COMMENT: Thank God for FSG, hey LVG?
Louis van Gaal has to be grateful to Liverpool's owners for pulling the trigger on Brendan Rodgers' reign. With his Manchester United humiliated by halftime at Arsenal, the news vacuum that is international week was due to be filled only by crisis talk at Old Trafford.
But Rodgers' sacking put paid to that. The result and performance at the Emirates has become a footnote as we've all focused on Anfield, Rodgers and Jurgen Klopp.
However, the Arsenal result was a long time coming. A genuine reality check for United. Champions? C'mon. It's about the top four this season - again. They'd avoided embarrassment at home to Wolfsburg and pulled themselves together at Southampton. But Swansea City showed the Gunners earlier this season how to expose Van Gaal's mish-mash selection.
At the Liberty, it was the burly Bafetimbi Gomis whom Daley Blind couldn't to come to grips with. He was simply out-muscled by a bigger opponent. For Arsenal, it was the clip of Theo Walcott that had the one-paced Dutchman flagging. Like Garry Monk's Swans, the Gunners were relentless in attack, giving United's back four no time to breathe. Matteo Darmian was soft in the tackle for Alexis Sanchez's screamer, Ashley Young couldn't handle Hector Bellerin bombing on from deep and Blind at one stage almost fell a-over-t trying to simply keep up with Arsenal's zigzagging movement.
United were found out on Sunday. It's that simple. The slow starts. The possession game. The bloody walking... everything that Arsenal weren't on Sunday.
Theo Walcott nailed it in the post-match: "We wanted it more".
Going into the game, it was Arsenal's confidence that was supposed to be rock bottom. But they came out breathing fire. Arsene Wenger tore strips off them after the Olympiakos defeat. A crisis meeting amongst the players was also held. This was no secret. United had been forewarned. But it all came undone. Up against opposition willing to go for the throat, right from kick-off, United's slow... okay let's be kind, measured game has no answer.
Darmian, Wayne Rooney, Bastian Schweinsteiger... we can single out individuals, but it's Van Gaal's system and management which was found wanting on Sunday.
A great point's been made this week about Michael Carrick's decline. The possession game of United simply doesn't suit the Geordie's passing. Carrick's great strength is getting on the ball and snapping it through the lines. The sideways passing, the slow build-ups, are not Carrick's game. Even the Manchester Evening News asked yesterday, 'is Van Gaal killing off Carrick's career?'
But beyond the pitch, we could have another Victor Valdes situation involving Marcos Rojo. Again, it's almost slipped under the radar, but Van Gaal has publicly criticised the Argentine - at almost every opportunity - this season. And it emerged on Sunday that United are already touting his name across Europe ahead of the winter market. So how many of them is it now? Rojo, Valdes, Di Maria, Falcao... bought and dumped by Van Gaal over the past year. Employing a tight squad may work in Holland or Spain, but the Premier League isn't just about outplaying and outclassing your opponent, you also have to outlast them. The attrition factor is unlike anything in the game and Van Gaal's 'philosophy' of working only with a tight group is dicing with disaster, particularly with Europe to contend with.
At times, the football from United has been excellent this season. And it wasn't their fault they'd been handed a comfortable season start by the fixtures software. You can only beat what's put in front of you. But we're now going to see what Van Gaal's United is really all about in the coming weeks.
The Arsenal game can now be chalked off. But when the players return from international duty, their next test is at Goodison Park against Everton. Then there's the Manchester derby at Old Trafford before a trip to London against Alan Pardew's Crystal Palace. Roberto Martinez may play it safe, but City and Pardew? No chance. We'll really find out a lot about this United team by November.
Oh, and that stat mentioned in the headline? Well, going into Sunday, Manchester United, yes, the United of Sir Alex, Big Ron and Sir Matt, Manchester United were ranked 19th in the Premier League in terms of dribbles per game.
For those not paying attention. That's 19th out 20 teams. For a club of United's playing traditions, that's an absolute disgrace. But this is Van Gaal's United. 'LVG's United Army', as he says, must be happy - even the lads at the Stretford End...
INJURY TIME
Wait a minute. Wait a minute. So how do you go from an unwanted Manchester United reserve to a £10 million player in less than 12 months? Because that's just what has happened to Michael Keane at Burnley.
United couldn't get rid quick enough last season. The Clarets took him on-loan on deadline day and by January had signed him outright.
Now, as Louis van Gaal plays Daley Blind at centre-half, Keane's being mentioned as John Stones' successor at Everton - or saviour at Newcastle United. And Burnley? They won't consider selling for less than £10 million.
Was Keane a victim of Van Gaal's 'tight squad' approach at United? Did Van Gaal give Keane a chance to win him over? Did he even know who he was?
Roberto Martinez is no mug. If he believes Keane is worth £10 million, he'll pay it confident the former United trainee's value will rise. The Everton manager can spot potential and develop it. Something that Van Gaal never gave himself the chance to when it came to Michael Keane.