DEFIANT DE GEA VOWS: I’M STILL NO1 AT UNITED
OVER-RELIANT ON THE SAME GROUP, NO STRENGTH IN DEPTH AND WITH DEAD WOOD THAT NEEDS TO BE SHIPPED OUT, OLE’S UNITED ARE...
DAVID DE GEA will fight to stay as Manchester United’s No 1, insisting he has never lost belief in himself. The goalkeeper came under fire towards the end of the season, and could face a battle for his place from the promising Dean Henderson. Although Henderson is likely to go out on loan again after two seasons at Sheffield United, the 23-year-old has made no secret of his desire to be United’s No 1 in the future. However, De Gea is determined to keep his place. ‘No, I trust in myself,’ he said. ‘I showed my qualities all the years so I just keep available for the manager. I’m always ready to play and try to help the team as always. ‘I always want to play. I have trained the best I can in order to help the team.’
EARLY yesterday morning, Manchester United checked out of the Steigenberger Hotel in the centre of Cologne and headed home, having cancelled reservations for the remaining four nights of their planned stay in Germany.
Sunday’s defeat in the Europa League semi- final by Sevilla brought an abrupt end to a marathon season. Instead of staying on for Friday’s final, the squad flew back to Manchester and will have a two-week holiday before reporting back for pre-season training.
There are a number of questions hanging over the club in terms of how well Solskjaer’s team have performed this season and how they need to improve next term.
HAS THIS BEEN A GOOD SEASON?
SoLSkjAER guided the club back into the Champions League, clinching third place on the final day of the Premier League season, and reached three semi-finals. on that basis, it has been a satisfactory campaign, albeit one that ended in disappointment.
United were 14th in october and Solskjaer was under pressure before back-to-back wins over Tottenham and Manchester City in early December. The signing of Bruno Fernandes in january and the continuing emergence of Mason Greenwood energised the team and enabled the manager to play the attacking style he wants.
But the hard truth is that United look some way off Liverpool and Manchester City with less than a month to go until most teams kick off the new season. United reached the final four of the Europa League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup, but they are the first club from the English top-flight to lose in the semis of three competitions in the same season.
DID UNITED SIMPLY RUN OUT OF STEAM?
SoLSkjAER settled on an established first team, playing at least nine of the line- up that started against Sevilla in 11 out of 14 games since the restart. That side is a match for most opponents but the doubts surround the rest of the squad. Can he trust his fringe players to do a job? The answer would appear to be no.
Solskjaer has largely stuck to a winning formula and it was notable that he did not make any substitutions against Sevilla until the 87th minute.
‘He needs to bring in more quality,’ United great Paul Scholes told BT Sport. ‘Eleven or 12 players are good enough to close the gap on Liverpool to 10 points. But is it good enough to close the gap fully? I don’t think so.’
In the end, Solskjaer had to lean too heavily on the same group and it told. His vaunted forward line of Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood couldn’t score in 210 minutes in Cologne against FC Copenhagen and Sevilla, both United’s goals coming from the penalty spot and the right foot of Fernandes.
Yes, United came up against two inspired goalkeepers in karljohan johnsson and Bono, but they should have produced more goals from a total of 46 shots.
Rashford recovered from his back injury during lockdown but has looked short of confidence since the restart, scoring just twice from open play.
Greenwood got United’s Europa League campaign rolling with the winner against Astana last September and clearly has a fantastic future, but the 18-yearold finished his breakthrough season looking like he needs a break.
The two goals conceded against Sevilla also exposed a lack of concentration at the back that may well have been the result of physical and mental fatigue.
WHAT DO THEY NEED TO IMPROVE?
Two or three world-class players. United’s interest in jadon Sancho is well known and he remains the club’s No 1 transfer target in this window despite Borussia Dortmund’s belligerence.
There are concerns about how Sancho’s arrival might stunt Greenwood’s progress, but the problem is a lack of strength in depth and there will be enough games to keep most of the squad happy. Solskjaer knows that more than anyone, having been part of a four-man strike force with Andy
Cole, Dwight Yorke and Teddy Sheringham that was rotated on a regular basis by Sir Alex Ferguson.
The same principle applies to jack Grealish if he makes the move from Aston Villa. Questions have been asked about where Grealish would fit in now it appears as though Paul Pogba is staying at old Trafford.
The defeat by Sevilla was United’s 61st game of the season and the fixture list could be just as demanding next term with no opportunity to rest players in the Champions League, as has been the case in the Europa League.
United could also be in the market for a top striker on the basis that Martial cannot be expected to score 23 goals every season.
A left-sided centre back is also a possibility if United can offload a couple of the seven central defenders on their books.
Marcos Rojo is almost certain to go, although Chris Smalling may yet return after an impressive season on loan at Roma. Phil jones, who has been sidelined since the restart with a knee injury, still has three years remaining on his contract.
Speaking after the defeat by Sevilla, former United midfielder
Owen Hargeaves told BT Sport: ‘If Jadon Sancho is in there then United probably win (the semifinal). They need another centre back. There are three or four areas where United need quality and not quantity.’
WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THE SANCHO DEAL?
DeSpITe Dortmund’s insistence that he will stay with them for another season, talks between the two sides are ongoing.
The Bundesliga club are holding out for £108million but United insist that is an unrealistic price in an economic market battered by the pandemic.
While they were losing to Sevilla in Cologne on Sunday, Sancho was 350 miles away in Altach, Austria, helping Dortmund to an 11-2 win over Austria Vienna in a pre- season friendly. Not for the first time, United find themselves embroiled in a transfer saga and under some pressure to get a deal done even though the window is open until October.
‘ It’s going to be a strange summer,’ admitted Solskjaer. ‘Of course, we’ll keep demanding more of players we have, but we’re looking to improve. The league starts very quickly but the market is open for so long. We’ve got to be smart. I cannot say when or if transfers will be done but we’ve got to be 100 per cent sure when we make those deals.’
WILL SOLSKJAER BE LOOKING TO SELL STARS?
UNITeD will have to balance the books despite shifting Alexis
Sanchez’s £500,000-a-week salary off the wage bill following the Chilean forward’s permanent move to Inter Milan.
The players most under threat would appear to be those used least by Solskjaer — Jones, Andreas pereira, Jesse Lingard and Diogo Dalot — as well as the two loanees, Rojo and Smalling.
It is possible that Juan Mata could also leave if the right offer comes in.
Club sources have stressed in recent weeks that they expect next season to be heavy going due to the short pre- season, so Solskjaer will need quantity as well as quality in his squad.
As the weary United players dispersed for a well-earned break yesterday, they would not have needed reminding that the new season is just around the corner.