It's Time for Manchester United to Revert to 4-3-3 and Drop Wayne Rooney

After making all the right noises during the summer—be it in the transfer market, acquiring top talent, or giving endearing, intoxicated pep talks during awards-ceremony speeches—Louis van Gaal became the apple of Manchester United fans’ eyes ahead of the 2015-16 season.

Talk of philosophy subsided just a tinge, with the general belief that the squad were “getting it,” and with the likes of Memphis Depay, Morgan Schneiderlin and Bastian Schweinsteiger holding aloft the famous red shirt, grins ablaze, there was plenty to get excited about as LVG entered his second year in charge of the club.

UEFA Champions League football restored, a squad padded with top-level talent and the clearing out of some of the less-inclined performers (see: Nani) were just what the doctor ordered. Van Gaal even showed the mettle to force out Robin van Persie—the man who, just a year earlier, was considered inseparable from him following his 2014 World Cup exploits—who had badly underperformed in 2014-15.

The International Champions Cup represented the chance for United to flex their newly acquired muscles, and the likes of Matteo Darmian, Schneiderlin and Depay shone. Young talents had their say on the matter too, with Andreas Pereira putting in one particularly excellent showing, Adnan Januzaj impressing up front and James Wilson flashing potential.

All in all, things were shaping up nicely...but upon commencement of the Premier League season—when the fun stops and the business starts—the scales tilted perhaps a little too far toward the latter.

Plus-points immediately became difficult to come by; the cloud of positivity coming into the campaign was pierced by early worries over the form of Rooney, now a No. 9, and Depay, for some reason playing inside as a No. 10.

One of the few bright sparks early on was Luke Shaw’s redemptive form, but even that fairytale was cut short due to a cruel leg break during a Champions League tussle with PSV Eindhoven.

For many United fans, the feelings of frustration came to a head on Wednesday evening, as they watched their team crash out of the Capital One Cup to Middlesbrough—at home—after 120 goalless minutes and a feeble attempt at a penalty shootout.

OLI SCARFF/Getty Images

Boro deserve great credit for their gritty performance—George Friend at left-back and Daniel Ayala, formerly of Liverpool, at centre-back were stunning—but this was seen as a gimme in the eyes of United fans who expected victory by a decent margin.

Now-familiar issues reared their heads again: Rooney struggled to make an impact and eventually dropped into central midfield, where he fared even worse; much of the first half saw bland, directionless possession football played among the centre-backs; and when Marouane Fellaini is your most penetrative, attacking midfielder, you know you’ve got fluency issues further forward and in the wide areas.

The calls for Rooney—Manchester United’s captain—to be dropped have now reached the point of deafening; fans are watching livewire Anthony Martial play his football from the flank and asking why he isn’t being given a shot from the central striker’s position.

Martial has replaced Shaw as United’s only true buccaneering force moving forward, the only player willing to break between the lines and stress opposing formations. But he’s not being utilised in what many consider to be his long-term position, and his goals have come at key moments and against better sides—conversely, three of Rooney’s six have come in a Champions League qualifier against Club Brugge.

“Wayne is an adventurous player who likes to have freedom on the pitch, to roam around and get involved and find his own way to get into the game,” former United coach Rene Meulensteen told talkSPORT (h/t the Independent) this week. “I think at the moment he’s a little more restricted, he doesn’t always get the ball when he wants it and where he wants it.”

It’s a defence of the beleaguered 30-year-old, and it has a slither of merit, but Rooney’s poor touch, declining athleticism and blunt instincts in front of goal aren’t Van Gaal’s fault.

It’s time to drop Rooney and play Martial up front, but it’s important Van Gaal makes a secondary tweak, too. The 4-2-3-1 formation has been used from the start of every single game so far this season, and it’s potentially time that was binned, too.

@stighefootball

It was a surprise to see it rolled out in pre-season, but the fact that Daley Blind was being lined up at centre-back and Depay at No. 10 were perhaps more newsworthy nuggets. The shift away from 4-3-3 received little coverage, but now, with the benefit of hindsight, it’s arguable the formation switch was a mistake.

For a short period in 2014-15, United decimated all in their path after their footballing rhythm—based out of the 4-3-3 system—finally clicked. Key to the inner-workings of the setup were Ander Herrera’s energetic, between-the-lines play and a marauding full-back capable of overloading the flanks.

Herrera has been distinctly marginalised this season through no fault of his own, but he’d slot straight back into that 4-3-3—likely anchored by the magnificent Schneiderlin—and both Marcos Rojo and Matteo Darmian have proved to be very capable of overloading the flanks.

@stighefootball

Having Herrera surge forward and Mata drop inside into the No. 10 space can only be possible if the 4-3-3 is utilised once more; the No. 10 space must be empty beforehand, not occupied by a roaming Rooney or Depay.

It leaves Rooney without a position—he won't displace Mata on the right—unless he shifts over to the left and allows Martial to move up front. The 4-2-3-1 simply hasn't been conducive to good football so far this season, and although the results are fine—Boro shock aside—Old Trafford demands more.

A rich history of traditional, attacking football that includes flying wing play and classic strike partnerships is being swept further into the corner under Van Gaal. They're in the Premier League's top four—the results are fine—but dropping Rooney and switching to 4-3-3 could unlock the next gear and retain the same efficiency in the points column.

It's up to Van Gaal to pull the trigger.

Follow @stighefootball