A Case For The Defence

ManUtd.com's Adam Marshall says United's developing defence can be the foundation for success...

Much has been made of Manchester United's defensive organisation and, finally, the improvement in this area under Louis van Gaal is being recognised.

The backline was criticised in some quarters during the early part of his tenure, primarily in the wake of the 5-3 defeat at Leicester City, which inevitably lingered longer in the memory than more positive performances.

The facts do not lie and United have conceded fewer goals than any other Barclays Premier League side since 8 November 2014 (23 in 30 games). That month, the Reds were only breached twice in four matches and those included difficult trips to Manchester City and Arsenal.

The Emirates Stadium clash was also noteworthy for the return of Chris Smalling to the side for the first time since his red card in the derby. Despite a hysterical over-reaction to the sending-off, van Gaal showed his faith in the centre-back by not only handing him an instant recall after his ban but also lining him up alongside rookies Tyler Blackett and Paddy McNair in a three-man defence.

Smalling performed manfully in helping keep the Gunners at bay, aside from Olivier Giroud's late strike, and has consistently looked the part ever since. The 25-year-old bullied the Club Brugge attackers for 90 minutes in midweek, in a manner Jaap Stam and Nemanja Vidic have done in the past, and has been a dominant force in ensuring no opposing player has hit the United net yet this season.

The England stopper nullified the obvious threat of Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane magnificently on the opening day and was just as imposing at Aston Villa. Even when Tim Sherwood threw on Rudy Gestede, somebody with a reputation for being fearsome in the air, Smalling visibly accepted the fresh challenge from the first ball launched towards the Benin international.

There is a continuity in a defence containing Matteo Darmian, Smalling, Daley Blind and Luke Shaw that was often missing last term in a campaign blighted by injury problems, particularly in the early months. Each of the quartet can be extremely satisfied with his contribution and could be in the running for our first Player of the Month award of 2015/16.

Ahead of the visit of Newcastle United, there should be confidence that another clean sheet, or 'zeroes' as the manager refers to them, can be accrued. It is always dangerous for any United supporter to tempt fate but the statistics suggest opponents are largely being kept at arm's length in the manner van Gaal demands.

Since Swansea City scored twice at the Theatre of Dreams to inflict a shock defeat in his first competitive game in charge, only one other club has netted more than once in a Barclays Premier League fixture at the venue. Not that the home fans were hugely concerned at the time, because Sergio Aguero's scrappy effort was a mere 89th-minute consolation for City after a mostly one-sided derby in which the Reds emerged 4-2 victors.

Arsenal did beat David De Gea twice in the FA Cup in March but, while eight clean sheets in 23 home games since van Gaal took charge is perhaps nothing to shout about, the signs are United are difficult to score against. With the possession game contributing to this belief, hopes are high the defenders can maintain the impressive run this term and provide a solid foundation to future success.

Defending may begin from the front and it is not always the most glamorous aspects of the game, but it is certainly an area where United can be pleased with the progress under the manager.

The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and should not be considered as representative of Manchester United Football Club.

Credit: Manutd.com