How Manchester United Can Get the Best out of Adnan Januzaj in 2015/16
With Adnan Januzaj's promising career having stalled in 2014/15, how can Manchester United ensure that next season sees the young Belgian get back on track?
That he has plenty of potential is inarguable. During what will forever be referred to as "the David Moyes season," Januzaj was a bright spot, a beacon of hope in a fairly bleak landscape for United fans. His impact when he made his way into the first XI was immediate and significant.
It was not just the four goals or the three assists that caught the eye. Rather, it was his courageous and effective dribbling, as well as the way he seemed to occupy far more than his share of defenders. In spite of his slight frame, he was incredibly difficult to knock off the ball because of a remarkable sense of balance.
He developed something of a reputation for diving, some of which was justified, but he was certainly targeted by defenders unable to deal with him in any way other than fouling him.
It was understandable he was targeted, as there were plenty of times when it looked like he was United's most potent attacking threat, both in terms of his final product and the space he created for other players.
In a November 2013 column for EA Sports, United great Gary Neville wrote, "I genuinely think this guy could be one of the best in the world. I think he’s that talented."
High praise indeed. Since then, however, Januzaj's trajectory has levelled off considerably. All the talent that was on show in his first season is still there, but Louis van Gaal has thus far failed to get the best out of the youngster.
Handed the No. 11 shirt at the start of last season, Januzaj played a good amount of football in Van Gaal's first few months in charge. When the Dutchman first played 4-3-3, against Chelsea at Old Trafford in October, he looked to the youngster for one of the wide-forward positions. It was a responsibility Januzaj was unable to live up to.
For whatever reason, he did not adapt well to Van Gaal's leadership, and whenever he did get a run out, he looked over eager—too keen to impress. Where his first season had seen him make good use of the good positions he was able to get into with the ball, he was now snatching at chances and shooting from difficult angles rather than passing.
Whether because the gravitas of his new shirt number, the change in manager, getting too much too soon in terms of his inclusion in the first XI at United and being in Belgium's World Cup squad or just a hitch in his development, Januzaj lost some of his magic.
In order to get the best out of him in 2015/16, Van Gaal will have to answer some relatively complex questions.
The questions are, broadly speaking:
- Is it worth trying to get the best out of him?
- What position is the best fit for him?
- What is the style of football that will best suit him?
- Would he be better off being sent on loan?
There are more questions than that, but they concern matters that are out of the public eye—such as training methods, attitude and personal issues. As such, discussion about them would be highly speculative.
The first question on the list may seem to be an easy one to answer. If Neville was right and Januzaj has the potential to get to the very top of the world game, then surely United should bend over backward to ensure they enable him to do so.
Maybe, but the questions that follow show just what a big ask that would be. In order to get him to his potential peak, he is going to need a lot of minutes on the pitch.
He is still a young man whose physical development needs to be monitored, so he will need to be rotated, but getting enough rest was certainly not a problem last season. The bigger concern would be his not getting enough time on the pitch.
Which brings us to the matter of his best position. His best games from United's senior side have come from the flanks. It was from both wings that he did his best work under Moyes. While his dribbling skills are certainly well used there, he is not a player with tremendous pace, and his crossing is not necessarily his best attribute.
There has long been a theory that his most natural position is more central, as a No. 10. He does a good line in through balls, his dribbling would add a threat from that position, and his ability to create space could be very useful in the middle of the park.
However, United may not play with an out-and-out No. 10 next season—they certainly did not at the back end of last season. Additionally there would be huge competition for the place if they did. If he is going to be certain of playing regularly, it is going to have to be as one of the wide forwards.
With Memphis Depay's arrival, that would mean selecting him over all but one of Depay, Angel Di Maria, Ashley Young, Juan Mata—in his new "false-winger" role—and Andreas Pereira.
The question about style of football could be another issue. Will Januzaj ever be able to thrive in a possession-oriented side? In truth, this might be a slight red herring, as Van Gaal does allow his attacking players some licence to be bold with the ball rather than rely entirely on retention.
Januzaj's mazy dribbles and deft through balls are probably a better match for a more counter-attacking set up than United will deploy, though. We will soon see how well Januzaj has taken on the "philosophy," having spent a year under Van Gaal's tutelage. So far, from his displays on the pitch, it does not seem as though he is a natural fit.
There was some hope, though, offered by his performances against Sunderland and Newcastle United in back-to-back games in which he replaced Di Maria back in February and March. In those games, he showed why he is far too talented to be languishing on United's bench.
Thus, the question of sending him on loan arises. It has been suggested previously that would be the best option for club and player alike.
He needs time on the pitch. There is huge competition for places in all his potential positions at United. All this is happening in the context of the club being under massive pressure to return to the winning ways that were once taken for granted.
If United were at their best—or if they get back to it next season—they would be able to carry Januzaj, who can be expected to have a few bad days as he develops. However, if they are not, it will always be difficult to justify selecting an out-of-sorts youngster and allowing him to play himself back into form.
These are all difficult questions to answer, but Januzaj's talent is worthy of special attention. United would certainly not want to risk allowing him to flourish elsewhere in the long term.
A true gem does not emerge from the ranks of the academy all that often. Having let the last one to do so, Paul Pogba, leave, finding a way to get the best from Januzaj at United rather than elsewhere is crucial. It may well be that a loan spell is the best way to do that, but only if the player knows the club is committed to ensuring his long-term future is at United.
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