1 Thing 10 Manchester United Players Must Improve This Summer
Louis van Gaal has set out his plan for double sessions of training during Manchester United's summer tour, but what will he have in mind for players to work on?
Speaking to MUTV (h/t the Guardian), Van Gaal said:
"We have improved our America tour because we have two basecamps and we are at the other side of America so we have lower temperatures and can build up our fitness better. Last year we had a lot of time differences. You cannot then train your body properly. Therefore it was not good.
Now we are always in the same basecamps so we have no time difference and we have chosen our hotel nearby the training accommodation. So it is now more easy to train twice a day and that is very important in pre-season.
"
Here is a different, specific point that 10 of United's squad could do with spending some time on during those twice-a-day sessions.
Victor Valdes: Dealing with Crosses
1 of 10
Victor Valdes may end up being United's first-choice goalkeeper next season and if he is, he could do with spending some time working with goalkeeping-coach Frans Hoek on dealing with crosses.
It has been an historic weakness for the former Barcelona man. He is an exceptional shot-stopper—as was on display against Hull City in United's last game of the season—and excellent with the ball at his feet. His weakness from crosses, though, was also on display against Hull as he struggled on a couple of occasions. It came as little surprise to those who have followed his career.
It could be too late for Valdes, given his age and experience, but if he can improve here, it would be a big boost to United.
Antonio Valencia: Attacking Boldness
2 of 10
Antonio Valencia's best season for United saw him transformed into a freight train of a winger. He looked unstoppable as he ploughed past full-back after full-back on his way to 13 league assists in 2011/12.
That version of Valencia seems a distant memory. Of course, he has a different function now, as a full-back rather than a winger. The way United play, though, still casts Valencia as an important attacking outlet.
Rediscovering his verve and willingness to run at players rather than check back and make a safe pass inside would make him a more exciting player to watch. It would also make him more likely to create chances, something which United would benefit from a great deal.
Luke Shaw: Injury Record
3 of 10
Of course, "injury record" could be the one point to improve for many of the squad, but Luke Shaw's run of injuries throughout the season hugely disrupted his progress at United.
Over the summer, he and the physios should work together to ensure his body is ready to handle the rigours of the season ahead. Perhaps someone could also work with him on the emotional and psychological side of things too, given the size of the step-up from Southampton to United.
One way or another, Shaw needs to ensure the summer provides him with the rest—and the preparation—he needs ahead of 2015/16.
Phil Jones: Defensive Intelligence
4 of 10
Paul Scholes, speaking on ITV ahead of England's recent friendly with Ireland said of Phil Jones (h/t the Mirror):
"I just think at centre-back, when he is playing against clever forwards, he tends to get dragged out of position quite easily.
At right-back you still need to be clever positionally but I think he can use his pace and power and he hasn't got a bad delivery either.
I just think at centre-half he is not quite clever enough to do it.
"
Whether Scholes' ultimate assessment is accurate or not is open to debate. It may yet be possible Jones can master his position. He is still a young man, and Van Gaal is a teaching-oriented coach who may well be able to school Jones sufficiently to improve.
If he is to prove Scholes wrong, Jones needs to work on getting "dragged out of position" much less easily during the summer break.
Daley Blind: Screening His Centre-Halves When Playing Defensive-Midfield
5 of 10
Daley Blind proved himself a handy squad player in his first season at United. Indeed, he put himself in with a shout at being considered the club's first-choice left-back with some superb performances there in big games.
However, in what is ostensibly his established position, he often struggled. There were good performances in midfield, certainly, but they mostly came at home against sides that did not press United hard.
The archetypal poor Blind performance came against Everton when United slumped to a 3-0 defeat. One of the reasons they were so permeable on the counter-attack was Blind's lack of protection for the back four. This is something United need to work hard on in the summer, unless a new signing is brought in to cover for Michael Carrick.
Van Gaal's plan cannot collapse in the absence of Carrick in the way it did at the tail-end of the 2014/15 season.
Marouane Fellaini: Chance Creation
6 of 10
Marouane Fellaini may have exceeded expectations in 2014/15, but if he is to retain his place in United's attacking midfield, he needs to add assists to his repertoire.
He provided no assists in the league, and averaged under a key pass per game, in spite of playing in an advanced role for much of the season. His passing lacks incision and creativity in the final third.
Van Gaal obviously prizes possession, but Fellaini needs to work on finding the moments where safety in possession should be secondary to the chance to create an opening.
Adnan Januzaj: Decision-Making
7 of 10
Adnan Januzaj's career is threatening to stagnate. He really needs to have a good—or at least promising—season next time out.
In order to do so, he should concentrate his efforts on improving his decision-making when in possession.
He missed his chances to shine in 2014/15 partly through appearing over eager. In particular, he developed a habit of lashing shots from distance when his colleagues were better placed. That may have come from a desire to prove his worth, but ultimately left his manager apparently disinclined to trust him.
He needs to make smarter use of the ball—whilst still being prepared to gamble on occasion—if he is to stake a claim to a place in the side.
Angel Di Maria: Understanding of Premier League Referees
8 of 10
It was a toss-up between picking this point to improve or suggesting he spend the summer on an intensive "remember that you are Angel Di Maria" workshop. He looked a shadow of himself for much of last season, and rediscovering his confidence is key to his summer.
However, from a technical perspective, he does also need to improve his understanding of Premier League referees. In Spain his tendency to roll several times when fouled may not have stood out, but it is a poor cultural fit for the Premier League and it is not likely to endear him to officials. He needs their sympathy too, because he is a player who draws a lot of fouls thanks to his willingness to run at defenders.
Relearning when to go down and when to keep his feet will help Di Maria's game a great deal.
Juan Mata: Consistency of Impact
9 of 10
Juan Mata's brilliant best is a joy to watch. His performance against Liverpool at Anfield will enter United legend. Indeed, it is hard to remember the last time a United player played so well at the home of their archrivals.
However, Mata also endured plenty of less-then-stellar performances. He struggled to adapt as Van Gaal switched the system around repeatedly in the first part of the season. He looked particularly lost away from home, as it appeared he could be swatted off the ball by opponents almost at will.
Whether through nailing down a position in the side—be it on the right or in the middle—or through physical and tactical training, Mata has to find a way to make an impact on more games next season.
Wayne Rooney: First Touch
10 of 10
During England's friendly with Ireland on 7 June, Wayne Rooney miscontrolled a ball with a poor first touch. Twitter was suddenly awash with fans sharing memes and jokes about this recurrent feature of his game.
No one who has watched him closely was surprised. He has displayed remarkable control on occasions—most recently for his goal against Aston Villa which required a practically super-human first touch. However, perhaps on account of confidence, or something that has changed in his game over the past few years, his touch often deserts him at key moments.
An improved first touch would greatly aid the player, his club and his country to reach their goals.
All advanced statistics courtesy of WhoScored.com.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
