Louis Van Gaal Set To Hand James Wilson A Surprise Start Ahead Of RVP
When Manchester United file out against Crystal Palace later this weekend, there will surely be several changes mainly because of the serious injury worries affecting the team but one very important change that the fans will be hoping to see is one that involves the omission of one of their superstars who is presently experiencing a dip in form and an aspiring youngster who many believe should be given a shot at the big stage. The Daily Mirror reports on good authority that Louis van Gaal is seriously considering starting James Wilson ahead of Robin van Persie on Sunday.
The 18 year old has really impressed the manager and is highly rated around Old Trafford especially with his bustling runs whenever the boss gives him a couple of minutes to play in their more recent matches. His latest came when Louis van Gaal who couldn’t bear Robin van Persie‘s frustratingly lethargic performance on the pitch decided to bring in a new leg. In the absence of Radamel Falcao, the manager had no one else to call on except Wilson and when the youngster made another cameo, even though he couldn’t match the strength of Vincent Kompany, he still displayed the poise and hunger that the fans wanted to see in the woeful Robin.
Wilson had an inspiring debut for the red Devils last term scoring a brace against hard fighting Hull City and even when he was relegated back to the under-21 team, he continued to dazzle. He got his name on the score-sheet during the youth side’s 3-2 loss to Leicester City. So with Robin’s dip in form and Falcao’s problematic knee, Wilson might as well get the nod. Thankfully, the manager is not the type to shy away from such venture as he has done that severally at every club he has managed and has even shown such signs in the little period that he has spent at Old Trafford when he handed debuts to the trio of Jesse Lingard, Paddy McNair and Tyler Blacklet.
Despite his current predicament, it will be absurd to say van Persie isn’t a world class player because in the year that he switched from Arsenal, he actually hit the ground running and was the deciding factor in the club’s accomplishment of their League number 20. However, it seems that age is already catching up on the Dutchman. Even if James Wilson gets the nod over Robin on Sunday, Louis van Gaal still remains a strong admirer of the striker because even when van Persie started showing signs of frailties at the World Cup, the manager chose to remind himself of the recent exploits that the striker achieved including topping the chart of the highest goal scorers at the World Cup qualifying bouts and also an awesome header against Spain in their first game at Brazil. As such Louis van Gaal kept fielding him ahead of the in-form Huntelaar.
Either Wilson performs well or not if the manager finally decides to field him, he will still need to learn and with the youngster’s golden opportunity, the manager will sound a note of warning to Robin and by extension all the other squad members that no one can continue to bank on past glories to get a place in Manchester United’s team.