Louis van Gaal believes there are similarities between Jamie Vardy and Ruud van Nistelrooy – the man whose record the Leicester striker is attempting to break this weekend.
Advertisement
His red-hot form is one of the reasons for Leicester’s surprisingly superb season so far, sitting pretty on top of the league table above heavyweights Manchester United, Arsenal and Manchester City.
After a frustrating evening in the UEFA Champions League against PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday, the Reds will be out to prove a point and, if a United man finds the back of the net, it will be the team’s 100th goal away at Leicester in all competitions.
“I remember that he was last season a very nasty player for us”.
Vardy equalled the Dutchman’s record with his first-half strike at Newcastle, a goal which saw the striker become the only English player ever to score at least once in 10 successive Premier League matches. “It’s not so easy to do that”.
The 28-year-old, with four England caps to his name, first burst onto the Premier League scene tormenting United during Leicester’s famous 5-3 victory last season.
Not a ringing endorsement – but there’s a chance! Van Gaal insists the academy graduate still has a future at the club.
“Van Gaal has mastered the weighty and august duties inherent in being United’s figurehead”, he says.
As well as conceding the least goals in the division this season, United have also completed the most number of passes in the league with 1,750 and their 55% average possession rate is also the highest this term.
“Of course, you cannot rule them out”, the Frenchman replied, when asked if Leicester could win the title.
Despite being second in the table after 13 matches, some United fans are unhappy with the style of football being played under Van Gaal.
In his absence, Wayne Rooney is likely to play in the No. 10 role with Anthony Martial spear-heading the attack and van Gaal will be looking for a lot more from his front two after a lackluster display in midweek. You always have something you want to be better, as a team and also as an individual player.
However, as free-flowing as that Ajax side was, they shared one common trait with van Gaal’s evolving United side – they were incredibly well-drilled with every single player knowing his job inside and out.
“We have to think what is best for a player like Wilson”.
The 30-year-old was substituted after 68 minutes at the King Power Stadium after taking a kick to the chest from Robert Huth, but Dunn thinks Rooney is still struggling to get to grips with Van Gaal’s methods. “That is why we are second in the league and in our CL group”.
Advertisement
I don’t predict quite as many this time out, but I fully expect both teams to score. United have to halt this, because Vardy is more than capable of repeating the trouble he caused for Marcos Rojo and Rafael last season. Covers Expert Soccer Authority breaks down the biggest matches in the Premier League this weekend.
