Why Louis van Gaal Should Set Anthony Martial and Memphis Depay Loose on Rivals

Louis van Gaal's Manchester United may be struggling, but he has two prized assets in Anthony Martial and Memphis Depay, who could still make a real difference to the Red Devils' season.

The past two games have heaped pressure on Van Gaal. Paul Hayward of the Telegraph wrote on Wednesday that "only by winning the Premier League title race can Van Gaal now vindicate the decision to appoint him post-David Moyes."

In order to do that, a great many things will have to fall into place for Van Gaal's side. The club's injury crisis will have to pass quickly without doing further significant damage to United's league position.

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The defence, so solid for most of the season, fell to pieces against Wolfsburg as the midfield structure in front of them opened up to a more progressive approach. That will have to be rectified without the return to the uninspiring football that led to such a solid back line.

And, of course, the attack will have to start working properly.

In truth, in what has been a very bad week for Van Gaal, there have been signs this has been starting to happen. Memphis' cameo at the end of the West Ham United game was bright, more in the manner of his performance against Watford in November than some of his less productive outings.

There was a moment that stood out, when a run down the left flank was followed by a deftly executed turn inside, after which he played a very serviceable ball into the box, though it was not met by a United attacker.

Against Wolfsburg, Memphis was again lively, though a late, tired shot over the bar showed another glimpse of his more frustrating side. A particularly notable positive moment saw him cross the ball from deep, releasing the ball much earlier than has been typical for the Dutchman. 

There is evidence of understanding between him and Martial too. Memphis' data from the Wolfsburg game makes it look as if he had a very wasteful evening, given he completed just 67.7 per cent of his passes, according to WhoScored.com, but he often looked for a killer ball to the France international.

Martial has been almost ever present since his arrival at the end of the transfer window. The brief period in which he was shunted out wide seems to have passed, and he has made the No. 9 berth his own. The trip to Germany saw him find a much-needed goal, ending something of a drought.

He has been an undoubted bright spot for most of the season, but there is now an argument for Van Gaal to use him and Memphis in a young, dynamic, skilful and exciting front two. Memphis combined well with Jesse Lingard in part of a front two against Watford and scored a fine goal.

As he and Martial seem to get on well and have a good understanding on the pitch, and given United's attack has generally been unimpressive this season, establishing a pair up front could well benefit Van Gaal's attempts to recover his position.

Taking into account how many teams set out play defensive-minded football at Old Trafford, a front two could be an intriguing tactical option. With Memphis and Martial in a partnership, United's attack would take on a very different look than it has done when Wayne Rooney has been playing either at No. 9 or 10.

The increased directness and speed could compensate for the slightly more erratic nature of the combination.

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While the predominant narrative may be that Van Gaal has to win the league in order to secure his job, his other option is to show a definitive signs of improvement in the style and efficacy of the football.

Gambling on youth—something he has built a career on getting right—is Van Gaal's best bet to improve United's fortunes and his own.