Sean Dyche’s son, Max, was gleefully posing for pictures with Manchester United’s players as they emerged from the dressing room after Saturday’s game at Turf Moor. That was about as star-struck as Burnley got. United’s fear factor has been gradually eroded over the course of a miserable past 12 months and it will not be easily recovered. Like Swansea City, Sunderland and Milton Keynes Dons before them, Burnley exuded optimism.
“If you look at their previous games, they have been edgy and we wanted to take advantage of that,” David Jones, the Burnley midfielder and former United trainee, said. “No player at the best of time wants another player in their face, working hard to stop them playing and they definitely wouldn’t have wanted that. It showed early on that they were under pressure.
“They are going through a bit of a bad time. That’s the baggage you get as a Man United player. I think we were unfortunate [not to get more out of the game].”
Of course, perspective is necessary amid the rush to judge this United team after a few unsatisfactory results in the Barclays Premier League and that calamitous 4-0 defeat by MK Dons in the Capital One Cup second round. With so many players to return from injury, a glut of new signings to integrate, a new manager still putting his ideas across and a schedule free of European distractions, it is logical to think that United will be in a much better place a month or two from now. Ángel Di María offered glimpses of his talent on his debut and Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney and Juan Mata will not always be this subdued.
Yet even with a full complement of players to choose from, the concern is that Louis van Gaal’s 3-5-2 formation could continue to impede United. Unless a world-class centre half is delivered before the close of the transfer window this evening, the stark reality is that the manager does not have enough good defenders to warrant a prolonged experiment with the system. That is true even if they all stay fit, but more so when injuries bite hard as they have done. Plugging gaps at wing back when more natural candidates are absent is proving perilous. Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young look about as home there as a tycoon in a tenement block.
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For the time being, Van Gaal seems wedded to the idea, yet he is also a pragmatist. A switch to 4-3-3 would be an acceptance of defeat in one sense, but the Dutchman is unlikely to let personal pride cloud his judgment. Two points from nine cannot be allowed to morph into something much uglier.
With Di María and Ander Herrera providing running and cunning either side of Daley Blind, the latest signing from Ajax, in a midfield three and Mata operating in a slightly withdrawn role behind Rooney and Van Persie — with Adnan Januzaj offering extra pace when required — United might be much better serviced. The return of Luke Shaw and Rafael Da Silva would provide an immediate uplift in the full-back positions. Until then, Darren Fletcher insisted that the players would not be hiding behind the system as an excuse for inadequacy.
“We aren’t doing that at all,” the United midfielder said. “We have to master it [the formation] and we have to play better and win individual battles. There are other things that come into it, apart from the system.”
By “other things”, Fletcher meant the more basic elements of concentration, passing and control. Complaints about a system are futile if United are having trouble meeting minimum requirements. Burnley were well drilled and distributed the ball soundly when they had it. United saw much more of it but, a few moments of inspiration aside, they were still disjointed.
Di María had visibly tired by the time he departed on 70 minutes but, in the first half, he helped to illustrate why United have made him Britain’s costliest footballer at £59.7 million. In the 15th minute, the Argentina midfielder arrowed a gorgeous pass to Van Persie, who, splitting two defenders, took the ball on his chest before forcing an excellent save from Tom Heaton. Moments later, Di María sped down the left flank and squared for Mata, who slipped just as he was about to shoot.
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Young had a couple of penalty appeals waved away and Van Persie a shot cleared off the line, but Burnley asked plenty of questions. Jones had already hit the crossbar by the time he forced David De Gea to tip over a dipping volley.
Another newly promoted club, Queens Park Rangers, are up next for United. Whether they can be cowed or not, Van Gaal just needs a win.
Ratings
Burnley (4-4-2): T Heaton 7 — K Trippier 7, M Duff 7, J Shackell 8, B Mee 7 — S Arfield 8, D Marney 7, D Jones 8, M Taylor 6 (sub: S Reid, 88min) — L Jutkiewicz 7, D Ings 6 (sub: A Barnes, 78). Substitutes not used: M Gilks, M Sordell, K Long, S Ward, R Wallace. Booked: Marney, Reid.
Manchester United (3-1-4-2): D De Gea 7 — J Evans 6, P Jones 7, T Blackett 6 — D Fletcher 6 — A Valencia 4, J Mata 5 (sub: A Januzaj, 87), A Di María 7 (sub: Anderson, 70 5), A Young 5 — R van Persie 5 (sub: D Welbeck, 73), W Rooney 5. Substitutes not used: B Amos, J Hernández, M Keane, R James. Booked: Blackett, Fletcher.
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