Manchester United’s victory at Arsenal will have done a great deal to restore confidence in and around Old Trafford. The Gunners (like The Red Devils) are a shadow of their former selves, but it’s still satisfying to record a victory over Arsene Wenger’s side.
Still, there’s something about the manner of the performance that leaves a bad taste in the mouth. In truth, Manchester United were out-run and out-fought for a good 80 minutes of the game. If The Gunners had a little more killer instinct, they could have won 3-0.
The Red Devils’ defense was carved apart again and again. As it currently stands, it’s way too inexperienced to compete for silverware. And why should a club like Manchester United aim any lower? Louis Van Gaal and co. should be in contention for trophies this season. They’ve certainly spent enough. Now’s the time to start producing results (and performances that match these results).
In truth, however, these performances are unlikely to happen until Van Gaal adds a little more experience to his back four.
This brings me to The Metro’s claim that the Dutchman has his eyes on not one, but two Real Madrid defenders.
The individuals in question are both Portuguese. Can you guess who they are yet? That’s right, it’s their poorly-tempered centre-back Pepe and their struggling full-back Fabio Coentrao.
Each player has their own set of issues (Pepe can be quick to anger and is a bit of a red card magnet, whilst Coentrao’s game time has been limited in recent months), but there’s simply no doubting either player’s quality or experience level. If Manchester United could get their hands on this pair, they’d be in a considerably better position than they are currently.
The aforementioned source suggests that this dynamic duo would cost Manchester United upwards of £30m. Let’s just hope that the club hierarchy are willing to cough up and move on. Yes, a lot of money was spent in the summer, but it didn’t fix the major issue within the squad.
It’s time to act – this just can’t wait until the summer.
What’s your take? Should Louis Van Gaal seal a deal for both Pepe and Fabio Coentrao? Are they worth £30m?
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No thanks especially Pepe! It shud be varane AND Vlaar
No for now, united needs player they can get @least 5yr or more from, player like winston reid, ryan showcross and kurzawa. Or aymeric laporta, varena and kurzawa. Tanks