When in the summer of 2021 Man Utd added the likes of Raphael Varane, Jadon Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo to a team already boasting the likes of Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernández, they looked like a team ready to challenge for the title and other top honours. 2021/2022 was a season they were supposed to build on a second place finish in the previous season and an Europa league heartbreak at the hands of Villareal.
Speaking at the beginning of the season, Man Utd’s former manager, Ole Gunnar Solksjaer said I’m excited by the squad. “I don’t think anything is beyond these boys. It’s just how we fare between now and the end of the season.”
However, it hasn’t gone to plan for the Norwegian and the people making the decisions at Old Trafford. He has since be sacked while an interim manager has taken over. A second place finish ahead of a depleted Liverpool seemed to have papered over the cracks at Old Trafford.
Throughout his 3 year reign, Man Utd played like a team without direction. A team lacking in a distinct style of play that was often relying on the brilliance of it’s best players to grind out result. Particularly, Man Utd struggled to break down teams that sit back. Ole Gunnar Solksjaer wasn’t excellent at tactics while his team defended poorly. Even the addition of Raphael Varane didn’t plug a leaky defence. After he was sacked , it was revealed that he never trained pressing in his players. That’s a stark difference from modern coaches like Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola who always set up their team to press.
Also, the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo even though is a blessing but also, it comes with its baggage. Ronaldo is not known to press, a theme common among modern football coaches. This was noted by Ralf Rangnick in his first presence where he said
“You always have to adapt your style to suit the players you have, not vice-versa,” he claimed.
The bare minimum for United is top make the top four, something that, currently, looks to be in jeopardy”.
2021 has been a year where Man Utd failed to live up to expectations. It is the hope of the players and the board that 2022 will be different. Only time will tell.
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