10 Reasons Why It's All Going Wrong For Louis Van Gaal At Man Utd

7. The Loss Of Leadership

Manchester United lost some massive personalities this summer. Patrice Evra, Rio Ferdinand and captain Nemanja Vidic were all allowed to leave the club while the inspirational Ryan Giggs has finally called time on his illustrious playing career and has stepped into retirement. And that has left United without leadership. That quad of players were the spine of the Red Devils and their collective reams of experience playing at the highest levels of the game for the past decade helped the club get out of a sticky situation and assert a measure of calm when the going got tough. But now that they've gone they leave behind a squad of misfits and rookies. United don't have another Giggs in midfield, or indeed anyone who looks capable of emulating him. They haven't replaced Vidic either, while Evra could have provided a valuable learning curve for teenager Luke Shaw, who, as good as he is, is still wet behind the ears at 19. With the exception of Wayne Rooney, who has just been named captain, it's difficult to see any leaders at Old Trafford who are capable of seizing a game by the scruff of the neck and hauling the side over the finishing line, and this loss of leadership could prove costly.