When Sir Alex Ferguson was spotted along with Mike Phelan in the stands watching the 2011/2012 German Cup final between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, it was no secret he was there to see what Shinji Kagawa had to offer. The Japanese international put in a great performance as he scored a goal and had two assists in a 5-2 Dortmund win.
When Sir Alex Ferguson was spotted along with Mike Phelan in the stands watching the 2011/2012 German Cup final between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, it was no secret he was there to see what Shinji Kagawa had to offer. The Japanese international put in a great performance as he scored a goal and had two assists in a 5-2 Dortmund win.
Sir Alex convinced Kagawa that Old Trafford would be great for his future and the 24 year old signed for the Red Devils in the summer of 2012. In his first season he did well but struggled with injuries and so never had the chance to get a good run in the team but he showed moments of sublime skill, vision and creativity to suggest that he is definitely a player that can take Manchester United to the next level.
Despite helping the Red Devils to reclaim the premiership title from Manchester City, the Japanese international was not satisfied with his season and vowed to make up for it. The retirement of Sir Alex didn’t help Kagawa because he is held in high regard by the legendary manager. Sir Alex’s successor David Moyes, then made it clear that he was informed of the qualities of Kagawa so he was looking forward to working with him.
However, it seems as if Moyes is not seeing what the rest of the world is seeing as Kagawa has not featured much so far this season. The likes of Ryan Giggs, Ashley Young and new boy Marouanne Fellaini have all been played ahead of the 24 year old playmaker. Kagawa is the only playmaker in the squad yet still he is been overlooked by Moyes who has seen his Man United team struggle in the attacking third to create chances.
So far this season, the stats have shown that Man United has had the majority of possession in their games, except for the game against Man City. However, there is a struggle in the attacking third to unlock the opposition’s defense and also lacking an individual that can create space in tight situations and cause problems for the opponents. With a player of Kagawa’s history, quality and vision, Moyes still hasn’t given the 24 year old playmaker his chance to solve the problems United have in the final third.
In the cameo appearances he gotten so far this season, Kagawa has brought something different to the attack as he floats around the pitch elegantly, linking up well with his teammates and appearing in spaces and holes that is difficult for the opponents to defend. His intelligence on the ball is first class and despite being not fully fit or match sharp, the Japanese international still manages to dazzle his way pass his opponents and cause all sorts of problems.
Kagawa is certainly not being utilized well by David Moyes, who has a reputation of playing a very defensive minded system, but he must change his thinking because Manchester United is a club that likes to attack and their fans are used to seeing wonderful attacking play right up to the last minute due to their rich history and tradition of scoring late goals to win matches.
The premiership is much more competitive now and if Man United is to do well then they will need to creative spark of Shinji Kagawa. Man United fans all over the world are calling for the Japanese to play more regularly as they know what he brings to the team. There is no doubt the struggle will continue for Moyes and Manchester United if the 24 year old continues to be overlooked and there is no doubt that many clubs are watching and monitoring his situation so they can try to capture his signature should he become unsettled and looking elsewhere for more opportunities.
Writer: Yashiema Love
Photo: Kagawa scores for Man Utd (Reuters)
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are solely those of the writer and not the opinions of Yardie Sports.
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