Why Bastian Schweinsteiger’s departure signals a new era at Manchester United

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Bastian Schweinsteiger departed Old Trafford earlier this month through the rear stage door – relatively quietly and without a great deal of fuss or furore.

The World Cup winning midfielder is moving to North America to play for Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise Chicago Fire who have handed him a one-year contract reportedly worth $4,500,000 (£3,600,000). In effect, the 32-year-old is calling time on an illustrious playing career that has resulted in him becoming one of the most iconic players in Europe after over a decade of continuous success with Bayern Munich and the German national team. The MLS, despite the best efforts of the American football authorities, still remains the pre-retirement home for aging players and Schweinsteiger follows in the footsteps of the likes of Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, David Villa, Robbie Keane and Andrea Pirlo in concluding his career with one final multi-million dollar payday across the Atlantic.

However, Schweinsteiger’s departure from Old Trafford is much more significant than it may first appear. The German characterises the issues of the Louis Van Gaal era and indicates the new direction that Manchester United are heading in under the direction of Jose Mourinho.

Minimal impact at Old Trafford

Bastian Schweinsteiger signed for Manchester United in July 2015 from German champions Bayern Munich for £6,500,000.

He arrived with a fantastic resume. He was a World Cup winner in 2014 with the German National team and had won eight Bundesliga titles, seven German cups, and a Champions League winner’s medal in thirteen years with Bayern Munich. The 32-year-old was an iconic figure across Europe and was recognised for his superb technical ability, creativity, vision and range of passing [activate xtreme triazole lean xtreme stack].

However, Schweinsteiger struggled to make any impact at Old Trafford. He was ill-suited to the physical demands of English football and, whilst he may have been technically excellent, he lacked the mobility to impart his authority on games. In addition to this, his cause was not aided by a consistent struggle against niggling muscular injuries.

In many ways the German personified Manchester United’s struggles under the stewardship of Louis Van Gaal – slow, dull football that lacked energy, dynamism or a cutting edge. This is certainly not a criticism of Schweinsteiger, who simply arrived at Old Trafford at a time when the club was in transition and on the wrong side of thirty. It is telling that the midfielder has been used sparingly by Jose Mourinho this season as the Portuguese maestro attempts to mould United into a genuine European force once more. In fact, Schweinsteiger has played less than 150 minutes of first team football since the summer and his last appearance in the Premier League came one year ago in a one-goal win over Manchester City.

A new-look Manchester United team

The ‘new’ Manchester United that is being built by Jose Mourinho is based on energy, mobility and physicality to compliment the obvious technical qualities possessed by the current playing squad. Bastian Schweinsteiger simply did not fit into the new mould of player that will perform on the Old Trafford turf over the coming decade.

Paul Pogba, who was signed for a world-record transfer fee that could end up close to the £93,000,000 mark, is the perfect example of what a Manchester United midfielder will need to look like whilst Mourinho is in charge. Dynamic, physically imposing and powerful – all things that Schweinsteiger was not.

So whilst the German departed Old Trafford through the back exit, it signifies that a new era at Manchester United is about to begin. An era that will be characterised by players with technical ability, power, physicality, and directness. Whether Jose Mourinho will return Manchester United to the pinnacle of European football remains to be seen, but it is abundantly clear that there will be no room for aging players from the continent who lack the mobility to meet the demands of English football.

Whilst Bastian Schweinsteiger will be enjoying one last big pay day in North America, Jose Mourinho will be hauling Manchester United towards domestic and European trophies.

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