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Manchester United football club is going through its worst run since the late 1980s where the on-field performances are not improving at all. The Red Devils have won just 10 Premier League games in the last 10 months which is simply not good enough given the successful history this club has had.
The Mancunian side currently sits sixth in the league table, six points behind the fourth-placed Chelsea. A large part of the blame has been laid upon club’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward.
The former investment banker was tasked with managing the rich legacy that was not built by him in the first place. It was Sir Alex Ferguson and David Gill guiding Manchester United to Champions League football seasons after seasons, making it the biggest club in England, if not in European football.
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However, in his seven-year reign at Old Trafford so far, Woodward has witnessed just three Champions League qualifications including the one which came courtesy Jose Mourinho’s Europa League triumph.
Ed Woodward’s bullish comments about Manchester United’s pedigree and unparalleled brand value will soon catch up to him if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer fails to deliver Champions League football next season.
With just one win in their last five league games, cutting a six-point gap to Chelsea may seem a very tough task for Manchester United but it is not an impossible one. Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer knows his future may depend on where the team finishes this season as it would have a severe implication on the United’s summer transfer window plans.
With only 13 Premier League matches remaining, we look at the three reasons why Manchester United could still somehow find themselves playing among the European heavyweights in Champions League next season.
#3 Inconsistent teams above them
Other than Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, and Chelsea are all fighting to seal the much coveted fourth place in Premier League this season. The good thing for the Red Devils supporters is that none of these teams have shown a great deal of consistency and have not gone too far in the race for that final Champions League spot.
Both Arsenal and Chelsea have managed to win just one of their last five matches while Tottenham’s two win and two losses in their 5 matches isn’t very convincing either. Sheffield United are also in the mix where Chris Wilder has continued to get the best out of a limited group of players. The Blades are sixth in the league table, a place and a point above Manchester United.
However, Wilder’s men have also won only two of their last five league matches and are expected to drop points from now until the end of this season. There are clear signs if Manchester United manage to get a consistent run of results, it will not be too difficult for them to bridge the gap and sneak their way into the top four this season.
#2 January signings and players returning from injury
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is managing an injury-hit side at the moment where three of his most influential players (Marcus Rashford, Paul Pogba and Scott McTominay) are facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines. While Rashford is not expected to play any part this season, Pogba and McTominay will return to the first-team action very soon.
Their return coupled with the new signings of Bruno Fernandes and Odion Ighalo will spur Manchester United squad to have a stronger finish to the season. Old Trafford faithful were very impressed with what they saw from their new Portuguese midfielder while Ighalo is the type of striker Solskjaer needs desperately.
Manchester United have failed to get past teams like Watford, Wolves, Newcastle, and Burnley this season as they do not have a target man in the box who can hold the ball up and bring others into the play. Odion Ighalo may not be a superstar signing but he will offer a new approach to the way Solskjaer has been setting up his teams.
Anthony Martial’s hot and cold form forced the team to sign an out-and-out striker in January. This would allow the Frenchman to even play from the left-wing and link up with the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Paul Pogba and Odion Ighalo.
Manchester United fans have not seen their best team take field this season and they will be hoping for their returning stars and new signings to gel up and drive them to a strong second half of the season.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was part of many Sir Alex Ferguson's teams who finished the season better than any other team in the league. It is about time Ferguson’s disciple does not only quote and refer to his mentor’s managerial tactics but also brings out some of the old Fergie magic on to the field.
#1 Winning the Europa League is still a possibility
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may have to do what Jose Mourinho managed in the 2016-17 season where despite finishing sixth in the league, the ‘Special One’ took Manchester United to the Champions League by winning the Europa League trophy.
The Red Devils may have had a very inconsistent 2019-20 season but are one of the strongest contenders on paper to win this season’s Europa League trophy. Arguably, only Inter Milan, AS Roma, Arsenal and Sevilla could significantly haunt Manchester United’s Europa League dream this season.
With the addition of Bruno Fernandes and Odion Ighalo, the Red Devils are now fully capable of opening a team’s defence as well as grinding out a result by playing direct football.
However, the biggest success of the January transfer window for Solskjaer was he was able to retain the services of Paul Pogba and there are players like Fred, Scott McTominay, Brandon Williams, Daniel James, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka who have gradually improved as the season has gone on.
Add to that, David De Gea, Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof, and Juan Mata are seasoned campaigners who will call on their experience and will lead this team to the last rounds of Europa League this season. The Red Devils take on Club Brugge in the first leg of Round of 32 tie on February 20 with Paul Pogba expected to be match fit once again.
Manchester United fans are very excited to see Pogba and Bruno Fernandes link up in the midfield and with Ighalo’s physical presence up top, Anthony Martial can cause havoc from the left-wing in Marcus Rashford’s absence.
If Solskjaer manages to avoid the top teams in the initial knockout rounds and continues to get the results, Manchester United could still fulfill their Champions League ambitions next season. It would allow them to go after their rumoured summer transfer targets – Jadon Sancho, Jack Grealish, Kalidou Koulibaly and James Maddison.
However, a poor end to the season and Europa League disappointment could set a similar wheel in motion where Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is sacked in the summer with Mauricio Pochettino potentially taking over and setting an entirely new cultural reboot at Old Trafford.
Whatever happens, the next three months could go a long way in defining where do Manchester United go from here.
