Wilfried Zaha’s debut season at Manchester United was nothing short of disastrous.
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| Zaha's debut season did not go as planned |
Zaha, who had arrived from Crystal Palace for a hefty fee of £15million, had huge expectations at the start of the season, as Sir Alex Ferguson had said he was one of the brightest English prospects of the future. Zaha had a fine pre-season tour with Manchester United, where he impressed with his skills and pace along with fellow youngsters Adnan Januzaj and Jesse Lingard.
Despite this, David Moyes seemed to prefer Antonio Valencia, Luis Nani and Ashley Young over Wilfried Zaha, forcing the young winger to temporarily move to Cardiff in search for first team football. At Cardiff, Zaha produced a few glimpses of his true talent, however for the most part he did not contribute as much as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had hoped. Due to this, Zaha’s appearances at Cardiff were often reduced to cameos off the bench when Solksjaer needed a moment of brilliance from one of his outfield players.
Now back to present day, it seems like Wilfried Zaha has got another chance to prove himself this season, with another new boss at the helm this time around. Donning the number 29 shirt, Zaha will be hoping to prove himself to Louis van Gaal during Manchester United’s pre-season tour, where Zaha might even get a chance to prove himself against world class opposition such as Real Madrid and Inter Milan.
Undoubtedly, Zaha has the potential to become a star. He must grab the opportunity, should it be presented to him in the pre-season tour, with both hands. Zaha’s competition for a place in the squad would be the likes of Antonio Valencia, Luis Nani and Ashley Young, none of whom seem to be in red hot form at the moment. This gives Zaha a chance to impress van Gaal and earn his place in the squad, ahead of the other wingers at Manchester United.
As for how van Gaal manages Zaha – I have no doubts that he can bring the best out of the England international. Seeing how efficiently he managed Memphis Depay and other young prospects during his long, successful managing career, it looks as though van Gaal can definitely utilize Zaha well.
The lack of creativity down the wings at Manchester United has been quite evident, but that could change if Zaha finds the right form and shows the world why Sir Alex was left impressed by his performances in the Championship. With the ball at his feet, Zaha can be a magical player to watch, it is just a case of whether or not he can grab the precious and ample opportunities that will be presented to him.
The Old Trafford crowd has witnessed some mind blowing wingers over the past few years, and certainly they have been crying out for an exciting, thrilling and arrogant winger for a couple of seasons now. Zaha certainly has the potential to make a name for himself, but do you think he can light up the stage at Old Trafford?
Article contributed by Mayank Tiwary.
Twitter: @VanPerseing
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