For Manchester United, December is usually one of the best months, with the festive fixture list often providing the most points.

However this year under Louis van Gaal it was one of their worst Decembers in years, a period which saw United pick up two points out of a possible 15. It could have cost them the title.

United now sit six points off Manchester City, which may not seem a big deal, but considering their inconsistent form recently, they will require the teams above them to slip up. With matches against Arsenal, Man City, Spurs and Leicester still to go, it will be hard to not only make up that gap, but not slip further down.

United are in desperate need of Champions League football and fresh blood to turn things around. Without both, they will struggle next season, unless of course they get rid of LVG, with a new manager always an attraction.

December for United not only saw the team get knocked out the Champions League, loosing 3-2 to a good Wolfsburg team, but a series of worrying defeats. A few seasons ago under Sir Alex Ferguson, the matches against the likes of Norwich, Bournemouth and Stoke would have seen goals. Yet this time fans were only allowed to see the ball hit the net four times all month, with only two of those in the league.

Instead, fans grew frustrated with a manager who was seemingly let off constantly for United's poor form, with a board unwilling to do the right thing and sack him. United ended the year nine points off top spot in sixth position. Had United won those games, you have to wonder whether they could have been much higher.

Van Gaal at this time looked to have lost the team, with everybody struggling to score. Link this with a lack of defensive options, and United were pretty much the team everybody wanted to face, because they knew three points were possible.

If United were serious about mounting a title charge, you feel they would have dived into the transfer market and signed top quality players, as well as selling the deadwood. The fans openly dislike Marouane Fellaini, a player who Van Gaal used too much during December. A new striker was sorely needed, one who could consistently score goals, as well as compliment the play of Anthony Martial and Wayne Rooney.

The defence needed to be added to, a new centre-back to help provide support for Chris Smalling and Daley Blind, rather than Paddy McNair, who doesn't look to be at the United standard. No changes were made, not even at a management level, to help this team improve, which makes you question the true nature of the board: are they wanting the team to compete, or are they merely just focusing too much on the brand and making money?

With December's poor form, United should have changed things up... but didn't, which is something that could seriously hurt them come the end of the season. If they do not get Champions League football net year, you would have to say it's due to their poor December. Whether that is Louis van Gaal's, the board's or whomever's fault, United could be at risk of becoming a new Liverpool... almost forgetting what success is.

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