Hatching a Plan for Manchester United to Get the Best out of Adnan Januzaj

While Manchester United are considerably better off collectively under Louis van Gaal than they were under David Moyes, Adnan Januzaj’s development appears to have stalled somewhat.

Of course, it is too soon for any serious alarm bells to be ringing—it is not uncommon for a young player to burst onto the scene and then hit a patch of indifferent form. However, there is clearly work to be done in order to get the best out of Januzaj. 

Last season, Januzaj’s form was a bright spot in an otherwise bleak landscape. His brace at Sunderland announced his arrival onto the big stage in spectacular fashion.

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However, that was far from his only important contribution. Januzaj appeared to be United’s most effective attacking force in several games last season, pulling defenders out of position and adding dynamism to the Red Devils’ otherwise flat attack.

Then came a change in manager, the investment in Angel Di Maria and the loan signing of Radamel Falcao.

While Van Gaal’s reputation of bringing through young players is well established, when Moyes left, Januzaj lost the manager who had brought him into the first team.

Di Maria’s arrival meant a probable drop down the pecking order for the youngster.

Falcao’s arrival meant Van Gaal’s tactical options had to cater for three senior strikers rather than two. It was unclear where this left Januzaj. 

Thus far, the first of those has not caused any apparent problems. He has had a reasonable amount of involvement—partly thanks to injuries and partly due to Van Gaal’s presumed desire to allow him the game time his development requires.

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However, so far this season, he has rarely shone. He has provided no goals or assists in the 409 minutes of Premier League football he has played. Plenty of mitigation exists as to why.

Firstly, he has been used in various positions, and it is not clear whether any of them have seen him in his ideal role, partly because it is not yet clear what that is.

It is clear that it is not at wing-back, where he got his first minutes under Van Gaal. Playing as a wide forward in a 4-3-3 seems a more natural fit for the Belgian, and that is a reasonable description of his role against West Bromwich Albion and Chelsea in October, the two games in which he has completed 90 minutes so far this season.

He was not at his best during those games. Against West Brom, he seemed slightly peripheral, having fewer touches of the ball than any other United player to complete the 90 minutes—other than Robin van Persie.

He was better against Chelsea, making three key passes, but he was unable to make a definitive contribution to the scoreline.

The second key mitigating factor is that United in general were not at their best as an attacking force during either of those games. For Januzaj to flourish, he—like Di Maria—needs space in which to operate. If he is incorporated into a more cohesive side, he will have less pressure on him and more chance of showing the best of his fledgling abilities.  

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As an example, Raheem Sterling contributed to Liverpool’s attacking prowess last season, but he benefited tremendously from the fact that other players were in form—Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez in particular.

United’s attacking players have rarely clicked at the same time this season. The best example was probably the first half of United’s 5-3 loss against Leicester City, with Di Maria and Falcao both outstanding.

There is no great mystery to the plan needed to benefit Januzaj. He needs a run in the side once Van Gaal has established a formation that gets the best out of his creative players. He can make an impact as a wide forward or playing behind the strikers, but only if those players are doing their jobs.

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Last season, United needed Januzaj to lift them when they were flat. This season, Januzaj needs United to lift him. Once he is given a run in a functional side, the best of Januzaj will not be far behind. 

All stats via WhoScored.com