LAST TIME OUT…
United’s last game, played in Louis van Gaal’s favoured 3-5-2, ended scoreless at Burnley – making it four winless matches to start the new era. Since then they have brought in Radamel Falcao from Monaco and Daley Blind from Ajax, and have Luke Shaw and Marcos Rojo ready for debuts. Danny Welbeck came on as a substitute at Turf Moor, little realising he was playing his last game for United. Tyler Blackett’s appearances look likely to be limited by the availability of Rojo and Blind, while there may not be too many United games in the foreseeable future where Ashley Young, Darren Fletcher and Juan Mata all start. It means Van Gaal has two obvious options on Sunday against QPR …
OPTION ONE
Sticking with the same formation, the side could look like this – now that Phil Jones is out injured. If Van Gaal persists with wing-backs, Valencia and Shaw seem the most natural options, although Blind performed well in that role for Holland in Brazil and Rafael could also fill the position on the right. Blind and Ander Herrera would form a defensive midfield platform, though it might be too defensive for some tastes, with the danger of Ángel di María becoming isolated just behind the front two. Missing from this lineup are Robin van Persie and Mata, most notably, along with a vast assortment of midfielders from Marouane Fellaini to Adnan Januzaj.
OPTION TWO
Opt for 4-3-3. Initially Van Gaal appeared to favour 3-5-2 on the basis that it would suit his two main strikers, which at the time were Van Persie and Wayne Rooney. Now he has Falcao as well, something would have to give. Either one of them misses out, or Rooney drops back into midfield, possibly affecting Ángel di María as well as Mata, Januzaj et al. So switching back to the 4-3-3 he has favoured for most of his career could work – in effect resembling the diamond midfield used by England against Switzerland. United could use all three of their front men, plus Di María on the left of midfield, but again it would be at the expense of Mata and Fellaini as well as Blind, who would either be looking to dislodge Herrera or find a place in the back line.
