Premier League: Kagawa to force Man United reshape

Michael Lintorn
30 July 2012

Shinji Kagawa has shown encouraging pre-season form

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Shinji Kagawa's performances behind a striker in friendlies present a strong case for him starting the season there...

"Kagawa can operate out wide yet has signalled his desire to line up behind a striker in the number ten position."

Shinji Kagawa has been busy this pre-season disproving the cynics who tried to suggest that Manchester United's decision to invest between £12-17 million on him was inspired more by commercial considerations than football ones.

The Japanese attacking midfielder has started two friendlies this summer and impressed in each, scoring the winning goal and collecting a man-of-the-match award for his display in the 1-0 victory over Chinese side Shanghai Shenhua.

Kagawa has already convinced Paul Scholes, so much so that the veteran playmaker suspects that the 23-year-old - in addition to the extra motivation of missing out last term - could tilt the balance in their favour in the Premier League title fight. They are 3.55 to Manchester City's 2.3211/8.

He said: "He looks brilliant. I've only been in training with him for a couple of weeks but he's very good technically and you can see the talent he's got already.

"He will bring goals to the team, whether scoring them or making them. He's got great movement and is very clever in the runs he makes. It's difficult to say which foot is his best. He's equal with right and left. He's a good lad. He doesn't speak much English yet, but I am sure he will be very popular here."

Kagawa's arrival and strong pre-season showing does prompt another dilemma for Sir Alex Ferguson though regarding how he sets up his side for the upcoming campaign.

The former Borussia Dortmund hero can operate out wide yet has signalled his desire to line up behind a striker in the number ten position. He has performed there in both of his friendly outings, with Manchester United adopting a 4-4-1-1 formation.

Of course the issue with playing that way in the long run is that it means breaking up the Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck partnership that was their most productive pairing in 2011/12.

Rooney would be the favourite to be the starting striker in that scenario - unless he reassumed a deeper role - meaning reduced opportunities for Welbeck after his most encouraging season yet, and pushing Javier Hernandez even further down the pecking order.

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