Which Position Should Memphis Depay Play at Manchester United?
With Manchester United opting to play just four pre-season games ahead of the 2015/16 campaign, manager Louis van Gaal was always likely to field his strongest team whenever possible. At the end of the United States tour, it’s clear that summer signing Memphis Depay is very much a part of it.
In International Champions Cup matches against Club America, the San Jose Earthquakes, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, the 21-year-old played as a No. 10 in what was nominally a 4-2-3-1 system.
After showing flickers of his talent in his debut, he showed great anticipation to gather a loose ball and score on his second appearance. He then impressed in spells against two of Europe’s strongest sides.
But there is a feeling—pre-season or not—that a central role might not suit him in the long term. So which position should he play?
Last season, United experimented with a 3-5-2 formation, a midfield diamond and even a conventional 4-4-2 system, but the last few months of the campaign and this summer have indicated that Van Gaal will look to play a 4-3-3 or some variant of it.
For Memphis, that means a spot in the front three or attacking midfield if Van Gaal plays two deep-lying midfielders as he has done this pre-season.
But which of those four roles would suit him best? BeNeFoot’s Peter McVitie, who followed Memphis closely during his time in the Eredivisie, suggests that the Dutchman has all the attributes required to play wide on the left at United:
"Last term at PSV, Memphis was given a free role because of Jetro Willems’ incredible attacking ability combined with Luuk de Jong's mobility. At United, there is more of a reference point up front in Wayne Rooney and the system will not be built around Memphis, so the focus could be on him to remain out wide.
The good thing is that, with his immense pace, power and speed, Memphis can take on the most assured right-backs in the game. That, combined with Luke Shaw’s attacking focus means we could see both sides of Memphis at United this season—the devastating winger and the player who can float inside and act as a direct, central threat. The speed of the game and the new system at United are the main things he must adapt to.
As long as he is given the time and freedom to get used to that, we’ll see him flourish under a coach who believes in him almost as much as the “Dream Chaser” believes in himself.
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The main obstacle to the Dutchman playing a role out wide would appear to be Van Gaal. In the last year, the players most similar to Memphis—dribblers such as Angel Di Maria and Adnan Januzaj—have struggled for form and been used in a number of different positions.
At least in his time at United, Van Gaal has preferred to use more reliable and efficient players out wide, which is why Ashley Young and Juan Mata enjoyed strong seasons. By contrast, Januzaj was shuffled around the pitch and was used in eight different positions over the course of the campaign, while Di Maria was likewise never afforded a settled role.
Memphis playing centrally would therefore give weight to the idea that Van Gaal isn’t wholly comfortable with using flashy players as wingers. It must be said, though, that playing him as a No. 10 or second striker would go some way to solving the problem of adding depth in attack following the departures of Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao.
In physiology, there are three different body types: mesomorphs, who have slim waists, broad shoulders and muscular physiques; ectomorphs, who are slim and naturally skinny; and endomorphs, who are squat and carry more body fat.
Where most people tend to fall somewhere in between the three extremes, Memphis is unequivocally a mesomorph. A natural athlete, he is difficult to stop in full flight when running or dribbling. It therefore makes sense to play him in a position where he can make the most of his physicality, and it’s questionable that an attacking midfielder or even striker role does that.
It might not be so problematic in any other team, but opponents were happy to sit back, defend deep and play on the counter-attack against United last season. If the same happens next season—and it will—then playing Memphis centrally would negate his athleticism, because the space for him to exploit would be limited.
In a similar vein, playing him in a central position would bring the weaker aspects of his game to the fore. Unquestionably talented and perhaps the standout player of his age group, the fact is that he still needs to fine-tune his game in terms of decision-making and tactical awareness, which are two key qualities that any No. 10-type player must possess.
All of this means that a role out wide would, at least on the face of it, maximise Memphis’ strengths and minimise his weaknesses.
With Shaw an incredibly accomplished defender and Memphis a bright and dynamic attacker, the pair could strike up a promising on-field partnership. That both men are 20 and 21, respectively, means they could form United’s left-hand side for the better part of the next decade.
Ever since Cristiano Ronaldo left United in 2009, the crowd at Old Trafford has yearned for a pacy, tricky, goalscoring wide player. The likes of Young, Antonio Valencia, Gabriel Obertan and, to a lesser extent, Nani have failed to fill that void, but there is a sense that Memphis has the requisite star quality to emulate the Portuguese.
It would be all the more romantic if he was handed the No. 7 shirt in the wake of Angel Di Maria’s potential sale. He is the perfect player to take on the mantle of one of the club’s most iconic shirts.
All quotes and information obtained firsthand.
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