AuthorMichael Wallace At the beginning of the 2017-2018 season Michael looked at the United team and provided his thoughts on the first team. You can read that article here Well Michael is back to review the team and provide thoughts on what might happen for next season. Over to you Michael On paper it has been a fairly disappointing and dull season, especially for one that started so brightly. Most Utd fans will be happy going from 6th to 2nd in the league which was certainly a much-needed improvement than in the previous 5 years. Then if we had of won the FA Cup again it would have been a trophy at least but losing the final and finishing empty handed may have just tipped the balance with many fans who see the glaringly obvious failures in a season which definitely promised more than what it delivered. The early exit in the Champions League to a very average Sevilla hurt a lot. It wasn’t just getting knocked out at home but the manner of it that was the hard thing to take, we barely had a shot over 180 minutes against them! Strangely though it was at a point in the season where we were riding high having come back from losing positions to beat Chelsea and Crystal Palace and followed it up with a crucial win over Liverpool, so it was certainly unexpected. However, the big problem for many Utd fans is simple - our style of play. When you look at our squad we have a strength and depth that most teams in Europe would envy, defensively we are very solid with various attacking options and potential. The trouble is though, with the style of play Jose likes, the attacking players often seem to be shackled or bereft of ideas to unlock stubborn teams and herein lies the sacrifice that Utd fans have to face. The price of stability and success under Mourinho is often dull lifeless football and for many Utd fans that is a price they are unwilling to pay; however the majority still seem behind the manager and the team but how long that lasts remains to be seen. This leads me onto the other issue, the elephant in the room…it’s often difficult to watch Utd and our style of play, meanwhile our two biggest rivals in Man City and Liverpool have been sensational both in the league and Champions League and are the two most exciting teams in Europe right now! This makes for a double-edged sword that is difficult to take but in truth it reflects the managers, the way they are and the way they want to play football. Pep is upbeat, happy, positive, all traits of City’s football who have been astonishingly good, breaking records left, right and centre. His football is revolutionary and I fear City will be unstoppable while he is their manager. Klopp is passionate, aggressive and often crazy, just like Liverpool who have been explosive going forward but have also thrown away 3 goal leads and often concede late or silly goals. They’ll probably be better next season which is a scary thought too! On the other hand, Jose is usually miserable, downbeat and grumbling about one thing or another which is bound to influence his team, you can certainly see a more negative, pragmatic approach in Utd’s play. Anyway at the start of the season I previewed each player and now it’s time for the player review: Goalkeepers David de Gea No surprises here. Another outstanding season with dozens of world class saves proving he is still the best keeper out there. He seems to be fairly settled so hopefully he will be staying but we need to match his ambition and talent soon or we could lose him. Winning his 4th POY award in the past 5 years, plus the golden glove in the league say it all really, he’s irreplaceable. Certainly a case to reward his loyalty and performances with the permanent captains armband. 10/10 Sergio Romero He didn’t get as many games this season and picked up an injury towards the end but like last season was very reliable when called upon. 6/10 Defenders Chris Smalling Another solid season but with the odd wobble here and there. Jose trusts him and is a constant at the back, he also popped up with some important goals too. The fact he isn’t in the England squad is just baffling! Contender for new club captain. 7/10 Phil Jones More of the same from Jones, usually a solid CB who’s prone to the odd clanger but he really struggles to stay fit for any real length of time. When he’s fit Jose plays him and he usually performs well but you’re just waiting for him to pick up another injury and have to shuffle the defence again. 7/10 Eric Bailly Unfortunately he missed a big part of the season through injury which is a shame as he’s clearly our best defender. He goes into everything 100% which is why he’s so good, why the fans love him but also why he gets injured so he must be managed better as we need him in the side. Seems to be the latest player to be in exile from Jose in the last few weeks though so is having to fight to get his place back but I hope this latest gamble doesn’t backfire as we need him. 7/10 Marcus Rojo Another one who missed most of the season through injury but even when he was fit he struggled to break into the team and even then his performances were questionable. He improved a lot last season but stepped backwards this term so unless he gets games he will continue to fall behind and may well be sold in the summer. 4/10 Victor Lindelof He took a long time to settle, was very dodgy every time he played but as the season went on he started to look more composed. At 23 he’s still young and will be glad to get his first season under his belt and look to kick on next season. 5/10 Daley Blind As expected Blind rarely featured this season and when he did he was obviously not match sharp. He never really fit in for me since he signed and no doubt he will be sold in the summer. 3/10 Luke Shaw Another miserable season to forget for Shaw. Publicly shamed and bullied by his manager several times and even when he did get a rare game he was publicly criticised by Jose which I found very unfair after a while. He would be mad to stay and if he goes and plays under a manager who appreciates him, he could well turn into the brilliant left back many people think he will be. 4/10 Tim Fosu-Mensah Seemed to have a good season at Crystal Palace which will have been a great learning experience for him at the other end of the table. I really like the look of him and hope that he breaks into the first team next season. Antonio Valencia Didn’t come up to the same level as previous seasons but still consistent enough as our regular RB. Competition for his place next season would be welcome for him to raise his game again. Was captain for most of the season so could get it on a permanent basis now. 6/10 Matteo Darmian Hardly featured this season and like Blind when he got a rare game he wasn’t up to speed. It was unclear if he was good enough to stay at Utd but that’s been decided now. He’ll be sold in the summer, likely back to an Italian club. 3/10 Axel Tuanzebe Went to Aston Villa on loan in the January transfer window. He didn’t get many games (might have been injured) but the experience of pushing for and almost gaining promotion in the Championship under Steve Bruce will have helped him. Will maybe be loaned out again next season for more development. Midfielders Paul Pogba Didn’t cut it for me last season and didn’t cut it for me this season either, although there was a slight improvement. He continues to split the fans but for me he is an average midfielder both on and off the ball who is more interested in his haircut and social media than what he actually does on the pitch. He has the odd good game and when he plays well, we play well but I just wish he would do it more often! In fairness his goals and assists record was good but there is certainly room for improvement and more consistency next season, however at the minute for me, we’re a better team when he’s not playing. He might be our new club captain but I hope not until his performances match the role and responsibility. 5/10 Juan Mata As expected more of the same from the evergreen Spaniard, although not as prolific as previous years. Always works hard to be the creative spark but rarely lasts 90 minutes when he starts. A consistent midfielder that can be relied on to do the job needed but at 30 he’s unlikely to ever get any better. 6/10 Michael Carrick Rarely featured at all in his final season but enjoyed a terrific performance in his last ever game. He has been a great player for Utd and is the last link of the Fergie era. Pleased to see him moving on to a coaching role and staying at the club. 5/10 Ander Herrera A fairly average season in truth after winning our POY last year. Struggled a bit with injuries but also struggled when he was on the pitch too so quite inconsistent throughout and he seemed to be in and out of the team a lot for one reason or another. He had been a contender for our new club captain but must improve next season, get back in the team and get back to his best before that can happen. 5/10 Henrikh Mkhitaryan He was very hot and cold until he was swapped for Sanchez. He was exceptional one week and then dreadful the next so in the end it was a good deal to get Sanchez for him who in truth is a much better player. 5/10 Marouane Fellaini He continues to split the fans and has had the club over a barrel about his contract as Jose wants to keep him and I can see why he does. There are plenty of things he is terrible at but he is very effective at the things he is good at and he always gives us another option, a Plan B which often proves decisive. He’s likely to sign a new deal so it’s time for everyone to get behind him! 6/10 Nemanja Matic What a signing this proved to be from Jose! Always cool, always composed and after de Gea would be my POY, although there was a slump around the Christmas period in fairness. A superb anchor in front of the defence, outstanding both on and off the ball and one of the first names on the teamsheet, he is already a very important player for Utd and I’m delighted we’ll have him for the next few years. Probably too early to be considered as our new captain though after just one season. 8/10 Jesse Lingard One of our best performers this season. I felt he had to step it up this year and he certainly did! Often the spark that wins a game one way or another with a positive run, pass or goal and we always look more dangerous when he is on the pitch. Competition for his place though means he has to fight hard to keep it and rarely looks like making it his own. 7/10 Andreas Pereira Went on loan to Valencia who have had a good season battling at the top of the table. Has publicly said he wants to come back to Utd and play first team football so hopefully he will that chance as he could be fantastic midfielder. Scott McTominay I thought his chances would be limited this season as a centre midfielder from the academy but the fact he broken into the first team and often held his place shows the quality that the 21 year old has. He loves to get stuck in and Jose seems to have a lot of faith in him so no doubt he will continue to push for a first team place after an impressive debut season. 7/10 Demi Mitchell Went on loan to Hearts in January and seemed to be doing well but picked up an injury after just a month which stopped him in his tracks. May go out on loan again next season. Ashley Young My biggest surprise of the season! I thought he might be sold in January but he turned out to be our main LB throughout and had a huge return to form and selection for the World Cup. Whether he can hang on to his position next season is up for debate but he has certainly made a big statement this season to keep it. 8/10 Attackers
Romalu Lukaku Had an impressive debut season in a United shirt. It seems no matter how he plays he will never lose his place which is frustrating for a fan but more often than not he proves his worth as the main man up front. Still room for improvement for the 24 year old, especially against the top teams and he only scored 16 league goals which was less than Sterling and Vardy and only half of Salah’s tally! 7/10 Antony Martial He has the ability and shows flashes of world class talent but he still struggles with consistency. Signing Sanchez had a huge impact on how often he played and his form nosedived since that. Personally, I still think he is being played out of position and my fear is we will sell him in the summer and he will go right to the top and be the next Thierry Henry. We should keep him and show more faith in his ability but he must take his chance when he is picked to play. 6/10 Marcus Rashford Another one who really struggled when we signed Sanchez and his form dramatically dipped ever since that. Even before that, his level of performance wasn’t as good as we hoped it would be this season but at 20 he is still very young and we have to try and nurture his talent. He will still have to step it up next season if he is going to be our next superstar that he has the potential to be. 6/10 Alexis Sanchez Was a real coup to sign Arsenal’s best player yet again (after RVP) and he created a lot of excitement when he moved but it quickly became obvious it will take him a while to settle in. Always dogged and determined, you can’t fault his endeavour but the end product is often lacking and he gives the ball away a lot. He unbalanced the team when he joined, especially for Martial and Rashford and hasn’t scored many either, however he’s still a fantastic talent and I’m confident he will start to show his worth for us next season. 5/10 So, looking ahead to next season, well things must improve. Jose style is having a negative impact on performances, the development of players, team morale and of course the fans too. City will no doubt be the team to catch again but we have to try and close that hideous gap on them while not opening the door to others like Liverpool. The league was the priority this season as we hadn’t finished in the top 3 since Fergie left so we have improved there and must maintain that but also look to establish ourselves in the Champions League again where we have also fallen way short in recent years. Cup runs are good but the FA Cup final just proved you can go the whole way, fall at the last hurdle and it has a more negative impact on the season overall than if not in the final at all! We’ve still got a long way to go and no doubt Jose will throw loads more money at the problem in the summer however, I don’t know if that’s the real problem…it could actually just be him. |
AuthorsJust Some Fans Writing About Football. Archives
June 2018
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