Lack of new faces suggests same United
AFTER five seasons without a Premier League title, the pressure is on Manchester United and Jose Mourinho to put up a real fight for the big prize but major questions remain over his team.
United finished second last term, their best placing since the 2013 title win in Sir Alex Ferguson’s last season in charge, but the Red Devils were a massive 19 points behind champions and neighbours Manchester City and never truly in contention.
The expectation was that United would spend big in the close-season window to strengthen key areas, but only Brazilian midfielder Fred from Shakhtar Donetsk and 19-year-old Portuguese full-back Diogo Dalot have been added to the squad.
Barring significant late moves, Mourinho will have to rely on a similar squad to the one that was unable to keep up with neighbours City last season.
The Portuguese coach will thus be hoping his previous signings start to truly live up to expectations.
If Paul Pogba, Alexis Sanchez and Romelu Lukaku click together, United have the potential to be an exciting team going forward with Fred offering help to 30-year-old Nemanja Matic in the centre of midfield.
United’s defence was solid last season, second only to City in conceding just 28 goals, but the hope was that they could add a ball-playing central defender to help develop a more fluent style from the back.
The club’s pre-season tour of the United States has hardly increased confidence in Mourinho’s project.
The former Chelsea and Real Madrid boss has been in a downbeat mood – suggesting frustration at the lack of incoming players and a less than satisfied attitude towards his squad.
With several key players returning to training late after their efforts in Russia, Mourinho has not been able to test-drive his firstchoice team.
Perhaps the final days of the transfer window will bring the kind of reinforcements that will satisfy him, but as it stands it is hard to escape the feeling United will again be in the top four without the quality to go all the way. – Reuters