There’s only a fifth of the Premier League season left and it seems unlikely that Manchester United are going to get a spot in the Champions League for next year. Their form in the last 5 has been far from good and after a loss to Everton, they might be placed in Europe’s 3rd tier competition, the Conference League. They are in 7th place and still have to play Arsenal, Liverpool, and Chelsea which are teams pretty hard to beat.
What I feel is wrong with Man United is the players they have and their ability to work as a team. Ronaldo has been great so far in the season but when he plays, United are essentially playing with 10 men for defense. The 2 Robbies talked about this earlier in the season and to quote their words, “Will Ronaldo’s contribution through 90 minutes be a plus or a minus for the team”? To me, I feel like they’ve lost more than they have gained. In the Everton game, he barely had any touches and was just a figure on the pitch. If United got a younger striker instead of a 36 year old, the movement would be better and the contribution would have been higher. Christiano Ronaldo is one of the best to ever play the game but he’s not the same player he was a few years ago.
With Man United, the players are very talented but they can’t work as a team. They don’t communicate well and I’ve seen too many errant passes. They have to be on the same page and make the plays in the big games to win. They’re not going to win individually but can win if they play as a joint XI. When you look at Man City and Liverpool, their team coordination is stellar. Those players play as one unit and that is how you win games. Ralf Rangnick’s team has to come together in the final 7 games and have to win a lot.
Another thing the Manchester United players don’t have is a good mentality. If you have a good mindset, you score goals and play well. We’ve seen this with Marcus Rashford. He was marvelous last season but now an easy goal for him last season is a miss this year. Harry Maguire is another example of a player in bad form. He is their captain but has not made the plays the fans expect him to make. He has given the ball away too much in his defensive zone and has put his team in danger too many times. Both of these players have the potential to be great but we’re not seeing that right now.
Nowadays, when you think of Manchester, you think of Manchester City. This season might have been a bust for United but next season they have to take a big step for a trophy. They haven’t won a trophy in a while and that would really lift this team. Can United fix their season and get Champions League for the 2022-23 season?
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