Louis van Gaal was right. He always is. In his own mind, anyway. His decision to sell Danny Welbeck to Arsenal remained correct. Even after the Manchester United fan delivered the goal to eliminate his former club from the FA Cup and ensure Van Gaal's debut year at Old Trafford will end without silverware.
Even when Radamel Falcao, the man brought to replace Welbeck, has scored four goals for his new club whereas the Englishman has eight for Arsenal.
Obdurate and obstinate to the end, he was still convinced his transfer business was justified. “Yes,” he said. As for Falcao, he said: “He has scored four goals and has three or four assists. He also stimulates the other players.”
Falcao must have stimulated them from the substitutes’ bench. He was a £265,000-a-week spectator (Dh1.5 million), an overpaid sideshow, unused even when United needed a goal. Van Gaal, who had disdainfully dismissed Welbeck as “more a substitute than a line-up player” in November, pronounced himself startled to see the 24-year-old forward start. “It was also a surprise that Wenger put him in the line-up in that position,” he said.
A surprise to some was a masterstroke to others. The in-form Olivier Giroud was demoted, the ever willing Welbeck promoted from the bench. Van Gaal argued United gifted Arsenal victory; that was true up to a point. But it was equally true Arsenal earned it. Welbeck’s willingness to chase and harry, to run many a mile in selfless sacrifice, meant he was positioned to latch on to Antonio Valencia’s under-hit back-pass.
“He did very well,” said Arsenal’s manager Arsene Wenger. “He kept his calm.”
Welbeck’s finishing has long been questioned. Van Gaal cited his goal return – it was just 29 in 142 games for United – in September as justification for selling the local lad and pursuing his policy of uniting superstar strikers. Yet there were reasons why his sale was controversial. Welbeck’s attitude has long equipped him to perform in bigger games. He has mobility and ability alike. He cost just Arsenal £16 million. United will pay more than that simply for Falcao’s loan fee and wages. The Colombian has delivered four goals for United, the Mancunian eight for Arsenal.
While Van Gaal cited the immutable law of the “ex”, the way former players invariably score against their old clubs, there is yet another unwritten rule: your mistakes catch up with you.
For six months, Van Gaal’s error in exiling Welbeck for Falcao did not cost United. They laboured their way into the top four, won at the Emirates Stadium courtesy of an inspired David de Gea and were on course to meet their targets for the season.
Yet it has seemed in spite (rather than because) of many of Van Gaal’s machinations. He has spent £152m but, as Arsenal out-thought United, his additions underachieved. It was a wretched night for his recruits. Luke Shaw and Ander Herrera, who cost a combined £56m, were hauled off at half time. Angel di Maria, who was priced at £59.7m, was sent off. Falcao was not even brought on. Marcos Rojo was fortunate not to concede a penalty. By a process of elimination, Daley Blind was probably the least culpable just as, over the season, others’ failings have catapulted him into the status of the best buy.
Di Maria contrived to be first impressive, then impulsive, then inexcusable. A promising performance turned into an embarrassing exit. He delivered the delightful cross Wayne Rooney headed in, equalising Nacho Monreal’s opener. He dived in desperation to get United back into the game, tugged referee Michael Oliver when he was cautioned and collected a second yellow card in the space of seconds. “He has no excuses,” said Van Gaal, who branded his record signing “not so smart”.
As a whole, United weren’t. After seeing Di Maria disciplined for diving, Adnan Januzaj adopted the same approach, with the same outcome. and United ended the match with the sort of long-ball bombardment at Marouane Fellaini that led Sam Allardyce to brand them “direct”.
Crucially, too, Arsenal held on. They had conceded in poor fashion, but they displayed resolve under pressure. They stood firm at a place where they have capitulated before. “We have shown we are mentally at the level that was requested,” Wenger said.
This has been the scene of his historic lows. In 2011, Arsenal conceded eight goals in a game for the first time in 115 years when United won 8-2 at Old Trafford. Four years later, they struck twice again and Welbeck was again on the scoresheet, but the similarities ended there. Arsenal were neither naive nor annihilated. Wenger’s substitutions worked better than Van Gaal’s. His signing succeeded where the Dutchman’s failed. It would have amounted to a humbling occasion for the Manchester United manager, if only he had the humility to admit it.
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