Manchester United Shouldn't Stop Spending Despite Di Maria and Falcao Struggles

Manchester United should finish in the Premier League's top four this season and qualify for next season's Champions League.

With eight games to go, it's not guaranteed. But four consecutive league wins against Sunderland, Newcastle, Tottenham and Liverpool have eased some of the pressure.

If United do end the season in the top four, Louis van Gaal will have met his target. But while the destination might be right, the journey there certainly wasn't planned.

If you'd asked United fans on deadline day whether they would finish in the top four, most would have said yes. But had you told them they'd have to do it without Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao, the two star summer signings, they might have been tempted to change their mind.

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Instead, Van Gaal has relied on squad players Ashley Young, Marouane Fellaini and Antonio Valencia to play key roles. Young and Fellaini, in particular, looked to be on their way out only a few months ago.

Despite scoring three times in his first five games for United, Di Maria's arrival hasn't been a success. Not yet, anyway. He should, at least, get time to put it right if he wants to. Falcao might not be afforded the same opportunity.

It would be easy for Van Gaal and Ed Woodward to look at their two big summer signings and conclude they weren't worth the money or the hassle. But it shouldn't put them off spending again in the summer. 

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This season can only be considered a success in the context of what has happened since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement. Third or fourth isn't too bad after finishing seventh. But it's not great when you're used to winning the league year after year. That's the standard for United managers; one Van Gaal will be expected to get closer to next season.

To get there, he'll need to finish his rebuild this summer. He needs another centre-back and a midfielder. He'll also need a right-back if he doesn't fancy Rafael and a striker if he decides to send Falcao back to Monaco. They won't come cheap.

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It would be easy for Van Gaal and Woodward to look at the minimal impact Di Maria and Falcao have made this season and decide that bringing in expensive signings isn't the way to go.

But, realistically, it's the only way they're going to compete with Chelsea, Manchester City, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. The struggles Di Maria and Falcao have had this season only proves that nothing is guaranteed.

Even the best players in the world find it difficult to adapt to a new club and a new league in a strange country. But it doesn't mean United's transfer policy under Van Gaal and Woodward is flawed. Only that there's more work to do in the summer.