Expectations And Results
If you told me at the start of the season that Manchester United will finish second in the Premier League and put up a strong fight in the UEFA Europa League, I would have simply laughed it off. We had a shambolic transfer window, and given the all-around circumstances, a top-four finish was supposed to be the highest we could aim for.
When United picked up just 7 points from the first six league games, the fans further lowered their expectations. But the tables turned as our performances improved steadily. For the first time in the post-Ferguson era, Manchester United had claimed the top spot heading into January. However, a spectacular performance from local rivals Manchester City in the second half of the season meant that the Red Devils could only secure the second spot. While the Citizens were stringing wins together, we dropped key points against teams like West Brom, Sheffield United, Crystal Palace, and Fulham – winning these games could have gotten us much closer to the top of the table. Nonetheless, the runners-up spot is still an incredible achievement, given the state of our squad.
Speaking of cup competitions, the Champions League and the FA Cup campaign ended in a very disheartening way. Avoidable losses against teams like İstanbul Başakşehir and Leicester City cost us heavily, although the former provided us with the golden opportunity of winning the Europa League. Here, once again, our lack of squad depth and Solskjaer’s inability to adapt to specific situations turned out to be deciding factors as Manchester United lost to Unai Emery’s Villarreal in the final.
Top Performers
Bruno Fernandes put up some awe-inspiring numbers on the board as he racked 46 goal contributions (28 goals and 18 assists) in 58 matches across all competitions, being the third highest provider in terms of both goals and assists in the league.
On the other hand, despite suffering from injuries, Marcus Rashford bagged 22 goals and 9 assists in 57 outings over the course of the season. Edinson Cavani and Luke Shaw did equally well, whereas 19-year-old Mason Greenwood ended the season on a strong note with 8 goals in his last 14 games.
What Next?
One good thing with all those heart-breaking losses is the fact that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer now has an exact idea of the areas that need to be strengthened in the upcoming transfer window. A centre-back, a defensive midfielder, and a right-winger should be the Norwegian’s topmost priority, and it won’t be surprising to see United getting linked with some big names in the coming month.
Paul Pogba’s contract and Donny van de Beek’s situation also needs to be resolved.
