Most people will ignore this, as it may be a long rant, but anyway.
First of all, Van Gaal plays 352, like he did with Holland, because defensively we was not good enough.
What this does is, put extra bodies defensively, and takes away an offensive threat. Some people seem to think that because it enables Mata, Rooney and RVP to play in the same team, it is an attacking formation.
Basically it means we play with less attacking threat, and gives us less options. At least with Holland, he had the pace of Robben to cause trouble, but at United we do not have this.
We need to play 433, or 4231, which ever way you look at it, the problem is, why don't we? Because Van Gaal deems us not good enough defensively to do that.
We lack pace up top to play the 352 effectively. Our only pacey plays today where Lindgard and Young, playing wing back, which means they join the attack later than they normally would in a 433, 4231, 442 etc.
Herrera, Fletcher, Mata, Rooney and RVP do not offer any pace at all, and it is clear as day.
Look at our squad today. Blackett, Young, Lingard, Fletcher, Hernandez. That is 5 players, 5 Players who are either played out of position or expected to leave the club because they are not deemed good enough for this team. (Ok, Fletcher, is neither, but has massive injury / fitness problems).
We need at least 1 very good defender, 2, if we decide on the 352 (Which even Van Gaal gave up on after 45 minutes, at home to Swansea), a very good central midfielder and a winger, and that is if we want to get into a 4th spot position at the end of the season.
Our big problem is, the lack of the right players. When we bought Mata, great, a very good signing, but not really needed. A Reus, Di Maria, Sanchez or a Vidal, Fabregas or Kroos was more needed. (Yes, they may not have wanted to come), but they would have been a better purchase than Mata, for what we needed as a team.
Without Mata, Rooney and RVP fit in the team fine, and if that money was spent better elsewhere, it would have benefited the squad better. We bought Mata, and he is a very good player, but it does cause a problem between Rooney and RVP.
Anyway, I've been out drinking all day with a City and Liverpool fan
, and I have rambled on, I have expressed some of my feelings, so there you go
PS, We need pace