Manchester United are by no stretch of the imagination back, though the Red Devils have at least shown suggestions that they aren’t completely useless. Though, to be fair, when £250m is spent, a bigger return on such an outlay is to be expected.
Still, the situation is what it is. Louis van Gaal is winning any friends at Old Trafford, though he has finally started winning games. Kind of.
One of the major criticisms levelled at the Dutch coach has been his rather strange recruitment drive. A top class centre-back has still not been acquired and while Anthony Martial is showing glimpses of a £58m player, the likes of Memphis Depay have largely failed to convince so far.
Their quest for a Galactico continues and neither Bastian Schweinsteiger nor Morgan Schneiderlin have shown their best form since their summer moves.
One of the names most linked with a move to the Theatre of Dreams, Arjen Robben has so far eluded the club. The Dutch winger may be into his 30s, but would represent a wonderful signing in the absence of a Gareth Bale or a Neymar.
Here are FIVE reasons why Manchester United should still do all they can to land Arjen Robben.
LIKE A FINE WINE
The Bayern Munich star is now 31-years of age and despite a series of injuries, shows little sign of losing his electric pace. Whereas teammate Franck Ribery appears to have lost his very best form, the former Chelsea star is still one of the finest wide-forwards in European football.
The problem with Depay is that he was excelling in a relatively poor league and carried a huge weight of expectation. When the going gets tough, fans and pundits alike will rightly clamour for the £25m man to step up, though it has clearly proved quite difficult for the 21-year old thus far.
Robben has almost become better with age. He has the experience required to translate the expectation of a big move into instant success. Few share the same pedigree as the flying Dutchman.
Perhaps even Depay could learn a thing or two from his countryman.
HELP FOR ROONEY
Due to the fact Ed Woodward has so far been unable to land any truly huge name signings, skipper Wayne Rooney is the man most expected to carry the burden of most of the attacks. Especially when paired with young talent, who despite their potential, surely cannot be expected to be the instant remedy at Old Trafford.
Rooney himself has not been at his best, but the 30-year old is not helped by the fact he has lost seasoned top levels performers in Robin van Persie and arguably Javier Hernandez.
Robben’s arrival would give the England captain another talisman to share the burden. Though it may not be directly comparable to the age where he lined up with Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez, at least the Dutchman would go some way into helping the man.
Having good players around Rooney makes him a better player. That much is obvious. However, having another seasoned pro, with a wealth of top level experience, can stop the border line over-reliance on him when the young players are still getting to grips with life at one of the biggest clubs in the world.
THE MAN UNITED WAY
Much has been made of the ‘Manchester United’ way in recent months, due to the fact the current incarnation of their side is falling well short of it. Ironically cheering the side after their first shot on target after an hour against a League One side is surely unheard of at most Premier League grounds, let alone Old Trafford.
Arjen Robben can be the perfect placeholder in getting the Red Devils back to such a level, until a move for Gareth Bale can become more realistic. His surging runs down the wing will bring levels of excitement back to the club not seen since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson. Or the early Anthony Martial days. Oh, good times.
I GET BY WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS
Louis van Gaal sometimes cuts a pretty isolated figure at the Theatre of Dreams, with his assistant in the role earmarked as the man to step in should he face the sack. Perhaps signing a player with which he enjoys a close relationship with can help him create a better atmosphere.
The 64-year old signed the player while with Bayern Munich, where the winger has established himself as one of the best players in the world with each passing year. Robben was also the stalwart of his Oranje side that finished third during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
There’s no clear identity on the way the Red Devils play, other than methodical possession sideways and backwards. That’s not really a style you’d associate with van Gaal while at Bayern and Barca, though it’s been a theme this season.
Robben would at least provide the chance for his coach to truly impose himself during the closing stages of his tenure. Perhaps that should already be the case after around 18 months in charge, though United must play the cards with which they are dealt.
GOAL GOALS GOALS
Quite simply, Arjen Robben scores goals. Something that has at times been hard to come by for Manchester United this season. Taking his age, injuries and the intense competition for places in Bavaria into account, the relatively low transfer fee for a player of his ilk may be a feasible option in the quest for more goals.
He notched 35 times across all competitions last season, 45 the season before and already has three in seven Bundesliga games this time round. Why splash £50m on Karim Benzema or Gonzalo Higuain when you could pick Robben up for surely much cheaper than some of those names to score goals while younger talents develop?
It makes financial sense as long as he can keep away from injuries. The man is a serial winner, a trait often found wanting in some of the lacklustre performances churned out by the club this year.