Louis Van Gaal Must Ditch His 3-5-2 Formation at Manchester United

The arrival of Louis Van Gaal’s famous 3-5-2 formation was anticipated almost as much as the arrival of the Dutchman himself. It had taken Netherlands to the World Cup semi-finals, so what could the formation do for Manchester United?

And yet Van Gaal’s system lasted just 45 minutes of his opening game as a Premier League manager, with United switching to a back four in a surprise 2-1 home defeat to Swansea City. The experiment appeared to be over.

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However, the formation was used by Van Gaal again in a fixture away to Burnley, where once again it didn’t work. United laboured to a goalless draw at Turf Moor. Surely this time 3-5-2 was dead as far as Man Utd was concerned?

But no. Van Gaal once again reverted to his default setting for Monday’s Premier League clash with top four rivals Southampton. The 2-1 final score suggests that, finally, the formation worked. But they won the game in spite of Van Gaal’s 3-5-2, not because of it.

Against Southampton, United looked disjointed and struggled for cohesion against a side that looked to press them as quickly as possible. Their players seemed unsure of their individual roles within the system, with scant fluidity between the lines of defence, midfield and attack.

Van Gaal actually stuck with his 3-5-2 formation for all 90 minutes against Southampton, although that may have been through necessity, following the injury to Chris Smalling and the first substitution of Paddy McNair. But why isn’t the system working for Man Utd?

Alastair Grant/Associated Press

It’s true that injuries have handicapped United all the way through this season, but even still Van Gaal simply doesn’t have the players at United to make 3-5-2 work. Not one of the club’s centre-backs looks comfortable playing in a back three, flanked with flying full-backs, with United lacking the balance needed to make such a strategy work.

What’s more, 3-5-2 demands fast transition play between the midfield and front line, something that Angel Di Maria provides. But with the Argentine currently injured, United are struggling with the more ponderous link-up play of Juan Mata in the attacking midfielder position. It’s not that Mata is a bad player, it’s just that he’s not a Van Gaal kind of player.

To be frank Man Utd are a much better team with a back four, regardless of who that defence consists of. Van Gaal must be wary of how his side looks uncomfortable with a more progressive and unorthodox formation, with some suggesting that even the Netherlands would have been better off without it in Brazil.

In fact, it was reported earlier in the season the Dutch national squad actually revolted against Van Gaal’s 3-5-2 system following his departure as manager after the World Cup, as revealed by his successor Guus Hiddink—as per the Daily Express.

Alastair Grant/Associated Press

“I had a discussion with key players in the group, and we decided to go back to 4-3-3,” said Hiddink, having taken control of Van Gaal’s Dutch side. It could be the case that Man Utd’s squad makes a similar case to their manager.

United’s dismal display against Southampton was of course offset by the result, which saw the Old Trafford club string five Premier League wins together for the first time since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement. Such has been the Red Devils’ run of form, the question is being asked: Can they mount a title challenge?

That might be beyond Van Gaal’s side this season, given how much has changed at the club over the past year or so, but one must wonder whether United would be even better off by this stage of the season had it not been for 3-5-2.