After being painted as the superhero flying in to save the day, Louis van Gaal has had an underwhelming start to life at Manchester United and Tuesday's 4-0 hammering to MK Dons in the League Cup showed the severity of the task ahead of him.
On the day fans were celebrating the signing of Angel Di Maria for a British record fee, it was shown that United need a great deal of improvement and investment in the first-team squad before the close of the transfer windwo.
Van Gaal's steep United learning curve continues - here's what he must learn from the comprehensive defeat.
It may be time to go for Hernandez and Welbeck »
DEFENSIVE WOES APLENTY...
United fans will have been pleased to see Jonny Evans, who has been out with an injury since April, line up against MK Dons on Tuesday night.
But the centre-back's return did not go according to plan. He misplaced a pass as Ben Reeves capitalised on the mistake to set up Will Grigg for the opener.
The Northern Irishman might also have conceded a penalty for a handball after a shot struck his arm in the box but referee Stuart Attwell decided not to award a spot-kick.
The inexperienced defenders who lined up alongside Evans fared little better. Saidy Janko, a 17-year-old signed last summer, was replaced at half-time but United were carved open again for the second goal, delightfully chested home by an umarked Grigg, with Anderson the furthest man back.
And it only got worse as Van Gaal set up his side to try to claw their way back into the game, with Arsenal loanee Benik Afobe twice powering his way beyond the back four to make it 4-0 late on.
Marcos Rojo, the new €20 million signing from Sporting Lisbon, could not make his debut against MK Dons as he is yet to receive a work permit. United are hopeful that he will be available to face Burnley on Saturday and, on this evidence, they will need him.
Culled from goal.com
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