FIVE-POINT PLAN

1 START STRONGLY...

By the start of December 2019, United had won only four of their opening 14 league games. It’s one reason why unfavourable comparisons with their lowest Premier League points total persisted. United fans knew there was a rebuild going on, but a club with the world’s second- highest wage bill simply has to begin better this time.

2 … THEN KEEP IT UP

With more goals scored and fewer conceded, United were transformed by Bruno Fernandes’ arrival in January. They averaged 2.14 goals per league game from February 1 against just 1.5 before he joined, while the defence kept nine clean sheets in 14, against four in 24 in the days before Bruno. The difference is vast, and his creativity will allow the youthful attacking trident of Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood to improve.

3 PLAN FOR POGBA

Paul Pogba’s future hung over United like another Mancunian cloud last season. The Frenchman has been the main man in the dressing room since Wayne Rooney and Zlatan Ibrahimovic departed – Martial especially looks up to him. A fit and happy Pogba is one of the world’s best midfielders. An unhappy one, whose agent sends out mixed messages about the player’s future, helps nobody.

4 MOVE ON BIG EARNERS

Every team needs a squad, but United pay a fortune to players who make very few appearances. Phil Jones, Jesse Lingard, Marcos Rojo and Alexis Sanchez have all been on contracts so big that they became too expensive to easily offload. At least Sanchez has now gone.

5 FILL THE HOLES… RIGHT

The Red Devils had to rely on Solskjaer’s favoured XI because there just weren’t enough top- level alternatives, as shown in poor FA Cup showings when squad players received minutes. The team spirit is better, the unwanted personalities have been moved on, but more quality is required with the manager aiming to win the Champions League, not just take part in it.