The Hot Mess that is Manchester United
Even before a football was kicked around the field, the bosses of Manchester United were well aware that this was going to be an extremely difficult 2019/20 season. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s squad is currently in 12th position on the Premier League table, leaving them 2 points above the relegation spots following the 1-0 defeat against Newcastle on Sunday afternoon.
Ed Woodward has promised Ole Gunnar Solskjaer that he has time to completely rebuild the team which only got underway during the summer. He also ensured that the Man Utd manager doesn’t get influenced by any short-term distractions. However, after such a horrible start, the question is rather simple: how much more can the Man Utd boss take?
Team Depth is a Major Problem
Anyone that follows football is well-aware that Manchester United is seriously short when it comes to forwards and midfield players. The head coach decided to get rid of Alexis Sanchez, and Romelu Lukaku as both players made it very clear that they wanted to leave. They both became increasingly withdrawn and distant from the rest of the players. Although he had the funds to replace Lukaku, he decided against making a short-term plan.
The injury crisis at Man Utd is another significant factor. From the squad that managed to pull off a 4-0 victory against Chelsea during the opening weekend, 6 of those players were absent when they faced Newcastle. Paul Pogba has managed to miss a total of 5 games from the last seven due to an ankle injury. Anthony Martial has been sidelined since early August due to a thigh problem.
In the background, Woodward has discussed fine margins such as penalties that were missed against Crystal Palace and Wolves along with penalties that were awarded to AZ Alkmaar and Arsenal. However, the fact remains, Manchester United might find themselves at the bottom three in the next two weeks if things don’t change.
The 2019/20 season is already considered the worst start for Man Utd in the last 30 years and a return to the top 4 seems very unlikely. The fact that the team is yet again not part of the Champions League means that the Adidas, who is the team’s annual kit supplier, might reduce by 30% to approximately £20 million.
Solskjaer’s Gamble
Solskjaer is well-aware that he is gambling with Woodward’s goodwill. David Moyes might have been far more relaxed due to the fact that he had a 6-year contract, but that didn’t stop the franchise from firing him after only ten months. Solskjaer has managed to improve the defence immensely since he joined.
However, he still needs another transfer window to rectify everything else. This essentially means that the team has already accepted a defeat against Liverpool after the international break and are simply looking for a positive outcome when they play against Norwich thereafter. It might not be this season, but things will turn around for Man Utd eventually.