Next Tuesday, August 12, 2014 (11:30 AM Pacific), Manchester United will return to Old Trafford to take on Valencia in what will be the first home match under the helm of Louis Van Gaal and the last chance for him to test his team before the English Premier League opening match.
Manchester United are still waking up from their past nightmarish campaign, although the price to pay for such an ineffective management will certainly be high. Louis Van Gaal inherited a team swamped by tremendous structural problems and with no tactical culture at all, nevertheless, in just one month’s time, the experienced Dutch head coach managed to implement some new and apparently effective routines in the team, which culminated in an almost flawless pre-season campaign.
Van Gaal has his mind set on some bold plans for the team, especially when it comes to the tactical approach he has decided to apply. The Dutch manager opted, so far, for a 3-5-2 offensive system based on quality passing and quick attacking movements both from the wings and from the middle.
The former Ajax manager is looking to build a consistent starting line-up that could provide him solid basis right from the beginning of the season and, for that matter, he will certainly not implement major changes in his squad for the match against Valencia.
As for Valencia, who seem to be regaining some confidence after their confusing pre-season start, the match against Manchester United will certainly become a good opportunity for them to continue their recent improvements and to try and snatch a win against a far superior opponent.
The new Che head coach, Nuno Espirito Santo, still has plenty of work ahead of him in order to build a competitive team for such a demanding competition as La Liga. With several players leaving the club for the most different reasons, the Portuguese manager was somehow forced to start his project from the scratch, in a team that is still experiencing some harsh financial problems. Nevertheless, the arrival of quality footballers such as Shkodran Mustafi, Nicolas Otamendi, Rodrigo and André Gomes will certainly give Nuno Espirito Santo some reasons to smile.
Although Valencia seem to be “growing” as a team, Manchester United already seem much stronger by now, as we were able to witness during their pre-season matches, and for that reason, they have to be considered favourites to win next Tuesday’s clash. This being said, the most likely outcome will be 2-0 for the Red Devils.
Manchester United vs Valencia Lineups
Manchester United (3-5-2) – De Gea – Smalling – Jones – Evans – Young – Shaw – Fletcher – Herrera – Mata – Rooney – Welbeck
Head Coach: Louis Van Gaal
Valencia (4-3-3) – Yoel – Mustafi – Vezo – Otamendi – Barragán – André Gomes – Guardado – Dani Parejo – Rodrigo – Paco Alcácer – Piatti
Head Coach: Nuno Espirito Santo
Manchester United vs Valencia TV Info
The Manchester United vs Valencia match will be televised on ESPN Deportes and MUTV.
