Manchester United’s 2019-20 Premier League season started with optimism and confidence, which, halfway through the second game against Wolves depreciated, and then fell at a rapid pace following their defeat against Crystal Palace at home in the third game of the season.
Ahead of the campaign, following a successful pre-season, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer seemed to have built a team that had structure and had a set style of play – and, more importantly, had strengthened his defence by acquiring quality defenders in Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Harry Maguire.
But, that notion seems to have been thrown out of the window as the same problems persist at Old Trafford, with the club still weak defensively, as we witnessed in the game against Palace, while they have also found it tough to penetrate stubborn defences like Crystal Palace and Wolves in the last two games.
It seems that Solskjaer’s team would do well against teams that like to have a go as they have the pace of Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Daniel James and Paul Pogba in attack, who could turn defence into attack in no time.
But, to unlock teams that sit deep and defend for their lives, United do not have a clever playmaker who could open defences with a neat pass, like Manchester City’s David Silva or Kevin de Bruyne, while they also lack players who can dribble and get past defenders like Mohamed Salah or even former Manchester United player Wilfried Zaha, who tormented United on his return to Old Trafford.
The United manager has a tough task at hand to build a team capable of competing with the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool, and Tottenham, and are far behind those teams at the top of the table. In fact, Solskjaer’s side will have to be aware of teams like Wolves, Leicester City, and Everton, who have improved significantly in the last 18 months and could usurp Manchester United to enter into the top 6 of the Premier League.
When compared with those three teams that are on the periphery of the top 6, United will have done very well to finish in European spots at the end of the season, as the three sides mentioned above have strong – if not stronger – squads than United.
For Manchester United, this year is yet another year of transition – a transition from Jose Mourinho’s pragmatic style of football to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s forward-thinking and counter-attacking style of play, which intends to play the “Manchester United way” (or whatever little the phrase holds significance now).
The Red Devils’ main goal will be not to finish in the top 4, which was their aspiration at the start of the season, but to first secure a place in the top 6 as they do not have the talent in the squad or the experience in the dugout to help them compete for a Champions League spot.
It will take Solskjaer a few transfer windows to have a squad that he can call his, but it remains to be seen if the Manchester United board – and the fans – have the patience to wait and give time for the Norwegian manager’s “project” to bloom.
For now, staving off the top 6 wannabes would be the chief target for the club; falling further below could spell the end of the once Babyfaced Assasin’s one shot at managing his dream club.