Cambridge vs Manchester United: Issues and Decisions That Will Shape FA Cup Game

Manchester United travel to Cambridge this week to play the League Two side under the Friday night lights. With Louis van Gaal’s side having been short of impressive performances of late, what are the key decisions he faces in order to help United perform at a higher level?

Above all, of course, he needs to ensure progress to the next round of the cup, surely United's best chance of silverware this season.

However, he also has the opportunity to use to game to address some of the following issues, which will have wider implications for the season as a whole. 

Defensive Shape

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That United scored against Queens Park Rangers on Saturday literally moments after shifting to a back four had an amusing irony. 

Given that the back-three system Van Gaal has favoured of late inhibits United's creativity—as the manager himself has acknowledged—it was entertaining to see United score within seconds of the switch.

It will be intriguing to see if he persists with a back three here. On one hand the logic of approaching the game with a more overtly attacking bent seems sound, given the lower-level opposition. On the other hand, Van Gaal may see the lower level of opposition as an opportunity to practice his formation in a lower-pressure environment.

It is also worth noting that whilst Cambridge United obviously inhabit a different footballing sphere to Manchester United, they do possess significant goal threat. They have the second-highest number of goals scored in League Two—second only to table-topping Wycombe Wanderers. That might persuade Van Gaal to lean in the direction of a back three.

If it does, a repeat of Saturday's chants of "4-4-2" can probably be expected if things do not go well in the early part of the game.

Adnan Januzaj

Adnan Januzaj needs games. I wrote about this in more detail earlier in the week, and it may well be that a loan move is his best option. 

That would be hard to argue against should he not play against Cambridge. Having not started him against Yeovil in the third round, will Van Gaal give the young Belgian a place in the starting XI this time out? 

Much will depend on the system he chooses to deploy, but if it is one in which there is a natural starting berth for Januzaj, he should be used, even ahead of more senior teammates.

His need for minutes on the pitch is surely reaching the point where a run out here is essential.

Debut for Valdes?

Victor Valdes' arrival as David De Gea's deputy has sparked discussion on whether he will eventually replace his young compatriot, should De Gea leave Old Trafford. 

Even if he has been signed to be a bona fide No. 2, then getting him game time will be crucial. Next season, should all go to plan, the Champions League will mean United's fixture list is fuller. This season, though, the FA Cup seems the tournament in which to allow Valdes some time between the sticks. 

De Gea was preferred to Anders Lindegaard against both MK Dons in the League Cup and Yeovil Town in the FA Cup. However, with Van Gaal saying, per the Independent that when compared to Lindegaard, "(Valdes) fits more in the profile I have for a goalkeeper," it seems more likely that Van Gaal will allow his No. 1 some rest now that Valdes has been signed. 

Ander Herrera

Alastair Grant/Associated Press

Ander Herrera scored a spectacular goal in the previous round of this tournament, but that has not been enough to establish him in the side since. 

It is difficult to understand from the outside why Herrera has had so relatively little involvement this season. This game may give him another chance to prove his worth to his manager.