After guiding Netherlands to an impressive third place finish in the World Cup, much was expected from Louis van Gaal to transform a Man United side which endured its worst campaign in more than a decade.
The Dutchman's appointment was a breath of fresh air for United fans who had been heavily distraught by his predecessor David Moyes who just after spending one season as the United boss was relieved of his duties.
However much for the dismay of the United faithful Van Gaal's arrival has not been very fruitful so far. In nine games the Red Devils have already suffered two defeats and have put forth several below par performances. Despite of a last ditch Robin Van Persie goal which salvaged a draw for Van Gaal's side, the former Bayern Munich boss was hardly impressed by his side's performance.
Van Persie for largely innocuous for the majority of the match but made up with his equalizer at the 11th hour. Juan Mata on the other hand has so far failed to give Van Gaal selection headaches and was quite ineffectual just like his Belgian teammate Adnan Januzaj. Angel Di Maria on the other hand despite of all his talents was unable to effect the game like he can.
It is quite evident now that Van Gaal cannot simply let things going like they are now and that he should display the same tactical shrewdness which he did during Holland's positive World Cup run. First and foremost it is essential that United play a three man midfield on Sunday to curb the threat posed by Man City players through the middle.
David Silva is unlikely to feature for the Citizens but City are likely to use former Arsenal man Samir Nasri as his replacement who can be just as dangerous as the Spaniard. It is also important to not ignore the presence of Yaya Toure who despite of having had a slow start to the season is one of the finest midfielders in the country and can be a terror to contain when on song.
Luckily for United they too are blessed with some talented midfielders. Daley Blind has proved to be a good buy for the Red Devils so far and has performed admirably in the middle of the park. Marouane Fellaini on the other hand after a difficult first season is starting to show his true colors this season. The Belgian was arguably his team's most impressive player when United played Chelsea. The former Everton man proved his worth by effectively limiting the threat posed by Chelsea's danger man Cesc Fabregas by marking him tightly and if he can do that against the likes of Yaya Toure or Samir Nasri on Sunday, United will have a good chance of registering all three points.
It is also very important that Angel Di Maria is given more freedom to operate in order to take advantage of his expansive skills. The Argentine established himself as one of the most feared wingers however it must be said that his best performances have come when he operates more centrally a position he was deployed at during his last season at Real Madrid.
At United the 26 year old has been confined on the flanks where he does not have as much freedom as he deserves. When played on the middle on the other hand Di Maria can provide the thrust and directness which very few players can.
The Red Devils enjoyed decades of dominance over their noisy neighbors but it is the Citizens who have overpowered their counterparts in recent games. City have won four of their last five games against United including a 4-1 win last September. Regardless of their form City players have made it a habit of stepping up their game a notch when they face their arch rivals and even though they have had three poor results in a row, United cannot take them lightly.
Man United despite of a hoard of attacking talent in the squad do not have a defender which can match the capabilities of the mercurial Sergio Aguero something which will be a big concern for Van Gaal on Sunday. But should the Dutchman guide his side to a victory in the derby, the atmosphere at the Old Trafford would improve in leaps and bounds.
