It is not uncommon to see a side, who has been famous for its firing legs, loses its charm whenever it comes under the mentorship of a new guardian, i.e., a new manager takes over and Manchester United is the perfect example of how things change in the dressing room when you are decorated with a new boss. Although, Van Gaal, the new ManU boss, has never been a shoddy kind of mentor – his record speaks in itself – yet, his style of leading a side is significantly different than former boss Sir Alexander Ferguson who ruled the Manchester giants for more than two decades with a successful record. Now, when Red Devils are without Alex, it is obvious they will have to lose some fire off their forward line to adjust in new environment and this is exactly what seems to be happening at Old Trafford dressing room. The 31-year-old midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, who has played under Alex as well, is the one who points out the losing sharpness in the forward line and says this is the only reason United drew four of the last six games which is a surprising result for a side who supposed to be the ruling king of English soccer until last few years.
Asking the whole team to adopt a killing instinct if they want to survive in European soccer, Schweinsteiger said, “Players are not scared in front of goal, no. It is all about the killer instinct. We have players who have the abilities but we need it in every game. If you miss a chance you have to be unhappy. When you are a big striker, Ronaldo, Messi and Thomas Muller, it is about attitude. They want to score goals. They have quality but they want to score goals. You need the attitude that you want to score.”
Pointing put the weakest areas in United field spread, he added, “The problem is a mix of everything, it is that last pass. You have to look up to see what is on. We have players who can score goals. It is also about how we start the game from the back. It is about the first pass. It is everything. It is very important for us and I know how difficult it is at Wolfsburg. They have won a lot of matches at home. It is not easy. We have to find the right tactic. We will be ready for the big night.
“I remember we lost there once when Wolfsburg won 5-1 the year they won the Bundesliga. But Bayern also won there 6-1. It is a mix of memories but they are very strong there. I am looking forward to it. They will come at us more because they are at home. Maybe that will be better for us.”