Why Manchester United Need to Make a Big Splash in the January Transfer Window

Bonfire night approaches, and while the people of Edenbridge have this year decided to go with a giant, flammable likeness of Katie Hopkins to burn atop their smouldering pile as Guy Fawkes, fans of Manchester United may have a different personality in mind for their effigies.

Ed Woodward's early tenure as the new chief executive at Old Trafford has been troubled to say the least, with his incompetency in the summer arguably having done far more damage to United's season so far than any naivety or timidness on David Moyes part.

In fact, as has now been suggested by plenty of voice throughout the football press, message boards and numerous dissenting Twitter conversations, David Gill's departure at the end of last season was perhaps as big a blow to the day-to-day running of the club as Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement.

The timing of both stalwarts leaving their posts at once was definitely misguided and foolish in hindsight.

Now, with United only having just secured their first three wins in a row of the season with a 4-0 Capital One Cup victory over Norwich, Moyes' team have some serious making up to do if they are to fulfill their ambitions in the league.

Having snapped up Mesut Ozil at the end of the transfer window, Arsenal top the Premier League as the current favourites for the title, while Jose Mourinho's disjointed collection of Chelsea new arrivals finally appear to be clicking as a unit, and are beginning to look ominous in second place.

Down in fourth, the minimum position expected of Moyes this year, Tottenham Hotspur find themselves in a similar position to Mourinho's work-in-progress.

The sale of Gareth Bale to Madrid in the summer has funded a renovation of Andre Villas-Boas' playing staff, bringing in some of the most highly rated talents in Europe, such as Christian Eriksen, Roberto Soldado and Etienne Capoue.

Should Spurs' new gaggle of stars find their feet and reach an understanding after Christmas, they too could well be able to fire themselves to glory this season.

Back at Old Trafford, Moyes must look upon the transfer boosted successes of the teams above eighth placed United with a mix of envy, guilt and regret.

Had he made a splash in the summer, his current situation could well have been very different, and now the former Everton manager must pay the to land his targets with inflated prices due to the January premium.

The boss doesn't really have a choice.

The next transfer window is make or break for United's status as a top four club going into next season, with the road back into this special club a far from easy one to travel, as proven by Liverpool's difficulty ascending the top six since their own plummet.

Without regular Champions League football and silverware too, United's debt could prevent the club from spending its way back into contention. The Glazers could become Manchester's answer to Higgs and Gillette without the miracles of Ferguson to back up for a spending gap if the money dries up.

Marouane Fellaini was his only capture from a summer that had promised so much.

Bids for Thiago and Cesc Fabregas sound as absurd now as in reality they were looking back, but at the time both players looked within touching distance of an Old Trafford move.

The club wouldn't have made such bold approaches without encouragement, would they?

Out of his depth and inexperience, Woodward probably did, with Moyes unlikely to want to ruffle too many feathers on his first days in the job. After all, he was probably still pinching himself that he had been afforded such an opportunity over and above Mourinho and co.

Yet no one did arrive, and while Fellaini has certainly filled a niche that was lacking within United's squad, alongside Michael Carrick he is clearly just a useful accessory to the team rather than its midfield solution.

Together, Carrick and Fellaini are too slow and static, requiring Tom Cleverley to zip around them, linking play and sweeping up loose balls, for the combination to look anywhere near decent.

Had Ander Herrera been brought in on deadline day from Athletic Club, everything may have been alright, with the robust Basque playmaker able to pass, create, tackle and drive through the middle as United require.

Herrera would have been an upgrade to Cleverley, and the Englishman would have given the squad a safety net for injuries and rotation. However, Moyes spoke out to suggest he actually wanted three new midfielders, which would also make sense considering the lack of cover for Carrick.

While United's pass master may only be a very good player confused as great by supporters due to the poverty of other options around him at present, he is utterly vital the team due to the lack of alternatives.

He may not be the perfect midfield general, but it's not worth thinking about what would happen to United if Carrick were to be sidelined by injury.

These problems aren't new of course, but they have never been more in need of fixing.

Manchester City went out and spent £30m on Fernandinho in the summer, far more than the midfielder is truly worth. They paid that because that is a figure based on how much the gap in their squad he filled had cost them in recent years.

Fernandinho may well have been priceless for Manuel Pellegrini. He certainly would have been for Roberto Mancini.

Similarly, United have to swallow the cost of mucking up the summer and pay what needs to be paid to ensure they tick every box in January. Value is no longer an issue. If you're fighting against the resources of the oil rich super clubs, you cannot make mistakes without having to pay for them in kind.

After all, the only way that United can compete with City, Chelsea, PSG and their ilk in the long-run is through canny management, smart use of the transfer window and the draw of their reputation.

Robin van Persie's inner child didn't tell him to join United over City's greater wages because of anything other than the club's stature. If the problems of the summer cannot be fixed, that will be damaged.

Questions will also remain over the manager until he proves himself fully, which all together means that United are failing in all key categories at present—insufficient management, transfer confusion and an embarrassing inability to save face.

United's best players won't stick around unless the club can remain competitive, and with Evra already declaring his intentions to step away in June, the likes of Rooney, van Persie and Kagawa could also eject before they feel things go too far.

As the logs and wood are assembled and the fireworks set to go, Woodward must think hard and deep to the importance of his role after Christmas, for his performance in January will decide whether he remains as merely a figure of derision rather than the man who blew up Old Trafford's parliament.

Who should United sign in January? Read the stories linked below and leave us a comment with your thoughts.

Fact or Fiction on 5 Rumoured Manchester United January Targets

20 Rumoured January Transfer Targets for Manchester United

5 Reasons Manchester United Should Not Sign an Attacking Midfielder in January