Do Manchester United Need to Rethink Their Transfer Policy?

Manchester United's transfer strategy over the past couple of seasons has been hard to condense.

Since Louis van Gaal arrived the club have invested in young up-and-comers, established stars and mid-tier promising players approaching their career peak. Some have already come and gone, of course, adding to the sense that there has been a slightly scatter-shot approach at work.

Van Gaal's era has also seen United act ruthlessly on the futures of some players whom Sir Alex Ferguson saw as part of the club's future. Rafael, Jonny Evans and Danny Welbeck were all unceremoniously moved on, although they were key players for Sir Alex.

Equally, latter-day Ferguson signings like Shinji Kagawa and Robin van Persie have been deemed surplus to requirements.

The starting XI against Liverpool contained just three players who played under Sir Alex—it would have been two had David de Gea's deadline-day move to Real Madrid gone through. There were a further two players on the bench who had worked for Ferguson.

Two of the players in the starting XI were brought in by David Moyes.

Thus 11 of the 18 members of the matchday squad have arrived at the club—or in the case of Paddy McNair been promoted to the first-team squad—under the stewardship of Van Gaal. It is unmistakably, inarguably, his team.

It is also unmistakably and inarguably not the finished product. Marouane Fellaini's place in the starting XI as a centre-forward was ample evidence of that.

With a couple of specific exceptions, though—centre-forward and centre-half—United's transfer policy over the past couple of years—however scatter-shot it may have seemed—has built a better-balanced squad than Van Gaal inherited.

However, now really is the time to change the transfer policy from the wholesale rebuilding job that has happened over the past few seasons, to a more measured approach of adding absolutely top-quality talent where it is missing.

Fortunately, that is apparently what the club is planning. Mark Ogden of the Telegraph wrote on 2 September, just after the transfer window closed, "Manchester United are to change their transfer strategy in future windows by adopting a 'less is more’ approach to player recruitment with world-class signings prioritised over squad-building." 

The club's spin on this summer's window, as reported by Ogden, was that they "regard the summer spending spree as a success," and that they are now "determined to focus on high-end individual signings after reshaping the squad left behind by [Sir Alex Ferguson] two years ago."

This makes abundant sense.

In spite of a three-goal second half, many of United's attacking woes were on display once again against Liverpool. It was business as usual as they laboured to create chances, especially during the first half.

Wayne Rooney's absence is no explanation for United's lack of attacking bite in the first half either. He has broken his country's all-time goalscoring record and scored a hat-trick so far this season, but neither of those facts detract from the fact that he has struggled for form against decent opposition.

Sticking with Rooney as talisman and star striker may prove to be an error in the long term. However, even in the short term, United's summer dealings in terms of centre-forward looks like an error. Fellaini did not disgrace himself playing at No. 9 and has played there before—to some effect for Moyes' Everton.

However, it is surely not his natural position on the pitch and a club of United's stature would hope to have a better second choice to Rooney than Fellaini.

Allowing Javier Hernandez to leave at the end of the window when Van Persie had left earlier in the summer and Radamel Falcao's loan was not extended or made permanent has unquestionably left United short up front.

Each of those three specific departures belongs on a sliding scale of understandable. Falcao leaving was borderline inevitable given how poor he had been. Van Persie would presumably have been reluctant to play second-fiddle, and Van Gaal clearly no longer believed his compatriot could be his main striker.

Hernandez must have been keen to get first-team football somewhere after a couple of seasons on the periphery. His poor performance against Club Brugge may have sealed his United fate, if the look that Van Gaal and Ryan Giggs exchanged in the moments after his penalty miss was anything to go by.

Watching Fellaini against Liverpool, though, it was hard not to pine for Hernandez a little.

The other area of specific concern which was not addressed in the summer was, of course, centre-half. Here, it is clear that Van Gaal had plans to which no one was privy. Daley Blind has so far proven his manager's faith in his ability to partner Chris Smalling absolutely correct.

Indeed, this is an example of the transfer strategy working well. Not only in that Blind was brought to the club for his multi-functional abilities, but also in that Van Gaal seems to have chosen not to drop below his elite-level targets to fill the squad gap. Instead he is using resources other managers may not consider.

It is a risky strategy, of course. Especially if United pick up a few concurrent injuries among their centre-forward or centre-back options.

At that point, the only option would be to turn to youth. It is here that United's current transfer policy may require the closest attention. The Red Devils have not fielded a match-day squad without a player developed at the club for 78 years—since October 1937. That is 3750 matches in a row, per MailOnline. 

However, it seems a reasonable bet that record will end this season. Paddy McNair was the only player in United's 18 to maintain the run against Liverpool. There are not too many young players knocking on the door of the first team at the moment.

Andreas Pereira and Jesse Lingard could be involved this season. Assuming James Wilson goes out on loan once Rooney recovers from injury—which Van Gaal has hinted at, per the club's website—and that Sergio Romero remains ahead of Sam Johnstone as cover for David De Gea, there could be a time when United field an all-imported 18.

Of course, plenty of column inches will follow if that comes. United's transfer policy will come in for criticism, but some of that criticism will be unfair. After all, in Luke Shaw, Anthony Martial and Memphis Depay, United are clearly planning for the future.

Perhaps youth development will be re-prioritised now that the squad is rebuilt. Perhaps that will work in tandem with some star signings as United look to build on the consolidation which has taken place over the last 14 months.

Those are the changes which United need to make. The huge turnover of the last couple of seasons has been necessary. Of course there were mistakes made along the way—inevitably so given the scale of the changes.

But the squad which suffered the collective shock of Sir Alex's departure has been rebuilt. Things are not quite working on the pitch—for the most part—but there is quality throughout. The shift in focus which the club has promised to bringing in key high-quality players is appropriate and timely.

Between that an a re-energised commitment to developing players at the club, United look to be on the right track.

Time will tell, but for now the club seem to be making all the right noises.