turned and with United looking to get off to a fast start this time around after losing to Swansea City on the opening day last term, no passengers can be carried.
To be honest, De Gea is a professional character who probably would’ve got on with his job undeterred but if he really has been knocked mentally, expect new signing and Argentine number one Sergio Romero to earn an early debut.
Antonio Valencia
While Manchester United spent close to £13 million on Matteo Darmian from Torino this summer, Louis van Gaal has already confirmed that Antonio Valencia will be his first choice right back this season.
In fairness to the Ecuadorian, he’s a right winger by trade so to receive this glowing tribute by van Gaal is quite something considering he was pretty much a player with deadwood status hanging above his head not too long ago.
But alongside the likes of Ashley Young and Marouane Fellaini, Valencia was quietly consistent last term and while he’s not everybody’s cup of tea, it appears van Gaal is content with him in the team right now.
Chris Smalling
Slowly improving, Chris Smalling is starting to iron out the mistakes that have plagued his game since moving to Old Trafford from Fulham a few seasons back.
For some United fans, Smalling is still a waste of space and his inconsistencies are only highlighted by the fact Smalling immediately followed the likes of legendary duo Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand into the team.
That said, since his stupid sending off at Manchester City last term, he’s looked more commanding in his performances and he’ll need to keep this kind of form up to convince everybody he’s the man for the job long-term.
Phil Jones
With Marcos Rojo having played for Argentina at the Copa America this summer, he is likely to be given more time off by Louis van Gaal so expect Chris Smalling to be partnered by England team-mate Phil Jones.
The Smalling and Jones combination is one Sir Alex Ferguson had such high hopes for but after a shaky start from the pair, the jury is out on whether they’ll make it as a successful pair in the long-term.
Jones has actually been playing at right back of late for England but make no mistake, he is a centre back despite his utility status.
Luke Shaw
It is a big season for Luke Shaw at Old Trafford with the former Southampton man having struggled in his debut season with the Red Devils.
A big money arrival for £27 million last summer, there was a certain level of expectation with Shaw and to be fair, he didn’t manage to scale the heights he previously set at St Mary’s.
That said, he’s still young and fully expected to be a key part in this United squad for the next decade or so if everything goes to plan of course.
Incredibly adept at getting forward, United fans will hope to see Shaw gallivanting down the right flank to overlap a tight midfield three in a 4-4-3 formation.
Morgan Schneiderlin
Manchester United’s second most expensive import this summer, Morgan Schneiderlin is arriving at Old Trafford with the reputation of being one of the best defensive midfielders in the Premier League.
Not all blood and thunder in his playing style, the Frenchman can play a bit too and Arsenal fans have been particularly irked by the fact their club didn’t go in for him this summer.
When you consider Michael Carrick, Marouane Fellaini and Ander Herrera can play here too, Louis van Gaal has something of a selection headache on his hands with everybody fit but these are the kind of problems managers like to have.
Ander Herrera
Out of the players that joined Manchester United last summer, Ander Herrera was one of the success stories after a slow start.
Growing in stature as his debut season wore on, Herrera can do a little bit of everything in the middle of the park for United.
Signed on the premise that his passing abilities are excellent, Herrera proved he can thread the ball through the eye of a needle last term while also getting stuck in to boot.
He’ll have to impress when called upon because he’ll have the likes of Bastian Schweinsteiger breathing down his neck when he’s back in the fold.
Juan Mata
A class act for Manchester United last season, Juan Mata started to display some of the form that sealed him his big money switch to Old Trafford.
His standout day in a United jersey so far was the game away at Liverpool last season in which he bagged a brace and in that kind of form, he’s one of best attacking midfielders in the Premier League.
We’re deploying him slightly ahead of Schweinsteiger and Schneiderlin in a 4-3-3 formation here but the beauty with Mata is that he can be positioned in a number of roles going forward.
Memphis Depay
For many, it is not Schweinsteiger but Memphis Depay who is the most exciting arrival at Manchester United this summer with the Dutchman having built up a fearsome reputation as one of the best young talents in world football.
Boasting a good goalscoring record in the Eredivisie with PSV Eindhoven despite his age, Depay is also something of a free-kick specialist and has also been dubbed the ‘new Ronaldo’.
No pressure then.
Expecting to take the iconic number seven shirt from the now departed Angel Di Maria, Depay will hope he enjoys a far greater impact than the flop of an Argentine.
Ashley Young
Like Antonio Valencia, Ashley Young somewhat took United fans by surprise last season in regards to the consistency of his performances.
Deployed as a left wing back last summer in United’s pre-season tour of the United States, the former Aston Villa man saved his Red Devils career with some eye-catching displays that didn’t always involve diving.
As mentioned at the outset, United are negotiating for Barcelona’s Pedro right now and with the Spaniard on board, he’d more than likely take Young’s place in the starting eleven but until then, the current United star takes the left wing position.
Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney will be Manchester United’s main man up top this season after the England international witnessed the departures of Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao this season.
United fans will be praying he stays fit for the entire campaign with the Red Devils’ frontline looking extremely light right now with James Wilson representing the only other out-and-out forward with Javier Hernandez still fancied to depart.
Having not hit 20 Premier League goals last season, Rooney will be earmarking around and even above that figure this term given he’ll be playing right up top and anybody that doesn’t think he’s still a top player is clearly mistaken.
