Are Louis van Gaal and Brendan Rodgers Nearing Crisis at Their Respective Clubs?
One could argue for transfer sagas, one could argue for title races or relegation scraps, but there are few things more entertaining (from the outside) in football than a crisis.
Stressed millionaires and brooding billionaires make for captivating television and exceptional content for newspapers. The word's frequency over a season's length gives the appearance crises are largely manufactured—because they generally are.
If Premier League sides went through as many proposed crises as written on a yearly basis, one would think every top-flight club annually demote/promote a new captain, sack their manager and change their colours and crest, but these things never happen en masse.
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That said, what lies ahead of the Manchester United vs. Liverpool match is fairly predictable.
Louis van Gaal and Brendan Rodgers must know the first traditional rivalry clash of 2015/16 contains the force of an atomic bomb.
The winner will evade a crisis, the loser will delve into one or, in the event of a draw, both teams will prepare for impending doom—this script is probably available for download online.
Neither club has assisted their narrative with blistering starts.
Manchester United have benefited from deflections and own goals, while Liverpool have been saved by late goals and a misfiring Arsenal. Each on seven points after four matches, the two English giants cannot afford dropping points to direct competition if their top-four ambitions are to be realised.
Both sides spent massively this summer. Manchester United bought seven new players worth £113 million, while Liverpool bought eight new players worth £90 million. With such massive turnover, there should be a grace period for both Van Gaal and Rodgers to find the correct balance, but their time is limited.
At the first sign of choppy waters, fans will get nervous, the media will pounce like panthers and a sense of uneasiness will invade the normally comfortable surroundings of Old Trafford and Anfield.
Playing just four matches in the Premier League, the fifth game should not carry much weight. Of course, the vitriolic relationship between the clubs intensifies proceedings, but to have speculation about a crisis, as exemplified by the Daily Star's Marc Williams, is exceedingly premature. Rumour, though, is par for the course.
Manchester United vs. Liverpool on the upcoming docket appears the perfect match for creation of a mountain from a proverbial molehill. Rough patches are known in today's climate as crises—even worse, "perceived rough patches" earn the same reward.
The mission for Van Gaal and Rodgers before their match is avoiding self-fulfilling prophecies. Entertaining notions of turmoil, strife and unnecessary commotion can only breed turmoil, strife and unnecessary commotion.
For Van Gaal, missing the Champions League spots would be his ending. United provided the Dutchman with seemingly limitless resources—more than David Moyes ever dreamed of having—and regression on 2014/15's results cannot be accepted.
To project the Red Devils' future this season, however, is impossible.
Bastian Schweinsteiger, Memphis Depay, Morgan Schneiderlin, Matteo Darmian and others require time to adapt to their new team-mates. Moreover, the David De Gea albatross has been removed, even if momentarily, so Van Gaal should not be cast into "crisis mode" in September—no matter this weekend's result.
Likewise, for Rodgers, the Champions League is his target.
After selling Raheem Sterling and losing Steven Gerrard, the Reds' transition was never going to be smooth. Insert the burden of Europa League football and there is nothing simple about the Liverpool manager's targets this season.
Additionally, summer signings like Christian Benteke, Roberto Firmino, Nathaniel Clyne and James Milner need games to integrate with parts already installed. Their quality suggests they will not require months, but one cannot rush acclimation periods—lest players be lost.
Losing to United would not be an ideal scenario, but there is no genuine shame going to Old Trafford and coming away with no points.
To answer our title question: Are Van Gaal and Rodgers nearing crisis at their respective clubs?
Yes, but only because a crisis is one poor result away.
In a reasonable, logical world, the Premier League table would not be looked at until around Christmas, but that is not how things operate.
To make broad judgments about clubs before even 10 games have been played is utterly ridiculous, but something has to fill headlines and television hours—might as well make it compelling.
And what's more compelling than a crisis?
"Not much" is the correct answer.
*Stats are via WhoScored.com; transfer fees are via Soccerbase where not noted.
