It all seemed to be turning around for Manchester United when they got their stuttering season back on track with a 4-0 dismantling of Queen’s Park Rangers.
Then last Sunday arrived and the capitulation to Leicester City unfolded. Numerous defensive deficiencies were compounded but United fans remain calm. The experience of Louis van Gaal providing an anchor not present under predecessor David Moyes.
History is all the Dutchman can hold onto at the moment, however, despite an unprecedented £145 million (Dh873.71m) summer spend.
The Reds are off to an even more shocking start than under ‘Dithering Dave’, Van Gaal now the overseer of United’s worst opening to a season in the Premier League era.
But out of adversity springs opportunity. The debacle at King Power Stadium means the unused Luke Shaw should be sprung into action to bolster an already weak rearguard which now lies in tatters.
Jonny Evans – United’s most experienced defender – has joined Phil Jones on the treatment table, while Tyler Blackett’s awful afternoon against the Foxes ended prematurely with a red card.
Marcos Rojo, Chris Smalling, Rafael and Shaw are the sole senior defenders available to Van Gaal as United prepare to welcome West Ham United to what is increasingly starting to resemble the Theatre of Nightmares, rather than Dreams, on Saturday. It is to resemble a broken record to highlight the top-heavy acquisitions.
The exits of ageing defensive rocks Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra were unavoidable this summer. The decision not to adequately replace them with similarly high-calibre players inexcusable. A stuttering attack has been enlivened by the arrivals of Ander Herrera, Radamel Falcao and the superb Angel Di Maria.
Daley Blind looks an adroit signing in defensive midfield. But the same cannot be said at present, for differing reasons, about Shaw and Rojo.
The Argentina international was all at sea at left-back against Leicester, bombing on repeatedly when restraint was the order of the day.
A better showing at centre-back against the Hammers is a must if a longing for a superstar defender in the mould of Borussia Dortmund’s Mats Hummels are not to remain.
The start of Shaw’s ascent into a similar category to the Germany international should begin this weekend. The world’s most expensive teenager was labelled unfit during the summer, then soon tweaked a hamstring to remain sidelined until the last fortnight.
He was brilliant last season in Southampton colours and he should view United’s current crisis as a chance to shine.
Stones foundation for the Blues
Manchester United are not the only team suffering terribly at the back.
Everton’s defending this season has been utterly atrocious as what was the third best defence in the Premier League last season has unravelled in alarming fashion.
Phil Jagielka, who performed poorly at the World Cup having not kicked a ball in anger since February because of injury, has carried a hangover into the new season.
His long-term partner at the back, Sylvain Distin, is also woefully out of form and, at 37 in December, can only go on so long. Their struggles have been amplified by goalkeeper Tim Howard going to pieces at the weekend. The good news for Everton comes in the shape of the 20-year-old defender John Stones, who looks to be the future of both the Blues and the England defence for years to come.
And the answer for Everton boss Roberto Martinez is now surely to make the youngster his first-choice centre-back, with the question being as to who partners him.
The statistics back up the argument that Everton are a better side with the former Barnsley player in the middle. When played as a centre-back alongside Jagielka, the Blues have won three out of three and kept two clean sheets in the process. And when he has played alongside the veteran Distin, larg-ely deputising for the injured Jagielka at the end of last season, Everton won eight out of nine games and kept five clean sheets.
