Poor start to the season shows familiar shortcomings at Manchester United – opinion

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·13 settembre 2024

Poor start to the season shows familiar shortcomings at Manchester United – opinion

Another poor start to a season by Manchester United shouldn’t be as much of a surprise anymore, but after around half a year of structural changes behind the scenes and the manager being eventually backed this summer with a contract extension, there was certainly more optimism. With just three points from the opening three games and a negative goal difference once again, much like the majority of last season, there are signs that this campaign could follow a similar path.

An underwhelming start winning by the one goal under the Friday night lights at Old Trafford against Fulham, an unlucky defeat at our bogie ground the Amex and then a really poor 3-0 loss at home to Liverpool left us going into the international break with an all too familiar feeling. There are echoes of Jose Mourinho’s third and final season at the club with a one-goal victory against Leicester under the Friday night lights, followed of course by a defeat at the Amex against Brighton and then a 3-0 loss at home, that time against Tottenham.

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Midway through that campaign in 2018/19 Mourinho was relieved of his duties following a chastening defeat at Anfield. The feeling around the club after the loss to Liverpool last weekend was that Erik ten Hag could indeed suffer a similar fate during this season. The capitulation at times was worrying. Two mistakes from Casemiro, who struggled throughout his 45 minutes on the pitch, the openness in the middle of the park and the way heads dropped quickly when going behind have set alarm bells ringing.

The summer looked decent. Following the FA Cup final victory over City in May, the new football structure continued or started (depending on your view) their internal review into how to progress the club. It was decided, after much speculation regarding his future and potential replacements, that Ten Hag would continue as manager and indeed sign a one-year extension to his current deal. It seemed like a vote of confidence from the board, taking into account two trophies in two seasons and the various factors which affected the previous season.

The manager was once again backed in the transfer market. Early additions of Leny Yoro from Lille to strengthen the defence and Joshua Zirkzee to bolster the options up top and provide support and competition for Rasmus Hojlund both seemed like sensible incomings not only for now but for the future too. Unfortunately, however, the injury jinx from last season struck once more with both Yoro and Hojlund being ruled out during the first pre-season tour game in the US against Arsenal.

Further additions of Matthis de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui from Bayern Munich, who ten Hag had worked with previously at Ajax, shown that the manager was being backed properly with the players that he wanted. The deadline day deal of Manuel Ugarte from PSG was more likely to have been a deal done by Director of Football, Dan Ashworth, and Ten Hag in conjunction with each other, which is also a progressive move.

However, against Liverpool especially, the signs are that it will take much more to try and get the club back competing consistently at the top end of the table. Yes, injuries, form and fitness are always issues at the start of any season and this one, following a European Championship this summer too, has been an issue but the manager now has to start putting the pieces together. This can probably now be described as his team. No less than five of the squad played for him at Ajax and there are another two, in Tyrell Malacia and Joshua Zirkzee, who he has a good knowledge of from Dutch domestic and international football.

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One of the major glaring issues is the midfield. It’s been a problem now for quite some time. When Roy Keane left the club, Sir Alex Ferguson bought Michael Carrick who was a different type of player and the style of play changed somewhat in the middle of the park. In 2012, Paul Scholes was famously brought back out of retirement to help the team and help in that area and since Fergie and Scholes both retired in 2013 it has never been quite right.

On paper the starting three of captain Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo seems like a good blend of experience and youth and of attacking threat, control and defensive stability. In reality, though, Casemiro seems to be fast approaching the end of his career and there have been signs for some time. Although he has returned this summer in seemingly lean shape, the legs don’t seem to be able to handle playing every week anymore and covering the ground required to effectively shield the defence in his deeper position.

In Kobbie Mainoo, the club have one of the best prospects to emerge from the Academy in some time. Despite a disappointing injury in pre-season the previous summer against Real Madrid when he was on the cusp of starting the season for the team, he bounced back superbly well with that performance at Goodison Park last term and hasn’t looked back since. He’s now regarded as our main man in the middle and even played in the Euros final for England back in July.

With Mainoo, however, he’s only 19. The burden on him at times can be heavy. He plays every game and at some point will need to be allowed to rest. Something Fergie did well was bring young players in and out of the team to allow them to develop properly. This Manchester United though doesn’t seem to have the strength to be able to allow that.

The captain Bruno Fernandes is arguably the clubs best player but at times can be too erratic and needs to calm the play down every so often. The mix of Bruno, Casemiro and Mainoo doesn’t work as well as you’d think it should. Maybe to get the best out Fernandes he needs two disciplined sitters behind him to allow him to play his natural game, like Ole did by playing Fred and McTominay. With Mainoo, he probably needs two players with him who can do box to box roles and cover the ground to allow him to come deep and dictate the play, which I think is his strength. In Bruno and Casemiro you wouldn’t say they’re box to box players, and in Manuel Ugarte he seems more of a natural sitter and ball winner.

The midfield is a real conundrum for the team and for the manager and something that the club should sit down and decide which way they want to go with it. In addition, the goalkeeper Andre Onana has flattered to deceive and there still seems to be issues at full back, especially on the left where Luke Shaw struggles for consistency in fitness and games. Further forward the form and body language of Marcus Rashford continues to be a huge worry and issue and the lack of a real ruthless number nine in the form of someone like Ruud van Nistelrooy, who has recently returned to the club on the coaching staff, still appears to be a major issue when it comes to putting the ball in the back of the net.

Much to ponder and although there remains optimism that the club is now on the right path for quite some time, these things don’t happen overnight. The start to this season has a familiar feel to it and the manager has quite a few issues that he has to resolve. If he doesn’t the campaign of 2018/19 could well be repeated with the manager departing to be replaced by a club legend in an initial interim role. This time it could well be Ruud van Nistelrooy as opposed to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but we all hope we get it right and the international break may well have come at the right time.