Louis van Gaal Has Improved Manchester United's Squad Through Transfers

On November 16, Bleacher Report featured columnist Sam Pilger wrote an analysis of Louis van Gaal's transfer hit rate at Manchester United, wherein he said, "the inconvenient truth is that, so far, his record in purchasing players has been at best modest and at worst poor."

Football is, of course, a game that attracts many conflicting opinions, which is part of its great joy. My assertion here would be that the opposite is true and Van Gaal's hit rate in the transfer market has actually been impressive.

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There have been failures. Angel Di Maria should have been a huge star at United, but between difficulties in adapting to the lifestyle in England and difficulties with Van Gaal's methods, it was not to be. Of course, United recouped a significant proportion of the transfer fee a season later, which offsets the scale of the disaster.

Radamel Falcao's loan move was an abject failure, but while his wages were certainly expensive, the gamble was offset by the nature of the deal. His time at Chelsea has indicated the problem here is that the player has returned from a lengthy injury lay-off at Monaco as close to a spent force.

A loan allowed that to be discovered in good time, and he was moved on.

The free transfer of Victor Valdes has obviously not worked out, either.

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However, there the absolute failures end. Every other transfer has been at the very least a qualified success, strengthening the squad. The truth is Van Gaal's moves in the market have steadied the ship following the high winds of David Moyes' tenure.

Last season, Champions League qualification looked touch-and-go. This season, Champions League qualification looks a near formality, and talk has turned once again—admittedly thanks to inconsistencies elsewhere—to a heretofore unlikely title challenge.

Pilger's argument stated only two of Van Gaal's signings can be called an "unqualified" success. Anthony Martial and Bastian Schweinsteiger are the two he named. They both look like superb signings, although it is very early days to call their impact definitively.

The standards being applied seem unduly critical of some of Van Gaal's other signings. Morgan Schneiderlin, for example, made my list of United's best summer signings of the past decade. He may have been rotated in and out of the side, but that was surely the plan all along. 

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He arrives as a long-term successor to Michael Carrick, not to instantly and permanently usurp him from the side. A better choice for long-term successor would have been hard to find.

Daley Blind has been a superb signing. Pilger's argument there is he has not definitively nailed down a position. However, he has been extremely helpful to United in a number of positions. He has had a few bad games, but that happens to the best players, and his good games have been more frequent.

Ander Herrera may have played less often than United fans would have liked, but he has surely made the squad stronger and made a significant impact since his arrival. Based on early-season form, Luke Shaw's leg break has been the only thing stopping him from being one of the side's most important players this campaign.

Matteo Darmian's early-season form was equally impressive. His level has dropped since, and if it never recovers, he can go into the camp of unsuccessful signings. It is too early to call either way, though, and given the best of what he has shown, there remains every chance of a happy ending.

Marcos Rojo, who signed as a utility defender, has not set the world alight and definitely warrants a question mark or two in terms of categorisation as a success or failure.

Memphis Depay demonstrated on Saturday against Watford he has plenty to offer the side—his signing was also one with an eye on the future rather than just immediate impact.

Indeed, this has been a crucial part of Van Gaal's transfer strategy. He has bought huge names immediately ready for the big time, good, versatile squad players and youngsters with great potential.

The convenient truth is most of those signings have greatly benefited Manchester United and that there have been many more successes than failures. The squad is in much better shape than it was when he arrived.

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Of course, United fans would have loved for the hit rate to be even better, but by the staggeringly high bar implied by the phrase unqualified success, two out of 13 is not bad. By the more helpful measuring stick of providing overall benefit to the squad, the hit rate is much higher.

Of all the criticisms that could be laid at Van Gaal's feet, lack of effectiveness in the transfer market seems a gripe too far.