Going out of the Champions League was a seismic moment for Louis van Gaal’s reign at Manchester United. It is not as though the group they were in was tough, as Manchester City’s have been in recent years when they struggled. Not only did they not have to face a Barcelona or a Bayern Munich, they weren’t even up against the next tier of teams, such as Paris St-Germain or Atletico Madrid. It’s been almost a year and a half under Van Gaal now so it’s a reasonable time to assess what is going wrong.

Manchester United have had a terrible week which has seen them knocked out of the Champions League

United were also beaten 2-1 by Bournemouth on Saturday night at the Vitality Stadium

Problems of Philosophy

Van Gaal has spent a good amount of time talking about his philosophy since he took over at Manchester United and it’s all based on the possession football with which he won the European Cup in 1995 with Ajax.

I’m certainly not against possession-based football but it has to have a real thrust to it. The great Barcelona side of recent years and the great Brazil team of the Seventies also played slow, slow, slow; but then they would inject a quick acceleration forwards in a sudden spurt. I don’t see that at United. There are little spates of it but mainly it’s sideways possession and teams can defend easily against them.

I know that Louis van Gaal would be looking for that change of pace in his attacks and on the odd occasion you have seen that from Anthony Martial and Memphis Depay, but nowhere near enough, because the players don’t seem quick enough to play the right forward ball.

In fact, the only one who is doing so consistently is the player Van Gaal handpicked for the side from the Dutch national team — Daley Blind. He is the best on the ball and the one who clearly understands what Van Gaal wants. His passing has been excellent, with fantastic vision and a beautiful left foot.

Anthony Martial (right) has showed glimpses of his pace, but United's possession is mostly sideways

He can play those killer balls which take players out of the game. Perhaps if he played in midfield, as he did sometimes last season, it would help. Then Martial would be spinning on his defenders and getting in behind, because he would know that a ball is going to come.

I Want You Back

The other problem they have at the moment is where they win the ball back as a team. Too often it is in the deep defensive areas of their own half and then they are too slow to work it up the pitch.

If you look at the most exciting teams in Europe of recent years, Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Jurgen Klopp’s side at Borussia Dortmund, they have tended to focus on winning the ball back very high up the pitch. Tottenham do it under Mauricio Pochettino, Roberto Martinez is doing it at Everton and now of course Liverpool are now doing it under Klopp.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is one manager who implores his team to press high up the pitch

ALARMING NUMBERS 8 - Shots attempted by Manchester United during their defeat by Bournemouth — their opponents had 11 16 - Percentage of United’s passes played backwards this season — the highest in the Premier League Advertisement

United don’t necessarily need to copy them exactly. For example, winning the ball back in the middle third of the pitch would also be an improvement. Sometimes it can even be better. By the time an opposition team have worked their way into the middle third of the pitch, they will have opened themselves up a little: the full backs will have pushed on, a midfielder will be making a run forward. That means they’re even more vulnerable to a counter-attack

But what United can’t keep doing is only winning the ball back in deep areas. With United I don’t see that conscious team effort to go and win the ball back in packs. Individuals go but there isn’t a trigger point for the team that says: ‘We’re all going to press now.’ It is a failing of all our Champions League teams as you could say the same about Arsenal and Manchester City.

And when you talk about winning the ball back, that’s not just a defensive issue. It’s just as important for your attacking players. Win the ball back in the right areas and you’re much more likely to create a threat in the opponents’ box, which is precisely what United aren’t doing at the moment.

Relight My Fire

Old Trafford hasn’t been ignited when I’ve been there in the last few seasons and talking to United fans you have the impression that it hasn’t been for a long time. Certainly they haven’t achieved the free-flowing, quick football we were used to seeing there.

If United fans saw the odd game when the football was sensational and they beat someone 4-0, you could forgive some inconsistency. You could say: ‘Oh it’s in there, it’s coming, give the manager more time.’ But it hasn’t been like that. It’s been pedestrian and slow because of the reasons described above.

Old Trafford has been flat of late with Louis van Gaal's team not playing free-flowing, attacking football

Something has to change but the team look drained. They are playing in a plod. Perhaps they are finding the preparation and the tactical meetings, which we know Van Gaal likes, energy sapping. You need elements of work, rest and play to get the best out of any team and these players look in need of stimulation.

Money, Money, Money

Spending money doesn’t mean you’re bringing in better players. At the moment it just means that the market is inflated.

And it’s not just United who are guilty of falling back on spending. There is a danger here for English football in general and the Premier League. Clubs here are getting blasé about recruitment. You’ve seen it at Manchester City as well. The mentality seems to be that because we have money, we’ll spend it. And because we’re spending £30million on a centre half, he’ll be a better player. Quite often you would be better off looking at other Premier League players or in the Championship.

Even though all Premier League clubs are among the richest in the world now, they should still be seeking the best deal for their club. If you look at the players United have brought in since Sir Alex Ferguson left the club, have they done enough for the amount of money spent? Have they provided a significant improvement to the team? No.

Man United have been active in the transfer market with £25m Memphis Depay one of many signings

For some, like Memphis and Martial, it’s a little early to judge. But if the club had spent £60m because their hands were tied financially you might be ready to excuse them playing like this. But having spent £270m in two seasons and with a net spend of £165m under Van Gaal, then you can’t.

One That Got Away

The flip side of recruitment is the players whom United have let go, foremost among them Chicharito. I have done many articles where I’ve said he could be a key player before United sold him, so this isn’t simply a case of being wise after the event.

He’s scored 15 goals for Bayer Leverkusen in his last 12 games, while his former club United have managed just 10 in the same number of matches in all competitions.

If you create chances, his movement will always get you goals. It is really puzzling why they let him go when they always looked short of strikers.

Javier Hernandez, who United let go this summer, scored a hat-trick for Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday

Where To Go From Here?

What would constitute a good season for United now?

Van Gaal might argue that they’re in the title race, just three points behind leaders Manchester City in fourth place. However, like a lot of the top sides in the Premier League, it looks as though they’re getting away with it because of the bizarre nature of the season.

If Chelsea and Manchester City were firing on all cylinders, as they should be, United would be well adrift. A good season now would be a really good run in the FA Cup and third in the league. Do I think that will happen? I’m not so sure.

Double Trouble

If United were playing Barcelona, Bayern Munich or even Manchester City away, I could understand playing with two holding midfielders such as Bastian Schweinsteiger and Morgan Schneiderlin. But not against West Ham at home.

Don’t get me wrong; they’re good footballers. But they’re never going to get ahead of the ball. The same is true of Michael Carrick. I would prefer to have another more attack-minded midfielder alongside either Schweinsteiger or Schneiderlin; someone like Marouane Fellaini, who can also get in and around the box to cause havoc.

Bastian Schweinsteiger has been deployed with Morgan Schneiderlin, but United don't need them both

That way, if you’re marking their midfielders, you never quite know where they are going to be.

Fellaini might suddenly be running off you, or in behind you. At the moment it’s too easy for opponents. They know exactly where Schneiderlin and Schweinsteiger are going to be. Of course the game has changed from when teams had two up front and two central midfielders in a midfield four, one would attack while the other would hold.

But United played that system so well with players like Bryan Robson, Paul Ince, Paul Scholes and Roy Keane. Nowadays, you have to find ways to get players into the box in a different system but at the moment United haven’t got anything like that threat.