So that was a bit shit.
To say it’s been a weird year would be an understatement. But everything about the KO to the new season just hasn’t felt right. Starting the season a week after it had officially started for everyone else, was certainly a large part of it.
There’s been a no-preseason whoring trip to America, filled with player selfies with Julia Roberts or Gary Oldman. And no real break from the end of last season, which feels like it was only a couple of weeks ago.
No major ins or outs apart from Donny Van De Beek, which was such a quick transfer you could almost forget it even happened.
So all in all I just didn’t feel ready to get back into it. I’ve also had a horrible 2 weeks, which started with an afternoon stuck in an elevator as a fire broke out in my apartment building. That was the catalyst for 2 trips to the ER, 5 doctors appointments, and a general anxiety of whether or not I’ll be around to tell my son that United were actually the best team in the world at one stage.
From the first game, you would be forgiven for thinking Crystal Palace, where once the most hated and envied team in England.
Ole’s post-match assignment included the opinion that Palace were sharper and more match ready. I really hope that’s the case because at first look it appeared the players were still fucking knackered.
Pogba and Bruno had no impact and compared to Donny who from the second he came on demanded the ball, neither appeared that enthusiastic to find space and demand the ball in the way players of their ability should.
It didn’t feel like Martial and Rashford received enough of the ball to be too harsh on their limited contribution but in Rashford’s case I do wonder if a different type of player is needed in his position particularly when playing against teams like Palace and their default low block set up.
The reality is most teams outside of the ‘Big 6’ don’t play with a high line so it’s possible that we could be facing a similar Palace set up with similar problems , for 24 out of 38 games a season.
So why start a front 3 who are at their most optimum when they have space to run into.
Why not Juan Mata? And if he isn’t the answer anymore then why is he still at the club and why have we not signed a player of his type to replace him.
Could Sancho be that replacement? I guess I haven’t seen enough of him to truly judge but it feels like the Bundesliga is an inverse of the Premier League in that most teams actually set up with a higher line, and a lot of Sancho’s goals and assists in the past couple of seasons have come in transitions and when he’s had plenty of space to push into.
What other problems do we have? Linedolf? Probably but what CBs can replace him? The ones already at the club, Bailly, Tunzebae, probably have the attributes that Linedolf is missing, but they can’t seem to play more than 20 games a season so they’re not fit for purpose. What’s available outside the club? Could anyone need 5 top quality CBs in the World right now? I struggle to name 3 or any who don’t play for a direct rival.
De Gea was really unlucky with the ‘saved’ pen and generally looked more switched on and alert than he appeared for most of last season. Maybe having real competition in Deano? or is it Hendo? Is the kick up the backside he needed. Though I’m not sure how happy Deano Hendo will be, come January if he’s been restricted to just League Cup games.
All in all it looks like it could be another slog of a season. Given the improvements made by the teams around them, maybe a top 4 finish is still realistically the maximum this team can achieve and maybe all we should hope for. 7 rolling into 8 years though without a genuine title fight makes it harder to be patient.
A United State of Mind 