Adnan Januzaj impresses in Manchester United win over Leicester
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Version 0 of 1. This win had Louis van Gaal in jovial post-match mood. The Manchester United manager was pleased at what was a second league victory since Boxing Day and it featured an impressive display from Adnan Januzaj. Despite being content, Van Gaal made it clear the winger has to continue to prove himself. “He has a lot of talent but you have to perform that talent in the matches. “And also in the training sessions. I’m not making the line-up, the players themselves are making the line-up. Every time you have to compare and that’s also [with Darren] Fletcher, who is a very good player, but I have to compare him with [Michael] Carrick and [Daley] Blind who are playing in that position,” said Van Gaal. In Januzaj’s ongoing struggle to establish himself, this show of strength and willingness to shape the contest against Leicester City will do him no harm. Robin van Persie was United’s star performer, scoring a peach of a right-foot volley, then starting the move from which Radamel Falcao scrambled home a fourth of the season. But Januzaj had a quietly impressive game, illustrating muscle has been added to flair, as several visiting players discovered when being held off with ease. This was only a fifth Premier League start for the Belgian handed the No11 shirt formerly worn by Ryan Giggs. If this was a sign of how United see Januzaj and where his career may go, Van Gaal is yet to be convinced. The two main charges are a lack of consistency and tentativeness, issues hardly evident when Januzaj was the best player last season in many games under David Moyes. Januzaj is also battling the sheer number of rivals for a starting berth. Given Van Gaal’s view that he can be classed as a centre-forward as well as a No10 and wide player, then Wayne Rooney, Van Persie, Falcao, James Wilson, Ángel di María, Antonio Valencia, Ashley Young and Juan Mata all vie with him for a place in the XI. In a campaign of ever-changing formations Van Gaal sent this side out with a traditional back four, Blind as a holding midfielder, and an advanced three to support Van Persie and Falcao, of which Januzaj was positioned on the left. Wes Morgan’s own-goal to make it three and Marcin Wasilweski’s late reply wrapped up the scoring. Afterwards Van Gaal identified Januzaj’s current rival as Mata. To make his point the manager adopted a high-pitched, theatrical tone and said: “I have to compare him with Mata because the next press conference you shall ask, ‘Why? Why? Mata is not playing?’ I have to choose and now I choose Januzaj. “But it’s always like that – I’m looking every week and every day the players have to show it. I’ve said to players, I’ve said to Falcao, I’ve said to Mata and I’ve said to Januzaj. I’m very pleased that you are pleased with his performance.” Van Gaal does not doubt Januzaj’s talent. “Otherwise he was not in Manchester [United]. I think the former manager has chosen him to play from out of the youth and he had an extension of his contract, or an improvement of his contract, so then you know that he is a Manchester United player,” he said. “Paddy McNair, now, is coming from out of the youth, he has extended his contract, so he is a Manchester United player.” While Van Gaal would not be pushed on how Januzaj might be feeling about the lack of regular play – “You have to ask him, it’s not for me” – there must be a good chance he will play against Cambridge United in Tuesday’s FA Cup fourth-round replay against the League Two side. Cambridge lost 3-2 at Luton Town on Saturday. Then, despite these three points that move United within five points of Manchester City, the arch-perfectionist wants more. “The results are good but I’m looking always to the process and what our next step is now in that process,” Van Gaal said. Man of the match Robin van Persie (Manchester United) |