Currently sitting on four points from three Group B games in the Champions League courtesy of a second-half Anthony Martial equaliser against CSKA Moscow last night, Manchester United fans know it could be better but will take it for now.
Playing the Russian teams away in Europe is usually a tough proposition given the temperatures and midweek travel commitments but grabbing a point on the road isn’t so bad ahead of what will probably be a United win back at Old Trafford on gameweek four.
With Memphis Depay being dropped out of the spotlight yet again by Louis van Gaal, it was Jesse Lingard who received a surprise start after his cameo at Everton and this will do the youngster a world of good in terms of confidence, playing 80 minutes before the Dutchman came on to replace him.
Elsewhere, Marcos Rojo started a second game in succession following injury and Ander Herrera played again following a fantastic goalscoring showing against Everton last Saturday afternoon.
All in all, United’s squad has more strength in depth this year, particularly in central midfield and another midfielder who has been linked with a January switch of late is, yes, you guessed it, Benfica’s Nicolas Gaitan.
Seemingly forever linked with an Old Trafford transfer, Metro claim a fee has already been agreed for the Argentine star although the likes of The Express claim Benfica are trying to renew his deal at Estadio da Luz.
But how would Gaitan fit into the current Red Devils line-up if signed in the New Year?
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Click on the image below to reveal the best Manchester United XI under Louis van Gaal including Nicolas Gaitan.
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David De Gea
It’s crazy to think now that right at the start of his Old Trafford career, David De Gea has numerous doubters given the fact he originally looked too lightweight and erratic in his first couple of seasons.
But fast forward to 2015 and De Gea is right up there alongside the world’s best goalkeepers in Manuel Neuer, Thibaut Courtois and Petr Cech.
The one thing that makes De Gea stand out compared to the competition is the fact that in one-on-one situations, he often stays standing for the longest time possible before committing to ground and time and time again, we’ve seen opposition strikers fluff their lines because of this self assuredness from the Spanish international.
Matteo Darmian
Enjoying a good start to life at Old Trafford bar the away fixture at Arsenal, Matteo Darmian hasn’t done too much wrong in his early Manchester United career to date and looks a positive signing.
Back in the summer, United were reportedly in for Southampton’s Nathaniel Clyne before he opted to join Liverpool but in Darmian, it seems Louis van Gaal found a capable alternative from Torino.
An excellent performer against England back in the 2014 World Cup for Italy, we haven’t seen the same raiding runs from Darmian down the right hand side like he produced for the Azzurri but what Manchester United fans know is that he’s a positive work in progress.
Chris Smalling
The transformation as undergone by Chris Smalling over the past six months or so has been huge with the former Fulham defender now resembling something like the complete centre back.
The Arsenal game aside where the Red Devils were run ragged, Smalling now looks an incredible physical presence that can beat a plethora of opposition for strength and there’s a new found maturity in his game.
His timing is great for the Red Devils because last season when he was stupidly sent off against Manchester City, a lot of Red Devils fans were wondering if he was ever going to make the grade at Old Trafford.
Seemingly a little further along in his development than Phil Jones, the former Blackburn Rovers man needs to get up to Smalling’s new found level.
Daley Blind
Playing most of the season at centre back so far due to the initial injury as suffered by Phil Jones, not to mention Marcos Rojo being missing until recently, Daley Blind hasn’t complained being the versatile professional that he is.
While some onlookers may claim that he’s too lightweight an option to be playing at centre half, Blind has got on with the task relatively well and loves a tackle so this argument doesn’t totally seem to stand up.
A favourite of Louis van Gaal of course, Blind can also play at left back or in defensive midfield but with Phil Jones anything but being totally injury sound, we think Blind will play many more games at centre back this season unless van Gaal opts to bring in a Nicolas Otamendi-type signing in January.
Luke Shaw
A huge shame for football fans in general, let alone Manchester United supporters, Luke Shaw will not kick a ball again this season after suffering a double leg fracture against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League on gameweek one.
Suffering the break due to a tackle from Hector Moreno, Shaw’s season has abruptly been ended and he was doing so well in his second season at Old Trafford.
While second season syndrome is usually reserved for players who falter in their next campaign, Shaw did the opposite by starting slowly in his debut season last term but looking like the real deal in 2015/16.
An incredible athlete down the left flank, Shaw was starting to emulate his breakthrough season at Southampton and everybody at United wishes him the speediest of recoveries.
Bastian Schweinsteiger
If you forget for one second that he was absolutely ran ragged against Arsenal at Emirates Stadium in United’s 3-0 drubbing recently, Bastian Schweinsteiger has done a relatively good job outside that fixture.
A calming influence in the Red Devils’ midfield, the German international has brought vital title winning experience to United’s side and you cannot underestimate the importance of this.
Having been rotated with the likes of Michael Carrick and Ander Herrera so far this term, United’s central midfield is particularly strong so there’s no guarantees Schweinsteiger will be playing week in, week out but what’s for sure is that when he’s selected, he does a lot of the dirty work that gets United on the front foot.
Morgan Schneiderlin
Scoring his first United goal against Everton at the weekend, this will be a weight off Morgan Schneiderlin’s mind with the player keen to impress in his new superior surroundings.
Forging a solid reputation for himself in his time at Southampton, the microscope has been placed on the French international to see if he can do it at a big club and so far, he’s been a positive signing.
Like Schweinsteiger, Schneiderlin isn’t an automatic pick week in, week out right now with Michael Carrick and Ander Herrera also staking their claim but in the Frenchman, he gives you a little bit of everything in defensive midfield.
A physical presence, Schneiderlin can also play as well and this is why we’ve selected him alongside the German.
Juan Mata
Like David De Gea, Juan Mata didn’t convince everybody when he first signed for United but right now in 2015, he’s certainly one of the first names down on Louis van Gaal’s team-sheet when fully fit.
A goalscoring and assists merchant, Mata knows the Premier League better than the likes of Memphis Depay at the moment and that’s probably why you’d keep the Dutchman as an impact sub for the time being.
Instrumental in United’s important win down at Southampton a few weeks ago, this performance told you everything you need to know about Mata’s contribution to the team.
Wayne Rooney
Having struck a first away goal at Everton since 2007 at the weekend, Wayne Rooney’s strike was also his first away goal in 11 long months.
Now back on the goal trail, both Rooney and United fans will be hoping he can sustain it for a longer period in the Premier League with the England international’s haul drying up in recent months.
Breaking the all-time goalscoring record with England lately, you’d expect Rooney to be high on confidence but he seems to be slowly building back up to his best at a slower pace.
Doing more than goalscoring alone of course, this Manchester United side simply has to include their captain in it due to the never-say-die qualities he possesses, not to mention his excellent cross-field passing abilities.
Nicolas Gaitan
The man linked with United for the umpteenth this in his career to date, there’s no denying that Nicolas Gaitan fits that category of being a flair player who would get bums off seats at Old Trafford.
Like Ander Herrera, he is a long-term target of United but with the club finally getting their hands on Herrera at the start of last season, will this winter be the time in which the Red Devils finally capture Gaitan?
While United boast Depay, Mata, Rooney and Martial who can be deployed along the midfield attacking three right now, there is probably space for another winger such as Gaitan with United having not replaced Angel Di Maria after he was sold to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer.
The only thing with Gaitan’s potential arrival is that it would push Jesse Lingard back down the pecking order and with the England Under-21 international receiving first team chances of late, perhaps some United fans would like to see him given more of a regular opportunity in the team.
Anthony Martial
Anthony Martial has been an example to young players everywhere about how exactly you should join a new club and take to your new surroundings like a duck to water.
Fitting in with no fuss at all so far, Martial has got his head down and now struck five goals in the opening months of his United career while claiming a series of admirers in the process.
Brought in for huge money at £36 million of course, nobody is really talking about the fee any more due to the performances the now French international is putting in week-to-week and this is exactly what Martial had to do to prove the doubters wrong.
Carry on as you were sir!
