Still a long road to walk for Louis van Gaal
It has most certainly not been the start that everyone expected for Louis van Gaal but how it he doing through six games?
Louis van Gaal's role as redeemer at Manchester United has endured a spluttering start.
The new Old Trafford supremo has watched his side undone by defensive frailties whilst struggling to break down defences presenting any meaningful resistance.
Even the weekend win over West Ham at Old Trafford brought its own problems as skipper Wayne Rooney picked up a second-half red card for an act of childish petulance.
The United boss must tackle the next three games without the England captain.
These are already testing times for van Gaal. We assess his impact in the six Premier League games he has presided over and ponder whether United are progressing under his watch.
Expectation vs. Reality
After six games, where do United under van Gaal stand compared with realistic pre-season expectations?
Even the most ardent Red Devils would have been anticipating another season of relative transition.
After finishing seventh last time around, the target has never been anything more than pushing their way back into the top four.
Van Gaal has essentially maintained the status quo, with United occupying seventh spot once more after six games.
Of course, that only paints half the picture.
The six games United have faced to date include all three teams promoted from the Championship and not a single team that finished better than 12th spot last season.
In essence, van Gaal's team have butchered a soft start.
With Swansea, QPR and West Ham visiting Old Trafford and trips to Sunderland, Burnley and Leicester; Manchester United ought to have been targeting anything from 12-15 points at this stage - allowing for the new regime to settle in.
A record of two wins, two draws and two defeats means they have not even hit double figures.
Of course, with the season still in relative infancy they sit just two points outside of a place in that all-important top four as things stand.
The difficulty for van Gaal is that, on paper at least, the questions are about to get a whole lot tougher.
In their next six games, United will face Everton and Chelsea at Old Trafford as well as trips to the Etihad and Emirates Stadiums.
They are already behind schedule, and making up for lost time will not be easy between now and mid-November.
Wise Money
Having spent upwards of 150m since arriving at Old Trafford, any appraisal of van Gaal's efforts to date must take into account the players he has recruited.
Following David Moyes' departure there was a demand amongst the Red Devils' faithful for large scale investment and big name arrivals.
Both boxes have been ticked.
Angel Di Maria, Radamel Falcao, Daley Blind, Ander Herrera and Marcos Rojo were the sort of pulse-racing signings the fans craved.
England international Luke Shaw also came on board, although his impact has been minimal after injury forced him to wait until Saturday's victory over West Ham for his league bow.
There is no doubting United have attracted genuine talent to Old Trafford.
Herrera and Di Maria have shown glimpses of their talents and Falcao - yet to complete 90 minutes - will surely provide goals.
As a graduate of the Ajax academy, Blind looks assured in possession and is willing to do the simple things to involve the creative talent ahead of him.
Given the attacking talents he chose to assemble, questions were asked whether van Gaal had paid enough attention to building a solid foundation for his new look team.
The early indications would tend to favour the doubters.
At Leicester in particular United's defensive resolve was almost non-existent as they fumbled their way to conceding four goals in the last half hour and the loss of a 3-1 cushion.
It's admirable to score three times on the road, but leaking goals at the other end will soon negate those positives.
Best Line of Defence
Van Gaal is still trying to figure out what his first choice defence will be.
Injuries notwithstanding, nine different defenders have been used in the first six games. A higher number still considering the manager's propensity for a back three.
Youngsters Tyler Blackett and Paddy McNair have been given first team debuts this season while Jonny Evans, Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and Rafael have all featured alongside new arrivals Rojo and Shaw.
David De Gea has not been able to enjoy playing with a settled unit in front of him - either three of four in number - and to date this has been a factor in United's undoing.
The manager will cite injuries as a constant barrier. Evans, Smalling and Jones are all currently sidelined.
Again, with an eye on the next six games, it is becoming more and more pressing for the Dutchman to get a settled defensive unit in place.
The Shadow of....Moyes
Let's not be too downcast for the United manager.
Saturday's hard-earned victory over West Ham at Old Trafford - hard-earned once skipper Wayne Rooney needlessly got himself sent off - did at least mean van Gaal has bettered the six-game record of his predecessor David Moyes.
Under Moyes, United toiled to seven points from six games, while van Gaal now boasts a tally of eight.
The critics will point to a much easier opening spell but the bare facts do at least support the theory that progress is being made.
Van Gaal has been backed in the transfer market in a manner Moyes could only dream of.
After a torrid season under the Scot, expectations at Old Trafford are greatly reduced.
Van Gaal's standing in the game and his track record mean he will be given time to implement his plans, whereas Moyes was on the road to ruin by Christmas.
The performances have not been all that might have been expected, but van Gaal will surely maintain the support of the dressing room where Moyes could not.
Rooney's open admission that he has apologised to his teammates following his dismissal against the Hammers is perhaps a sign that this squad remain united behind their manager.
Realistic Targets
After just six games, it would be churlish to pass judgement on a man of van Gaal's experience.
What can realistically be expected of his first full season in charge at Old Trafford?
The lesson of the Moyes debacle is that no United manager in the near future can be judged against Sir Alex Ferguson.
The great man's achievements will stand the test of time and a steady rebuilding process is required.
On the surface, van Gaal may have taken a risk in front loading that process with stellar attacking talent.
His defence still needs work - the manager is unlikely to deny that fact.
Is van Gaal's longer term plan to recruit the personnel necessary to forge on with his preferred 3-5-2 system?
If so, some hardship may be endured while he gets there.
Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal appear locked in for top four spots.
The early season travails of Liverpool, Everton and Tottenham suggest there is still a glimmer of hope for United in their pursuit of that Holy Grail.
A manager of van Gaal's calibre and experience will bring about improvement - of that there is still little doubt.
It hasn't been the fast start he desired, but it is too early to condemn van Gaal's United.
Verdict: Work in Progress
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