Manchester United finished 6th in the 2018-19 season of the Premier League. The team was extremely disappointing on the field and left thousands of supporters of the club heartbroken.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer necessitated the requirement of a rebuild at the club at the end of last season and going by the current developments, the club is yet to make any significant progress. A number of important players in the squad are yet to commit their futures to the club while a few are in dismal form. The club has lost out on Champions League Football next season and hence the transfer window could also be a difficult one for the club.
The prospects for the club does not look good for the upcoming season and here are 3 reasons why Manchester United could yet have another disappointing season.
The inexperience of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
After his appointment as the interim manager of the club in December last year, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer showed the spirit of Manchester United with his performances in the first two months. Manchester United enjoyed a good spell during these two months and the club looked well on course to finish in the Top 4. However, the club returned to its bad form soon after as they started losing games in a heap. None of the departments in the squad clicked well and Solskjaer's appointment as the permanent manager of the club did no help the cause.
Manchester United requires a rebuild but with a young manager who is absolutely inexperienced at the highest level, the Old Trafford club could very well end up looking down the barrel yet again. An experienced manager who has dealt with such situations in the past could have been the ideal solution for Manchester United at this point in time.
The lack of leadership in the squad
On many occasions last season, the team looked clueless on the field after conceding a goal or two at the start of the game. Apart from the historic win against PSG in the Champions League, Manchester United's confidence has been relatively low last season.
The main reason for this has been the lack of individual performers who have exhibited their leadership on the field. In fact, the captain of the team for a majority of the games, Ashley Young, has been one of the worst performers for the club last season. Paul Pogba and David De Gea could have solved this issue for the club but both these players are yet to sort out their futures at the club.
Ander Herrera has left the club and there are very few individuals in the squad who have got the experience and skills to lift the club in difficult situations. However, the club can hope that the new arrivals could improve this aspect of the squad.
Lack of a style of play
Gone are the days when the sight of Manchester United on the field excited the supporters of the club and neutral football fans alike. The major reason for that was the style of play that Manchester United sides of the past used to exhibit on the pitch.
The same excitement is now prevalent in the games involving either Liverpool or Manchester City in the Premier League. It is definitely not a coincidence that these two teams went on to secure the maximum points in England this season.
The current squad of Manchester United is over-reliant on counter-attacks and on many occasions, they fail in this aspect as well due to the underperforming full-backs. Unlike the earlier Manchester United squads which used to penetrate the opposition defense with ease, the current set-up is highly one-dimensional.
This has already affected the identity of the club and with a rebuild in process, it could be all the more difficult for the club to repeat the performances of the earlier squads. Hence, this is one of the main reasons which could lead to the club's downfall next season.