Three talking points surround Old Trafford like rain clouds as Manchester United take on CSKA Moscow in a crunch Champions League tie early Wednesday morning.
1. Goals, goals goals
After an exciting 3-0 decimation of Everton at Goodison Park, Louis Van Gaal's red and white army has gone through three successive goalless draws. Van Gaal has admitted that the team is going through a “bad moment” and he is determined to turn things around. Since LVG’s first season United have struggled to break down tightly compact defensive teams and CSKA are very risky on the counter attack. Van Gaal will have to conjure up something special at Old Trafford on Tuesday night to silence the critics.
2. Wayne Rooney- captain, leader or dud?
Ever since Wayne broke through as a sixteen year old at Everton he has faced intense media scrutiny. This season with a modest goal return of 2 from 10 premier league appearances, the spotlight is back on the 30-year-old but for all the wrong reasons. Van Gaal has in the past described Rooney as ‘undropable’ saying he contributes more than just goals and is a leader in the dressing room. However, it is clear that Rooney will not enjoy this immunity for long as it has started to hurt results for United.
3. Martial the striker or Martial the winger?
Anthony Martial has injected verve and pace in the Red Devils in a way that only a relatively unknown special talent can. But his consistently good performances have give Louis Van Gaal a fresh headache. After raising a few eyebrows by saying he did not know Martial’s best position he clarified that the French international is best played up front. Moving Martial centre however, is a bit more complicated than it seems. Injuries have piled up in recent weeks and the Dutch coach’s options are now limited. He can either trust in another young talent- Jesse Lingard- to sort out his winger position or stick to the current set-up and hope for his players to find their form.
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