Where Can Manchester United Improve Defensively in 2015?
After the euphoria of an unbeaten run that began on November 8 and ended on Sunday, Manchester United fans have planted their feet back on solid ground as reality bites once again.
Louis van Gaal's side surrendered to a very good Southampton unit at Old Trafford to end that 11-match run, which suggested United would maybe have a say in the Premier League title race.
But of course, they will not.
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Despite the improvement in optimism from United supporters compared to the post-Sir Alex Ferguson malaise of 12 moths ago—the statistics do not make great reading when comparing last year to LvG's current reign.
Fantasy football website Oulala.com neatly summarised the true lack of progress achieved by United this season:
Van Gaal's record does not look impressive when you compare the £156 million he spent with the £65 million spend by David Moyes, per Oulala, but what is more important to focus on is how the team copes between now and the end of the campaign—the period that drove the nails into Moyes' coffin.
The biggest issue currently facing LvG is his tepid defence. With a twist of irony, the statistics do not highlight an issue here, with United only conceding one more goal than Manchester City and two more than leaders Chelsea, per PremierLeague.com.
However, if you've watched their games, you'll know United's defence has been all at sea.
There has been a regression in the form of Jonny Evans. Here is a player with wonderful ability and leadership skills—something not recognised by all fans—but whose performance level has dropped off considerably under Van Gaal.
Evans was the heir apparent to Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand, but if he does not improve soon, he will be on his way out of the club.
There is also currently little faith in either Chris Smalling and Phil Jones as they struggle with injuries, failing to clock up minutes and leaving the manager with a very real problem at centre-back.
The young talents and progression of Paddy McNair and Tyler Blackett have been huge pluses for Van Gaal this season, giving the Red Devils an alternative during this challenging first half of the season.
But where do United go now? January is a very difficult month to pick up the best players, but there are immediate solutions available.
And two such solutions lie in La Liga, in the youthful brilliance of Aymeric Laporte and the experience of Brazil international Miranda.
Jamie Sanderson of Metro wrote that Laporte is close to a move to United and "packed his bags" ahead of completing a deal after Fichajes.net claimed that the defender would leave Athletic Bilbao to join Van Gaal's revolution.
The 20-year-old is a wonderful prospect and combines the best elements of Vidic and Ferdinand in one package.
Laporte has exceptional balance and reads the game like an old pro—something United's defenders are not doing with consistency.
He would walk into the first XI at Old Trafford as things stand and could continue his development in the fierce environment of the Premier League.
Laporte is not blessed with explosive pace, but he screens an opponent to perfection. He is a modern centre-back who relies on intelligence over brute force—but he has the stature to grow into a physically dominant entity.
Comparisons can be made to David de Gea's transfer to United. The young Spaniard was on the cusp of becoming a top talent and just needed a couple of years of focused training to excel further. Laporte is very much in this bracket and would be a stellar addition to the team—in both the short and long term.
Miranda is also a realistic target for United. In November, Alex Harris of the Daily Star reported that Atletico Madrid were prepared to move the player on after the emergence of Jose Gimenez, with Miranda having a £24 million release clause in place.
The centre-back has been a major part of Diego Simeone's success over the past few seasons, which have seen Atleti topple the domestic dominance of Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Miranda would bring a calm, acute leadership currently lacking in the United defence. He does not have the passing qualities of Laporte, but the 30-year-old would add a different kind of steel to Van Gaal's squad.
He also has the ability to grab a goal from set pieces, and he has scored three times in his 11 La Liga appearances this season, per WhoScored.com.
United need an individual who can bring a high level of concentration to the team at the back—and Miranda would add that in abundance.
Miranda's defensive partner, Diego Godin, would also be a viable target for United, but it is highly unlikely Simeone will consider letting him go any time soon.
Both Laporte and Miranda could be paired with one of United's existing defenders to offer LvG the opportunity to move back to a two-man central defence and give United an extra man in midfield or attack.
The 3-5-2 Van Gaal has used in recent weeks has shown its benefits, but it has also stifled United's attacking edge. The absence of Marcos Rojo has not helped matters, but it is hard to imagine the Argentinian is the permanent solution to the defence's problems.
As United did for their attack last summer, the club must now think big in terms of its defensive captures. Once this element is rectified, the team can push forward and become viable title contenders again.
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