5 issues Jose Mourinho must address to challenge for the title next season

Despite finishing second and reaching the FA Cup final, Manchester United have had a poor season by their lofty standards, and have been no match for their Blue counterparts.

Manchester City have broken the 100-point barrier, the first club in the Premier League to do so, as well as mustering a stunning 106 goals, and secured the title by 19 points. Remarkable indeed!

There are several issues that Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho must tackle to seriously challenge for the title in the upcoming season.

However, his current squad is not up to the mark and here are five issues he must quickly address.

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#5 Record against smaller teams

The record against smaller teams needs to improve

While the Red Devils boast an impressive record against top 6 opposition, Mourinho has repeatedly bemoaned losses to some of the newly promoted and relegation-threatened teams

Defeats to Huddersfield, Newcastle United, West Bromwich Albion, as well as a League Cup exit at the hands of Bristol City, do not make for an impressive showing.

At times, the approach has been casual with no intensity in the playing. It is something the Manchester United manager will look to address in the summer.

#4 Improve the squad mentality and build-up play

The Red Devils have been unwatchable at times

The Manchester United manager has criticised his side on numerous occasions through the season, accusing several players of not being up to the task and claiming that "some of them would not make it".

Romelu Lukaku and Nemanja Matic have been singled out for praise, while Anthony Martial, Paul Pogba and Luke Shaw have suffered the brunt of criticism.

Another aspect the Portuguese manager must address is the build-up play. United are often slow and meticulous in their build-up play, taking a long time to create chances. This has been due to a lack of sufficient ball-playing defenders and absence of quality in midfield.

Mourinho has acknowledged he needs to "change the dynamics" of the team during pre-season.

#3 Keep hold of David de Gea and Paul Pogba

De Gea is by far the club's best player

Several of United's stars have been linked with a move away from the club. Two of the biggest names, David de Gea and Paul Pogba, have attracted interest from Real Madrid and PSG respectively.

David de Gea recently won the Sir Matt Busby award for a record fourth time and is arguably the best goalkeeper in the world. The only Red Devil to consistently deliver over the past four seasons, losing de Gea would be disastrous. The Red Devils kept the most clean sheets this season, largely due to the Spaniard.

Pogba, on the other hand, is one of the best midfielders in the world. His season, however, has been plagued by inconsistency and injury. His ability to deliver at key moments will be one of the reasons why Mourinho will want to keep him, with key performances against Manchester City and Spurs.

Pogba prefers to play in a 4-3-3 midfield as opposed to Mourinho's preferred 4-2-3-1. The signing of a flexible defensive midfielder like Jorginho in place of Nemanja Matic will allow Mourinho to deploy the Frenchman is his favorite two-man midfield.

Pogba offers a dimension that no midfielder at the club can offer and the Manchester United manager cannot lose faith just as yet with the £89m man.

#2 Get Alexis Sanchez firing

Sanchez will be key to title hopes

Alexis Sanchez was signed in a swap deal involving Henrikh Mkhitaryan going to Arsenal. It was regarded as a coup for United as they had managed to go one up on City, who were also interested.

The 29-year-old, however, has only shown shades of himself with 3 goals and 5 assists to his name. He admitted to struggling with the January move, while his coach claimed he was signed for the "following season."

Deploying Sanchez as a second striker behind Romelu Lukaku, as opposed to on the wing, will increase his influence on games. It will help replicate his last season at Arsenal, where he managed 30 goals and 19 assists in a more central role.

With Chile missing out on a World Cup spot, Sanchez will join pre-season two weeks early. A fit and firing Alexis will be key to United's title hopes next season.

#1 Signing new players

Mourinho will have to find a replacement for Carrick

Mourinho has made it clear his squad is incompetent to deliver a title and has regularly hinted at wanted more signings. United chairman Ed Woodward is expected to deliver a minimum of four players, with player sales expected to create space and funds for further recruits if needed.

With Michael Carrick retiring, finding a decisive passer as a replacement is important, and Fred and Jorginho have both been linked. Should Marouane Fellaini leave as a free agent, a replacement for him will be required.

Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young have done a decent job as fullbacks, but it is time to replace the converted wingers.

United need serious full backs to enhance the attack, while Toby Alderweireld is expected to enhance the central defense.