LOUIS VAN GAAL has revealed Manchester United will be deployed in a 4-3-3 formation during the upcoming season following pre-season experimentation.
The manager tinkered with the shape of his starting XI throughout his debut season at the Old Trafford helm as United overcame a poor start to qualify for the Champions League following a one-year absence.
United have returned from their pre-season tour of the US, winning 1-0 over Club America before beating Barcelona 3-1 and losing 2-0 to Paris Saint-Germain, and Van Gaal has decided on his tactical plans.
“More or less 4-3-3,” he told the club’s official website. “We played that already last season, in the second half of the season, and I have said that is the system I want to use.
“We played in our shape [on tour] and played how we have to play. That’s also where I have been very satisfied.”
He added: “That the midfielder is [sometimes] in front of the striker is not bad because I think you do need variation in your attack,” said Van Gaal, in a press conference following the final tour match against PSG.
“I like that and I ask for that, especially from Memphis. It can also be [Michael] Carrick or [Bastian] Schweinsteiger or [Morgan] Schneiderlin once in a while but mostly Memphis [Depay]. It depends on our opponents.”
