For a man hailed as a tactical genius, Louis Van Gaal has come under severe scrutiny over his strategic decisions this season. Recent pressure forced him to switch to 4-2-3-1 from a 4-1-3-2 diamond system against Sunderland and Newcastle and despite back to back wins, questions are still being asked about Uniteds style of play. He began his reign by implementing a 3-5-2 system which was particularly successful for him with the Netherlands during the World Cup and when he was in charge of Ajax. After initial success with it in pre-season, his United side failed to fully adapt to it in the Premier League and they never got to grips with playing three at the back. Then came a switch to the 4 diamond 2 system which brought about good results but not the style of play that United fans crave. The system proved far too narrow which led to congestion in the midfield and a lack of fluidity. Not only this, but the system was coupled with an imbalanced team selection that left United poorly protected at the back. But how can LVG put these issues to bed? Lets take a look at 7 changes he could make in terms of tactics, strategy and team selection.
Having recently graduated from university, I have joined WhatCulture as a contributor to cover sport, WWE, TV and film. Formerly published nationally in the Guardian and Independent.
