Radamel Falcao Running out of Time to Prove He Deserves to Stay at Man Utd

Louis van Gaal spent £155 million in the summer, as his rebuild at Manchester United began with a bang. But faced with one of his biggest games of the season against Liverpool on Sunday, not one of his six new signings were in the starting XI.

Angel Di Maria, Daley Blind and Marcos Rojo probably would have been in the team had they been fit. Instead, seven of the players who were on the side that lost, 3-0, to Liverpool in March were picked again. Van Gaal managed to get a bit more out of them this time.

Six wins in a row have lifted the mood at Old Trafford. That Di Maria, in particular, is still to return to a team that has just beaten Liverpool, 3-0, has raised expectations, too. There is even talk of a title challenge that seemed unlikely only a few weeks ago. Third in the league at the halfway stage, there's no reason why not.

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There's a feeling that there's still a lot more to come from United. Van Gaal would be the first to accept that the run of six wins has been achieved without playing particularly well. He will tell you only the performances against QPR and Hull at home have met his high standards.

There's also a hope that there's more to come from one of United's key summer signings, Radamel Falcao. But almost halfway through the season, he's running out of time to prove he deserves to stay at Old Trafford beyond the summer.

He hasn't been helped by injuries. He's only managed three starts and is yet to complete 90 minutes. At times, Van Gaal has seemed annoyed by questions about the Colombian striker and when he might be ready to play.

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Not so long ago, there were fans who thought Falcao should be starting in place of Robin van Persie. But the Dutchman has scored four times in his last four games and is starting to look back to his best. It's quietened talk that the 31-year-old might be dropped sooner rather than later.

With Van Persie playing well and Di Maria to come back in, it's difficult to see Falcao getting too many opportunities. But with four games in nine days over Christmas and New Year's, now is the time for Van Gaal to rotate his squad. It's a chance for Falcao to show he's worth his place—not just in the team, but at the club.

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There is a lot riding on it for the 28-year-old. On loan at Old Trafford until the end of the season, his future is still uncertain. His feats of goalscoring at Porto and Atletico Madrid made him one of the world's most sought-after players. But his reputation would take a hit if Van Gaal didn't take up his option to sign him on a permanent deal. 

The Dutchman has already shown himself to be a ruthless decision-maker, agreeing to sell academy graduate Danny Welbeck to rivals Arsenal on deadline day. Falcao will need to impress in the second half of the season if he's to stay.

The United fans are desperate to see Falcao succeed. Among other things, they like singing his song. Falcao will be keen to stay fit and find his best form, too. But almost halfway through the season, he's running out of time. And there is a lot on the line.