This Premier League season is the first in 19 years where Manchester United will not be occupied with midweek Champions League fixtures. Many pundits have suggested the positive effect this will have on the squad; they will not be fatigued come Premier League matches and it gives van Gaal’s side a full week to focus on the next opponent.
However, United managed to dovetail European and domestic success for several years, albeit under the supervision of Sir Alex Ferguson. The point is, the game’s top players always strive to test themselves at the pinnacle of the club game; the Champions League. There is no concrete reason why the current United squad – which is filled with Champions League experience – couldn’t balance Europe with the league.
In the preceding 19 seasons, United reached the final of the Champions League on four occasions. In each of those occasions, Manchester United incidentally won the Premier League. This outlines that European football is not a deterrent to league form and can even improve the quality of performances in the league, as the players compete at the highest level therefore developing their talents.
Last year’s European outings served as valued respite from what was a terrible league season under David Moyes. Against Bayern Leverkusen in the group stage (0-5), Olympiacos in the last 16 (3-0) and Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals (1-1), the Red Devils put in some of their best displays of the season. Furthermore, after these games followed impressive league performances against Tottenham (2-2), West Ham (0-2) and Newcastle (0-4), respectively.
The reality now, is that van Gaal’s men will have to wait a week to renew any damaging league losses, like Sunday’s 5-3 defeat to Leicester. After a disappointing loss to Villa at Anfield, Liverpool retaliated with a win at home in the Champions League against Bulgarian side Ludogorets. A congested fixture list like Liverpool’s allows them to build form quicker and gives them the opportunity to replenish any disappointing results in a matter of days.
The situation is quite the antithesis at Old Trafford. If knocked out in the first round of the FA Cup, come the end of the season United will have played only 40 games. That would be the least amount of games played in a full season, post-World War I. If that prevails to be the case, a ration on salaries would be quite fitting.
As a week beckons until United attempt to rid their lingering woes, van Gaal and his team will practice in training how to break down Allardyce’s resilient West Ham. But there’s no better practice than match practice.
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Source: DSG
