Not only should Manchester United have shipped off their deadwood this summer, but they should also have replaced them with star quality players by now. United have been linked with a series of players during the current window, with the likes of Borussia Dortmund centre-back Mats Hummels, Bayern Munich midfielder Arjen Robben and his former teammate Toni Kroos all being linked with moves to the Theatre of Dreams. Each would have made a telling impact on United's side. If it came down to Chris Smalling or Hummels in a back four, the latter prevails 10 times out of 10 while Robben and Kroos are light years ahead of Antonio Valencia and Tom Cleverley. The Reds needed players who could come in and make an instant improvement this summer but just like last year, the club have allowed a succession of world class transfer targets slip through their net. The mistakes that were made 12 months ago have been repeated this summer, albeit on a lesser level, and the star quality players United so badly needed are once again plying their trades for rival teams, with the competition getting stronger and moving further ahead of the Reds in the process. Why do you think it's all going wrong for Louis van Gaal and Manchester United? Share your thoughts in the comments section, below.
Joseph is an accredited football journalist and has interviewed nearly all of the current 20 Barclay's Premier League managers. He is also a correspondent for Bleacher Report and has written for Caught Offside and Give Me Football.
