Are Manchester United really progressing under Louis van Gaal?

Louis van Gaal insists Man Utd are heading in the right direction. We analyse their progress under the Dutchman...

Van Gaal conceded he was left in an indefensible position by Manchester United's dismal Champions League exit. But his defiant claims of progress jarred after another frustrating fixture for United supporters.

"We went further in the Capital One Cup [this season], qualified for the Champions League group stage, we have played all these matches and are still in a very good position in the league. The facts say we are better than last year."

Are United really on a general upward trend? Have they really stepped up to another level from last season?

Van Gaal: United better than last year

Louis van Gaal says Man Utd are making good progress under his reign

As the Old Trafford faithful prepare for Thursday night Europa League fixtures in February, we take a closer look at Van Gaal's assertions…

Premier League

There's no doubt, Manchester United are, as Van Gaal says, "in a very good position in the league". Just three points behind surprise leaders Leicester City with almost 40 per cent of the season played, United are in a title race few expected them to be ready for.

However, they are only one point better off than they were after 15 games last season. At the same stage in 2014/15, they were a distant third, trailing table-toppers Chelsea by eight points. This term, they are clear beneficiaries of surprising slip-ups from Premier League favourites Manchester City (who have already suffered four defeats) and Arsenal (three defeats), as well as Chelsea's wretched title defence. 

Higginbotham: United have not improved

Danny Higgibotham refutes Louis van Gaal's claim that Man Utd have improved since last year

Of course, it all seems a substantial improvement on the days of David Moyes. After 15 games of the former Everton boss' reign, United were down in ninth, 13 points off the summit.

Yet, while United finished the 2013/14 season in seventh, they only managed six more points in Van Gaal's first season. Their 70-point haul earned them fourth - and Champions League qualification - in 2014/15. It would only have been good enough for sixth the previous year.

Add to that the growing frustration among fans towards Van Gaal's possession-dominated style - four 0-0s in the Premier League, no team in the top seven has scored fewer goals - and it seems a positive domestic campaign is not assured.

Champions League

Manchester United's return to the Champions League - thanks to a play-off win over Club Brugge - was seen as a significant milestone in Van Gaal's three-year 'transition' period at the club. Under Moyes, United missed out on European football for the first time in 25 years. At the end of Van Gaal's first season, normality was restored.

Yet there was nothing familiar about United's group-phase exit into the Europa League this term. "You should really be cruising through that group and probably qualify with two games to go, resting players with the Premier League in mind," Tony Gale told Soccer Special. "The old United would have done that."

In fact, the United of 2013/14 were doing just that under Moyes. While domestically Moyes' men struggled, they cruised to a first-place finish in their Champions League pool, winning four and drawing two of their six games. Robin van Persie's heroics were needed to overcome a first-leg loss at Olympiakos in the round of 16 but a valiant defeat to Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals was no embarrassment - a word used to describe United's group phase exit by former players on Tuesday.

Capital One Cup

It seemed odd for Van Gaal to cite United's Capital One Cup 'run' as evidence of their progress under his management. This season they beat Championship side Ipswich at home before losing on penalties to second-tier Middlesbrough after a goalless draw at Old Trafford. Granted, it was an improvement on the 4-0 defeat Van Gaal's United suffered at then-League One MK Dons in round two of the competition in 2014/15.

United's loss to Boro came in the fourth round - but they were granted a bye into round three thanks to their European qualification. Going two rounds deeper into the League Cup seems like a small step forwards at best. It's also worth remembering United were Capital One Cup semi-finalists under Moyes - and only a penalty shootout defeat away from making the final.  

FA Cup

Manchester United face League One Sheffield United in the third round of the FA Cup and, after Tuesday's Champions League exit, Van Gaal picked the competition out, alongside the Premier League, as something the club will "fight for". A first trophy in three years would certainly be a significant sign of progress, should United go on to lift the FA Cup in May.

Last season, Van Gaal took United past Yeovil, Cambridge United (after a replay), and Preston before losing to Arsenal in the quarter-finals.

Players

Progress isn't necessarily simply measured in results. There have been many changes to the Manchester United squad since Van Gaal took charge. Around £250m has been spent on new signings, including a British transfer record fee for Angel Di Maria, who lasted barely a year.

In have come Ander Herrera, Luke Shaw, Marcos Rojo, Daley Blind, Victor Valdes, Memphis Depay, Matteo Darmian, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Morgan Schneiderlin, Sergio Romero and Anthony Martial.

Gone are Robin van Persie, Nani, Rafael, Javier Hernandez, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra, Shinji Kagawa, Danny Welbeck, Darren Fletcher and Wilfried Zaha.

Are United better off with the squad they have now? Van Gaal conceded earlier this week the playing staff still needs strengthening: "I'm happy with my squad now but we can strengthen the selection still in [certain] positions, for example the left-back position is not so [well] covered."

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Conclusion

In terms of points, Manchester United are little better off in the league this season than they were last. The fortunes of teams around mean they are closer to the summit. Their return to the Champions League ended in disappointment, falling well short of their performance in the competition two seasons ago. There is yet to be a dominant domestic-cup competition victory over a major team in the past two seasons. The club has spent £250m on a high turnover of playing staff.

Louis van Gaal is adamant progress is being made. With seven league titles and a Champions League win on his resume, plus Premier League and FA Cup honours still up for grabs, his assessment cannot be dismissed. But the evidence to date suggests there's a lot more progressing to be done.

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