1. By United Buying A Deep Lying Playmaker To Work With Him
One of the mysteries of the summer was the club's pursuit of
Athletic Bilbao's Ander Herrera, not because he wasn't good enough but because the chase began on the final day of the transfer window. The intention was right, but the execution was dire, with the Spanish club insisting that the release clause had to be met, which in Spain involves about 27 years of red tape to wade through. A player of Herrera's ilk, or indeed any deep lying playmaker would give Kagawa the freedom he needs to succeed at the club, and would mean the club are not depending on him to kickstart attacks, and would instead be looking for him to provide the final ball to a forward man. The central midfielders at the club do not really have the passing ability to kickstart attacks. Michael Carrick is probably the closest they come, but he is a man who keeps the passing simple, giving it to more creative players to take it forward, but no other player in the middle of the park can do that, with Tom Cleverley the man usually used in that role. If United can buy a bona fide central midfielder with an extensive range of passing and running ability, Kagawa could then become a key part of the attack, taking the ball on high up the pitch and providing a pass for a striker to finish off. In this sense, United are one player away from having a very good team, and it is only by realising the strengths of one of their most underused and underrated players that they can push on and get their season back on track. Can Kagawa become a success at United? Will he be able to make an impact or will he be sold? Tell us what you think!