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It took Louis van Gaal over six months to settle on a system for Manchester United last season and against Club America he tweaked it again.

Memphis Depay played off Wayne Rooney, with Ashley Young and Juan Mata on the flanks and Michael Carrick partnered by Morgan Schneiderlin in midfield. The 4-2-3-1 set-up is not set in stone, but United endured a relatively impotent 2014-15 and Wayne Rooney's respectable goals ratio of five in 10 as a No.9 masked some ineffectual displays.

Rooney's selflessness as a striker enabled United's midfield to thrive last season, especially Ander Herrera. Van Gaal also took six months to appreciate Herrera was an essential cog in the United machine and while he insisted the Basque merely had to 'improve' to start more than one Premier League match in four months, some at Carrington were unconvinced by Herrera.

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Herrera proved them wrong and his promotion to the United first-team coincided with their improvement in the spring. Herrera was the first United midfielder to dominate Liverpool, physically and skilfully, at Anfield since Roy Keane, was the best player on the pitch in the derby win over City and finished the season with eight goals in 22 starts.

The 25-year-old's omission from the starting line-up against Club America is not cause for concern. Van Gaal started two different XIs in each half and fitness was primary, especially on a pitch that was desecrated by One Dimension (sic.).

Herrera is not a one-dimensional player and should Van Gaal retain the 4-2-3-1 formation long-term, as some have indicated, Herrera would be inhibited. Van Gaal played him beside Bastian Schweinsteiger in the second-half in Seattle and while Schweinsteiger's discipline allowed Herrera to attack, he is superior in an advanced role.

This was patent at Chelsea in April, where United were deprived of Michael Carrick. Herrera started at the base of United's midfield instead of Rooney, where he was wasted, and his failure to switch to a cautious mindset contributed to Eden Hazard's breakaway winner.

Herrera looked uncomfortable passing laterally. His instinct is to pass the ball forwards, rather than mimic Ray Wilkins, and his deployment there against West Brom two weeks later blunted a frustrated United attack as they lost again.

Now Van Gaal has Schweinsteiger, Morgan Schneiderlin and Carrick, it is expected two of the trio will start the majority of United's games. Schneiderlin netted United's only goal at CenturyLink Field, though the silky Schweinsteiger is the more attack-minded of the duo.

From the thousands of selections on what Van Gaal's best side should be, Schweinsteiger and Schneiderlin naturally start, with Mata the chosen playmaker. It was startling to notice Angel di Maria was chosen ahead of Herrera.

Supporters' reactions to the Schweinsteiger and Schneiderlin buys have created a feel-good atmosphere and fuelled optimism at United. The club's midfield overhaul might have ended with the pair and began with Marouane Fellaini, yet it was Herrera who reminded Steven Gerrard someone in a United shirt was prepared to get stuck in at Anfield and he also overran Yaya Toure.

Impressed, Van Gaal highlighted the telepathy between Herrera, Mata and Antonio Valencia in the Anfield press room back in March.

"If you are playing good we have to play like a team and now Mata is playing as a false right winger in the combination with Herrera and Valencia," he said. "It gives him more opportunities."

Mata's belated return to the first-team, a month on from Herrera's, enhanced his compatriot and the pair scored seven between them in United's last 10 games.

Retaining Herrera is essential and feasible even with Schweinsteiger and Schneiderlin. As a midfield trio, they could be formidable and Herrera would be backed by two defensive-minded teammates. He could even develop into a playmaker.

Fellaini is suspended for the first three Premier League games and Di Maria's unresolved future leaves a shortage of proven attacking central midfielders available to Van Gaal, not that Herrera should feel inferior than either of them.

Van Gaal should tweak around Herrera.

See pictures of United training in Seattle below