WHAT’S PREVENTING UNITED FROM MOUNTING A PROPER CHALLENGE?

For all of the noise around Manchester United’s owners, the club’s identity, Old Trafford’s facilities and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s midfield, there’s a short answer to this question. What’s holding United back? Strength in depth.

Solskjaer trusts 14 players, give or take, and plays them as much as possible. Supporters worried when Bruno Fernandes started a League Cup game at Everton in a packed December, yet the Norwegian selected him because he needed – and still needs – a trophy. He has improved the team, while lowering its age profile, and his increasingly consistent side haven’t lost a Premier League away game since January 2020, but this coming December marks Solskjaer’s three years in the job. Soon he must launch a genuine title challenge.

Progress has been gradual, with four semi- final defeats preceding the Europa League disappointment in Gdansk, but it’s progress nonetheless. Even as United face the upheaval of replacing Ed Woodward, who resigned following the club’s disastrous dalliance with the European Super League, they’re on a more even keel now than during the post- Ferguson lurches from manager to manager, philosophy to philosophy.

Solskjaer is popular, and in individual games he’s bested Messrs Guardiola, Klopp, Tuchel, Ancelotti, Mourinho and more. But a few doubts remain. Ole’s substitutions were scrutinised when he didn’t take off Fred before his inevitable second booking against Paris Saint- Germain in the Champions League group stage calamity. And that brings us back around to the aforementioned short answer – Solskjaer feared PSG would expose Nemanja Matic’s lack of pace.

The most revealing Red Devils matches last season were the three against neighbours Manchester City. In the goalless Old Trafford derby, United felt they’d taken the game to City more than any other team had done. In United’s League Cup semi- final defeat, Ruben Dias – Victor Lindelof’s replacement at Benfica – was City’s best player. In the league meeting two months later, the champions- elect had two- thirds of the possession and as many shots as their visitors, yet United won with a high- pressing game to claim a third successive Etihad victory in all competitions.

United aren’t far off. They need more quality, and Jadon Sancho certainly ticks that box. It’s tough at the top, but as one of the world’s biggest clubs, they must scale the heights after too long spent in the foothills.