In the midst of what has been an unusual season, Manchester United have seen clear improvement under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in terms of their standing in the league. The acquisition of Bruno Fernandes over a year ago has sprung United into life with hopes and dreams that have not been seen since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson. Sitting second in the league, there is a lot to be impressed about The Red Devil’s new found progress. However, to anyone who has been paying attention to Manchester United’s performances as a whole across the last year, it is clear to see that all that glitters is not gold. So can this team continue improving, or have they reached their ceiling? Can they take on the powerhouse of Manchester City and challenge for the title next season?
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Being Manchester United manager is one of the most criticised jobs in football. Fulfilling the highest of expectations for a club that has been on the decline for the best part of a decade is no easy task. After withering the brunt of the storm of media doubts and public condemnation, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is now held in high(ish) regard by a large proportion of Manchester United fans due to both their league position and certain performances. However, his tactics have been called into question on multiple occasions this season and still leave some scratching their heads.
Often called under-qualified with an unsuccessful spell at Cardiff City, along with a positive, yet not as renowned time at Molde in the Norweigan League, he was appointed Manchester United`s caretaker manager in December 2018. This started off an incredible run of games which saw him take full charge in March 2019. This run was not the only one of Solskjaer’s reign so far. However, with multiple winning streaks being dispersed by poor form, this shows possible inconsistencies with Solskjaer’s management. Their dismal losses against teams such as Crystal Palace and Sheffield United to name a few, along with top players such as Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Harry Maguire failing to impress for large chunks of the season is causing confusion for fans and pundits alike as we try to figure out just how good Solskjaer`s men actually are. This has to be addressed and resolved for Manchester United to be considered title contenders, such as Manchester City did after their poor start to the season.
The Portuguese Talisman
Arguably the most important player for United’s starting 11, Bruno Fernandes has sparked the quality, finesse and creativity that Mancunians have been crying out for. After arriving in January 2020, the attacking midfielder was involved in 15 goals, (8 scored, 7 assists) in just 14 games. Similar stats have followed suit for this season as he has contributed towards 26 goals, (16 scored, 10 assist) in 29 matches. With the word ‘consistency’ being fairly absent from descriptions of many Manchester United players since Ferguson’s departure, Bruno`s arrival has also seen other attacking players flourish, as they now have the long ball accuracy that supports Ole`s counter attacking style and has turned United into one of the deadliest front 3 in the league. Even in games of poor quality, Fernandes can use his passing prowess to create goal scoring opportunities out of fairly little to work with. If Manchester United want to push for titles and trophies in the near future, this team needs to work around the attacking midfielder and play to his strengths.
Defensive Frailties
Well it couldn’t all be positivity now, could it? Despite vast improvements across the pitch the unpredictability of United`s centre back pairing is still very worrying. When Harry Maguire was brought in by Solskjaer in August 2019 for a defensive record of £80 million, he was meant to galvanise the backline. After previous failings of United`s defensive duos, the former Leicester defender would pair with a promising Lindelof to protect David De Gea from being challenged. Well… this turned out to not exactly be the case, to the extent of some fans reminiscing of the days Marcus Rojo and Phil Jones were in the centre of the back four. Repeated schoolboy mistakes and a considerable lack of agility lead to fans wincing at the dangers simple passbacks could potentially cause. Is their hope of improvement? Well, this lies with the manager. Ole (along with the rest of the footballing world), have seen the improvements to both Maguire and Lindelof when paired with the injury prone Eric Bailly. His speed and movement help cover potential mistakes, leaving them more confident on the ball or as the last man. So why is Bailly not picked in the starting 11? Fingers point to the poor physical form of Bailly. He is seen as a player that could not stay fit throughout an entire season. However, if this is the case, then this could give Solskjaer easy decisions heading into the summer transfer window as to which type of player is needed to solidify this defence. And preferably, one that can stay fit.
Summary
Can Manchester United become Premier League Title contenders? The definitive answer to that is… maybe. The next transfer window for Ole is crucial in chasing down Manchester City. Since last summer Manchester United have been eyeing up world class players to solidify positions that are considered below par, such as Koulibaly in CB, Sancho on the right wing and Declan Rice as a holding midfielder. Bringing in big money players doesn’t automatically mean titles however. In fact, United have been spending big money for years, albeit not very efficiently. Proven world class players will be a step in the right direction if they are replacing certain weaker, mistake prone players that Utd have in the starting 11.
Solskjaer will need to coordinate a team that can perform consistently rather than occasionally. The fight, grit and determination that is needed to do this may be too much for such an under qualified manager, although it should be fair to say, the jury is not yet out.
The Angry Spectator 