The state of Manchester United’s defense is somewhat laughable. How a club with as big a reach and as deep rockets as this can end up so short of options is difficult to understand. Louis Van Gaal is a smart man. He must have realised that he was going into his first season in charge with a completely unbalanced team. Why didn’t he do more to rectify the situation?
Yes, I realise that he signed defensive-minded players like Marcos Rojo, Daley Blind and Luke Shaw, but given the high profile exits that also occurred during the summer (Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra), I’d argue that this was too little, too late.
Manchester United had the experienced core of their defense ripped out of their team. It’s not all that surprising that this is holding them back this season.
As a result, The Red Devils are already picking up links to some fairly major players ahead of the January transfer window. This brings me to The Express‘s bizarre claim that Manchester United are considering making a move for Roma star, Ashley Cole. Given the English left-back’s history with both Arsenal and Chelsea, this deal would be sure to turn some heads.
The aforementioned source claims that Roma’s head coach, Rudi Garcia, remains unconvinced by Ashley Cole. As a result, he may be willing to let the Englishman leave his club, so long as he’s able to bring in a suitable replacement.
I have little doubt that Cole would make it at a Serie A club if he were given some more time to adapt to his new circumstances. If Roma are having second thoughts, however, it would be foolish of Manchester United not to take advantage.
In all honesty, The Red Devils should have snapped him up during the summer, when he was available as a free transfer. Fortunately, they could now be provided with an opportunity to right this wrong. Let’s hope that Louis Van Gaal makes the right decision this time around.
He may be getting on in years, but he’s still a top talent. Wouldn’t it be something to see him prove that by playing his football in the Premier League once more?
What’s your take? Could Ashley Cole really move back to English football after such a short spell with Roma?
Please follow @ThePerfectPass for more football related action!
ThisisFutbol.com are seeking new writers to join the team! If you’re passionate about football, drop us a line at “thisisfutbol.com@snack-media.com” to learn more.