da bet sport： After a summer of splurging that does not yet look to be over, Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has the task of integrating new players into his starting XI.
da brwin： So far the Red Devils have been relatively underwhelming in their performances, but importantly have backed up consecutive 1-0 wins over Tottenham and Aston Villa with victory in the Champions League against Club Brugge.
Of the new faces, Morgan Schneiderlin has been solid but is still finding his feet, while Sergio Romero has the unenviable task of filling David De Gea’s gloves.
Bastian Schweinsteiger has looked imperious from the bench while Memphis Depay showed his quality with a brace of goals in the Champions League in midweek.
However, arguably the player that has fitted into the United ranks the most quickly and is impressing the most is Matteo Darmian.
The Italy international has seemingly been installed as Van Gaal’s first-choice right-back, with Rafael being sold to Lyon and Antonio Valencia relegated to the bench.
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Make no mistake about it, although United have craved a dominant central defender in recent times and the centre of midfield has been a concern, right-back has also been an area in dire need of improvement.
Since the retirement of long-serving enforcer Gary Neville, the Red Devils have lacked a consistent and able option in the position.
Rafael at his best was impressive but with inconsistency ruling the roost the Brazilian has been shown the door.
Valencia did a good job last season in playing out of position, but in the long run using a winger in defence was never going to be a ploy that guaranteed the levels of success that United need to compete with English and European football’s top teams.
As such, a new right-back this summer was a priority – and it appears that the Old Trafford outfit have got in right in their recruitment of Darmian.
The former Torino full-back may not have the star name of others linked with the club, but his solid showings in the early days of the 2015-16 campaign suggest that he can be a crucial man for Van Gaal’s charges.
A committed and diligent defender, his positional sense so far has been the bedrock for impressive performances.
On the front foot there have been signs that the Italian can contribute in the final third – expect this aspect of his game to improve significantly as he gains confidence and familiarity in the United defence.
Although Depay, Schweinsteiger and others may well be ready to gain a lot of headlines this season, it could well be the shrewd acquisition of Darmian that is heralded as United’s best piece of summer business by the end of the campaign.
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