ManUtd.com's Adam Marshall gives his view on how Adnan Januzaj is emerging as a genuine option as a striker in Louis van Gaal's new-look United side...
Adnan Januzaj looks a different animal this season. His decision to undergo extra work in Dubai with a fitness coach and colleague Luke Shaw has enabled him to hit the ground running for Manchester United out in America.
From the first glance of him as a substitute in the win over Club America, the Belgium international had clearly changed body shape. He appeared stronger, more muscular and no longer the willowy winger who could sometimes be bullied by bruising defenders willing to cross the line with their marking.
As a supporter who has still not come to terms with seeing somebody other than Ryan Giggs in the no.11 shirt, it was as though this was another new man donning the jersey. Januzaj seems ready to thrive in the central role he craves, his enhanced physique enabling him to embrace the challenge with renewed confidence.
Of course, operating as an attacker is nothing new to the 20-year-old. Reserves coach Warren Joyce used him in the position, teaching the youngster how to handle the hard knocks that inevitably accompany leading the line. One of his best performances during David Moyes' reign came as a striker during a 3-1 defeat at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge when he was still only 18.
Forward Thinking
It is now clear Louis van Gaal believes Januzaj can provide an option down the middle after enthusing about his cameo performance against Barcelona at the weekend. "I have given him a chance in this position and you have to look if he can do that or not," explained van Gaal. "But he has a lot of quality and, against Barcelona, he showed it for the first time. He was very good and was a threat as a striker in his 30 minutes. He always gives an option for midfielders and defenders. He scored a wonderful goal and that is always important."
Januzaj has made no secret about his ambition to perform in a no.10 role, one of three positions he has occupied in the International Champions Cup matches, and an ability to play anywhere along the front line will be a real boon if the manager adopts a fluid attacking formation. The no.9 position brings its own demands but the player said on Saturday that he "really likes it because it gets me closer to the goal".
Speaking last season, Adnan explained how he is already accustomed to taking punishment from defenders because of his positive approach. "I do receive a lot of fouls but, okay, that's my game," he told ManUtd.com. "I take the kicks because I'm a dribbler and I like to go past people. So it's expected I will get a lot of free-kicks. I train hard all the time so I am used to getting the kicks."
The hard work behind the scenes is starting to pay off. The desire to enhance his game and add more strings to his bow has become increasingly evident. "You can always improve by working on things in training," he said. "Your skill is just one example. To be honest, some of it comes naturally but, after training, for five or 10 minutes, I have been doing some crossing or practicing some skills by myself."
Januzaj will need all the tricks in his locker to unhinge central defenders in the way he saw off Marc Bartra when scoring the clincher against Barcelona at Levi's Stadium. Even if he does add more brawn to his game, he will never be the Muscles from Brussels. Fleet of foot and equally as quick in his thinking, he could become a very modern centre-forward.
No.10 or new-age no.9?
His first senior goal may have been a header against Kitchee in a past tour game but he is not your archetypal no.9. The natural balance first noted by Sir Alex Ferguson can help him to strike straight through the heart of the opposition in a way mapped out for the man whose shirt he has adopted. As a 17-year-old of immense promise, Giggs was initially played off Mark Hughes in a role very different to the one where he would achieve legendary status.
Whatever happens, Januzaj will retain the urge to run at people and, in his own words, make things happen. His clever feints and dummies, something he has been doing since the age of five when messing around with his parents and even teasing people in the street, are capable of tying even the nimbler centre-halves in knots. Certainly, a central position should help him to discover an end product on a regular basis and build his goals and assists tally. His manager observed the shot parried out by Costel Pantilimon for Wayne Rooney's second goal last season was the first time Adnan had set up a goal during his tenure.
The display at the end of February against Sunderland, opponents for his extraordinary two-goal debut in 2013, was encouraging. Yet this was nothing in comparison to the way he dissected Barcelona's backline, admittedly one shorn of Gerard Pique six minutes after Januzaj's introduction, and staked an obvious claim for another appearance against Paris Saint-Germain in the Reds' final match of the tour.
Van Gaal, like the fans, was heartened by the forward's bold showing in Santa Clara. The challenge is clearly to replicate this sort of form on a regular basis and prove he is capable of filling any of the attacking slots in the manager's line-up. A 3-5-2 formation that did not ideally suit wingers for a spell last term was phased out and the system currently being deployed by the boss in the United States would seem tailor-made for direct attackers. Things could well be moving in Adnan's favour and it is now up to him to show he has the tools to come of age and consistently make his mark.
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