Good article from Sam Pilger.
Think he's one of the better writers on United.
Manchester United Do Not Look Ready For The New Season
On Sunday when Manchester United walk on to the pitch at Old Trafford to start the new season against Brighton and Hove Albion it will have been 77 days since the previous season finished in such ignominy with a 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace.
This brought to an end United’s worst ever season in the 30-year history of the Premier League, which saw them finish sixth, amass their lowest ever points total of 58, and concede an embarrassing 57 goals, the most in the league since the 1979-79 season.
When United shuffled off the pitch at Selhurst Park following what was their sixth defeat in their previous eleven league games they looked a completely broken side.
The man to fix them, Erik ten Hag, was watching from the stands against Palace that day, and since taking control at the start of pre-season the early signs have been promising.
A more united and disciplined side has begun to execute Ten Hag’s wishes on the pitch and played with more attacking intent and pressed with greater intensity.
But it was also widely accepted Ten Hag needed to completely overhaul his playing squad, and just two days before the new season this simply has not happened.
There is a good chance United’s starting line-up against Brighton will not feature a single new signing, and Ten Hag will have to rely on the same players who so spectacularly failed the club last season.
The arrivals of Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen and Lisandro Martinez have all been welcomed, and they could prove to be astute signings, but none are automatic starters.
Eriksen and Martinez only played for the first time in pre-season last weekend, and should start on the bench against Brighton, while Malacia, who went on tour to Thailand and Australia could see Luke Shaw selected in front of him.
But above all else, the two biggest issuemlys of United’s summer, the signing of Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona and the future of Cristiano Ronaldo remain unresolved.
De Jong is a player United want because Ten Hag, who previously managed him at Ajax, firmly believes he would single-handedly transform their midfield.
The Dutch international has an almost unique skill set in which he can screen the defence, retain possession and also surge forward with the ball.
United agreed a transfer fee of €85 million with Barcelona nearly three weeks ago, but the player himself has so far refused to move.
He is aware Barcelona are willing to sell him, but would prefer to stay at the club and so far has shown little interest in moving to United.
There also remains the issue of the deferred payments he is owed by Barcelona, which are believed to be as much as €20 million. He has made it known he will not even begin to consider a move until this matter has been addressed.
The saga has been going on for nearly three months now, but United have not moved on to other targets because they are so committed to signing De Jong.
They must have an understanding that once the player settles his issues with Barcelona, he would be willing to join his former manager at Old Trafford.
After United’s public pursuit of De Jong, and the chief executive Richard Arnold and football director John Murtough were photographed in Barcelona last month, it would be embarrassing for him not to arrive this summer, but it could happen.
He will definitely not be there for the opening game of the season, and so at the moment the centre of United’s midfield looks under staffed.
In fact, it actually looks significantly weaker than last season, for the club have also witnessed the departures of both Nemanja Matic and Paul Pogba this summer, and not replaced them.
United are likely to start the new season with the same midfield pair of Fred and Scott McTominay, two players who are both capable of good days, but who have also long been seen as part of the problem.
On the eve of the new season there have still been no new attacking signings either and United had been expected to start with the trio of Anthony Martial, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford, who all suffered difficult times last season.
This was until it emerged on Thursday that Martial has a minor hamstring injury and will not be fit to face Brighton, which only served to further emphasise the weakness of United’s attacking stable.
The fact that United are relying on a player who has scored only five Premier League goals during the last two seasons clearly shows the problems they have.
Martial’s injury means Ronaldo will now probably start against Brighton even though he has participated in little of the club’s pre-season and made it known he wants to leave.
Ronaldo might have won the club’s Player of the Year award last season after scoring 24 goals, but his presence at the club has become problematic and a distraction.
Since informing United that he wished to leave this summer, the player has been unable to find a new club and so the problem continues to fester and undermine Ten Hag’s new era.
United should have taken decisive action and sold him, or extolled the benefits of playing under Ten Hag and convinced him to stay, but neither has happened so far.
When the Premier League transfer window finally closes on September 1st United could look a very different side and be more ready to compete, but now on the eve of the new season they have too many problems lurking around.
The Erik ten Hag era begins this weekend but his starting line-up is likely to look too similar to last season.
www.forbes.com
