Manchester United Transfer News: Summer Signings Must Signal End of the 3-5-2

Pundits are questioning how Manchester United plan to incorporate their summer signings into Louis van Gaal's preferred 3-5-2 (or 3-4-3) formation, but the arrivals of Angel Di Maria, Radamel Falcao and Daley Blind should signal the end of that experiment.

In a column for The Sunday Times (h/t Goal.com), former Liverpool manager Graeme Souness warned Van Gaal it could take a very long time for him to implement his system:

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A coach has to be brave to say that he is going to pursue a system before he gets to know his players. They have to buy into it.

If Van Gaal is determined to persist with a back three, this is going to be a long and painful transition for United. The team may take until November to settle down. You ain't going to win the league if you take that long and you might not make the Champions League places either.

United have already dropped seven points from a possible nine. If you continue with three at the back and the results are not improving, players will not be slow in turning round and pointing their fingers at the coach, saying: 'It's not that I am not playing well, it's the system.

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There's nothing like a former Red trying to stir the pot a bit, but there's no denying United haven't looked all that convincing in their 3-5-2 early in the Premier League season.

Van Gaal found great success using the formation during the 2014 World Cup, and it's understandable he wishes to continue on that path. But the 3-5-2 became the Netherlands' default system out of necessity—that doesn't have to be the case for the Red Devils.

Juventus are credited with bringing attention to the 3-5-2 as Antonio Conte rode the formation to three consecutive Serie A titles, but he too had his reasons for implementing the system.

Jon Super/Associated Press

He had three excellent centre-backs in Giorgio Chiellini, Andrea Barzagli and Leonardo Bonucci and only one real full-back, Stephan Lichtsteiner. He also needed to find a way to field four excellent central midfielders: Andrea Pirlo, Claudio Marchisio, Arturo Vidal and Kwadwo Asamoah (and even a fifth later, Paul Pogba).

Finally, the team lacked a true forward with a killer instinct. By using the 3-5-2, Conte was able to solve all of his problems and incorporate his best 11 players. For all of the success the Bianconeri had in Serie A, they failed to make much of an impact in the Champions League, due to too much space given to opponents out wide.

Fabrizio Giovannozzi/Associated Press

For the Red Devils, the situation is different. As of right now, the personnel Van Gaal has at his disposal is hardly suited for the 3-5-2. He has that killer forward (two, in fact, with Falcao and Robin van Persie) and a world-class winger who would be wasted as a wing-back in Di Maria.

Learning how to play the 3-5-2 takes time, and that is one thing United currently don't have. Their start to the 2014-15 season has been abysmal, and they need to turn things around in a hurry.

A classic 4-3-3 simply makes too much sense for the Mancunians. It's a formation everyone in the squad is familiar with, a basic system that has proven its effectiveness time and time again. Wayne Rooney has the versatility to play in a free role upfront or in central midfield; Di Maria showed at Real Madrid he can move one row back.

Juan Mata could be reintroduced into the squad, slotting next to Ander Herrera and Blind to move Di Maria back into his natural position as a wide man. Most importantly, Falcao would be free to play in his best position as a classic striker, not having to compromise what he does best.

Matt Dunham/Associated Press

The 3-5-2 isn't a gimmick, but it's the kind of system that needs to be used on occasion, to surprise or confuse the opponent. Without the proper wide men and with an abundance of attacking players in the squad, United simply don't have the players to run it efficiently all of the time.

The club's transfer movement over the summer should result in a drastic switch towards the 4-3-3 or the 4-2-3-1. As a manager, you have to work with whatever is available to you. In Van Gaal's case, that should rule out the 3-5-2.

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