Louis Van Gaal's Strange Substitutions Continue to Cost Manchester United

An FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Arsenal further evidenced the point that Louis van Gaal’s strange substitutions have cost Manchester United on a number of occasions in recent months.

After an entertaining and even opening 45 minutes, the Dutchman replaced the seemingly uninjured Ander Herrera and Luke Shaw with Michael Carrick and Phil Jones at the beginning of the second half. It was a decision that meant United could only use either Adnan Januzaj, Juan Mata or Radamel Falcao when chasing an equaliser.

Antonio Valencia’s weak backpass and Angel Di Maria’s red card were obviously well out of Van Gaal's control, but a comeback win against Preston North End in the fifth round of the FA Cup remains the only time this season that United have won a game from a losing position.

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Responding to Arsenal’s opener by scoring a well-worked goal in immediate reply, United were lucky not to lose by two or three by the time the final whistle blew. Only on account of two stunning saves from David de Gea did the game stay tight until the very end.

But United failed to carry an attacking threat in the second half, meaning the Spaniard’s brilliance counted for little. Ending the game with Wayne Rooney, Marouane Fellaini, Daley Blind, Januzaj and Carrick in midfield and attack, it was difficult to see how United could force a second equaliser.

Where Mata’s creative influence or Falcao’s freshness might have sparked a response, United predictably reverted to playing long balls up to Fellaini and essentially ran out of ideas. The bottom line is that United could only make one attacking change when more were needed.

Even before Di Maria’s inexplicable sending off, however, Van Gaal’s substitutions seemed to do more harm than good to United’s general play.

Herrera, who was busy and industrious in the first half, was sorely missed in a second period that lacked any sort of tempo. The Spaniard’s substitution meant that United’s midfield trio of Blind, Carrick and Fellaini was one-paced and lacked mobility.

Marcos Rojo, meanwhile, made some rash challenges when moved to left-back in Shaw’s place and was eventually withdrawn himself late in the game.

United’s first-half performance, despite some poor defensive mistakes, was promising in comparison to many displays so far in 2015, yet Van Gaal’s substitutions unquestionably contributed to a flat and uninspiring second half.

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The problem, as it has become clear in the last few months, is that the loss to Arsenal was not a one-off.

In United’s last Premier League defeat, Van Gaal substituted both of his full-backs early in the match against Swansea and replaced them with wingers. In that game it was Mata who was introduced late on in an attempt to earn a draw, while Januzaj and Falcao watched on from the bench.

It was a similar story when United dropped points against West Ham United. Fellaini was brought on as a Plan B, which worked to some extent, but Mata, Herrera and James Wilson were unused substitutes in a game where United passed the ball poorly and struggled to create chances.

Against Stoke City on New Year’s Day, Falcao was substituted despite scoring United’s only goal of the game and playing much better than Robin van Persie, his strike partner. It was a bemusing change that took away much of United’s attacking impetus.

The above examples—three of the four Premier League games United have failed to win in 2015—highlight a recurring problem: Van Gaal’s substitutions either have a negative effect or simply do not prove effective enough.

The one notable exception came against Queens Park Rangers, when Fellaini and Wilson came on in the second half to score the two goals that earned United a win. The issue at hand is that such game-changing substitutions have been few and far between this season.

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United’s defeat to Arsenal, at least the manner of it, was extremely familiar. After falling behind for a second time, Van Gaal simply couldn’t change the game with substitutions to turn it around, which has been the case for much of the season.

That raises two points. First, if Van Gaal feels he needs to keep on making early substitutions, then he must shoulder the blame for getting his starting XI and tactics wrong from the outset. The second and more pressing point is that United are ending games with some of their most attacking players off the pitch.

United’s benches this season have generally been stronger than what David Moyes and Sir Alex Ferguson, at least in his final few seasons, had at their disposal. With the odd exception, Van Gaal hasn’t been able to use that to his advantage.

Arsenal looked comfortable in the second half and were ultimately good value for the win, but Van Gaal’s strange substitutions were one of the many factors that contributed to United’s defeat.


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