WHY SAY ANYTHING?

Shortly before the transfer window officially opened Louis van Gaal told everyone who would listen that he wanted ALL his transfer business concluding before the pre-season tour to the US of A.

This makes sense in many ways. It gives any new signings the chance to get to know their new team mates on and off the pitch. It gives them the chance to get to know the club and the way it works. It also gives them the opportunity to play some games where the result doesn’t really matter. All of this culminating, hopefully, in a harmonious and reenergised team returning to the UK raring to go.

So what went wrong? Everything started off so well. Memphis Depay was signed. Then Matteo Darmian came along followed by both Bastian Schweinsteiger and Morgan Schneiderlin. Ed Woodward was praised for doing his job, for once, and nobody really noticed that De Gea might leave and no goalkeeper had been signed. Nobody really noticed that van Persie and Falcao had gone and no striker had been signed, although Depay can play the role if required. It also seemed to go unnoticed that United’s measly goals against column last season was mainly down to De Gea, not the defence and yet United had signed no central defenders.

Bearing in mind that, according to van Gaal, all his signings were to be made before the tour, United fans could be forgiven if they were overcome by a sense of panic. “Is that really all the signings there will be?” they probably cried. By now, of course, they had realised that United were still short in other departments.

Yet Louis was unperturbed. Despite not having signed players for some of the key positions he entered the first game of the season with his philosophy almost intact.

After an opening day win which saw Tottenham’s Kyle Walker become United’s top scorer, a second rate defensive partnership featuring Daley Blind playing as centre half managed to completely nullify tottenham’s Harry Kane, who is a player of interest to United. A one season wonder who is vastly overpriced, (by Daniel Levy, of course), yet United have to be interested.

Another new signing, Sergio Romero, played in goal and had a good debut. Although not being able to benefit from the jollies in the US of A, (he was signed after their return), this didn’t seem to bother him much.

I suppose that Romero, to an extent, is proof that you don’t always need to go on the pre-season tour to be a good addition to the team. Let’s hope this is the case anyway as most United fans hope that the signings haven’t finished for this window yet.

It looks now as though De Gea may stay this season, so that could be one headache postponed. Chris Smalling, although improved, is still not good enough for a top four side. Phil Jones is usually injured. Daley Blind is not a centre half. Wayne Rooney will not score enough goals to be a lone striker, a position which is only necessary away in Europe and certain away Premier League games anyway. Javier Hernandez and James Wilson aren’t consistent enough and are more impact players than ninety minute men.

So, all in all, Ed still has a little work to do. Instead of sitting in his plush office in Mayfair telling Real Madrid they have to pay a world record fee for a goalkeeper they can have for nothing in 12 months, after United have paid him another £5million in wages, he should be negotiating transfers for centre halves and strikers.

Otherwise, poor old Louis is going to look a little foolish when, two years into his tenure, people are still failing to see his philosophy.