Agencies
LONDON, JULY 15
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The latest big signing of Manchester United creating a buzz is that of the German national team captain Bastian Schweinsteiger, who has left Bayern Munich, after 17 years of service, to join the English giants. Schweinsteiger is now seen as the answer to Chelsea’s Eden Hazard and Manchester City’s Yaya Toure.
The 30-year old midfielder, who has won a plethora of titles in his decade-long international and club career, will now marshal one of the most popular teams in the world at the lucrative English Premier League. The German’s trophy cabinet is literally jam-packed: eight Bundesliga titles, one UEFA Champions League, one UEFA Super Cup and one FIFA Club World Cup in a 13-year club career at Bayern, apart from the trophies he won with Germany - the 2014 FIFA World Cup along with third-place finishes in the 2006 and 2010 tournaments. Schweinsteiger was also named Germany’s Footballer of the Year in 2013. His CV reflects him as a highly accomplished player with a proven record. United are not investing in an upcoming talent, but rather on a dependable and renowned playmaker, a much-needed inclusion in the line-up Louis van Gaal is trying to develop at Old Trafford. Schweinsteiger is the most high-profile signing for the Dutch coach so far, who is rebuilding United side after a disastrous nosedive season under David Moyes, who took over soon after the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson vacated the hot seat in 2013.
In terms of money, Schweinsteiger is a steal as he was reportedly signed for £14 million. Looking at his experience and talent, the chances of him making an immediate impact is really promising. “There is no doubting his talent and his ability to control games. He brings a wealth of experience and is an excellent addition to our squad,” said Van Gaal when unveiling Schweinsteiger.
Schweinsteiger is expected to fill the void left by the likes of Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Owen Hargreaves and more recently Darren Fletcher. In the last five-odd years, United have been playing a catch-up game with their rivals in the midfield area, with no one capable of dictating terms of play for them. Michael Carrick, along with Fletcher, was supposed to carry on the burden of midfield, but in spite of their talents they were mostly hampered by injuries and illness. The situation was so dire that more often than not United deployed their premier striker Wayne Rooney, now the captain of the side, in the heart of the field rather than his preferable centre-forward position.
They have brought in players like Anderson and Tom Cleverley in the recent past but failed to get the desired results. The addition of Daley Blind and Ander Herrera last summer, along with Angel di Maria and Juan Mata a season back, helped United bolster their midfield. But Van Gaal’s side continued to lack the requisite strength which proved crucial in the title successes of their rivals Manchester City and Chelsea.
Now the arrival of Schweinsteiger and Morgan Schneiderlin will make sure that the crucial department of midfield is equipped to match the talents of United’s title rivals in the league. French midfielder Schneiderlin has joined United from league rivals Southampton after spending seven years with the Saints. It also increases the selection dilemma for Van Gaal as United now boast of ample midfielders eager to get more playing time. But it is a good problem to have for the club as the chances of using forwards like Rooney in midfield as a stop-gap arrangement will diminish substantially, which will keep the team in good shape for the whole season.
United’s midfield department has the following players in their lineup now - Carrick, Herrera, Mata, Marouane Fellaini and youngster Andreas Pereira, along with two new entrants Schweinsteiger and Schneiderlin for the centre positions. Meanwhile, Ashley Young, Adnan Januzaj, Di Maria and Antonio Valencia will be credible options for out-wide positions. It is the kind of line-up rivals will fear, and with the chances of stop-gap arrangements decreasing, the competition for the first team slots will increase.
The midfield problem seems to have been resolved for the former champions, and it also will act as a shield for the developing young defense after the departure of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic. Now what is left are a few reinforcements upfront in the forward line-up as they released the likes of Robin van Persie and the highly expensive experiment named Radamel Falcao, and Manchester United will be ready for the title push after a slight slump in the last couple of seasons.
