Man United are the only team I can think of in the entire world that suffer from acute split-personality syndrome. On one day they can put forth a performance that they did against Wolfburg, and just days later they can concede three goals in fifteen minutes. The extremities are quite outstanding, which is why the result on Sunday all depends upon the type of United that decides to show up.
Nobody can really argue that after the incredible season Moyes had with United, Van Gaal has done a lot of good work to steady the ship and get it sailing in the right direction. There is a better chemistry, the defense has improved drastically, the mdfield seem to have settled and Louis made a serious coup in getting the young AND expensive Martial who has already been paying back all those pennies that were spent on him. Things are not perfect, not by any means or else they wouldn't be losing to a team called Swansea, but they are heading on the right path under the legendary Dutch maestro.
What Van Gaal needs to work on with his United team is get them being consistent. You can't have a team that play such amazing attacking football and defend so well one night, then a few days later they look like total strangers who only started playing football earlier in the morning. Gaining consistency really comes from a mindset. It's not a physical thing at all. Van Gaal KNOWS this team can play at the required level needed to win a Premiership, but he has to get all the players to lock into that winning mentality that always brings about that performance. It's what made Ferguson such a G, because he infused a superb winning psychology to anyone who crossed the white line to lace up for United. That is why they were able to go on incredible winning runs that eventually lead to them nabbing titles.
Then there is the giant golden bull with eight horns in the room known as Wayne Jeremiah Rooney. In case nobody realized, he really isn't very good. He used to know how to play football pretty well, but lately I am trying to figure out exactly what contribution he makes to the team. When you couple with the fact that Martial has been putting on a clinic in front of goal, Van Gaal has to think long and hard about the man who Moyes overpaid to keep and who is the worst and most ineffective member of the team.
I'd strip him of the captaincy and use him as a sub or a toilet toothbrush. But I don't know what strings are being pulled and what happens behind the scenes. If it's a situation where Van Gaal has to play him, then that is a pretty crap situation to be in, excuse my Mandarin. If United are to be champions, they need every single member of that eleven that take the pitch to be a positive impact of the team. You shouldn't have different standards for other players as that isn't how football and professional sport works. It's about earning the right to be in the team, and then proving yourself, forcing the manager to have you start every week based on how well you are playing.
If Bad United take the pitch, City will engage in a slaughterhouse and it could get pretty nasty, just like when Balotelli began the scoring with "Why Always Me." If Good United show up, then I do think that they will beat City because of just how dangerous Martial has been and how good of a team United are when they have been at their best this season.
Which United will grace our watching eyes on Sunday?
HH
