On and off the pitch it’s a disunited mess
IT’S the first week of February and Manchester United’s only hope of winning silverware is the Champions League.
They are seventh in the betting for that competition, with three other English clubs ahead of them, this campaign is shaping up to be a disaster.
Is that too strong a word? Well, it needs context – so let’s give it some.
It’s an undeniable truth the modern Manchester United should be one of the standard-bearers for English football.
Their reputation for attacking football, their financial power and reputation should – there’s that word again – give them the leverage to be annual title contenders.
It’s a race they have not even been entered for this season. Given that they’ve just been dumped out of the FA Cup in front of their own fans by a Championship team, it hardly suggests this latest crop is going to carry all before them, either.
On its own, Friday night’s defeat on penalties to Middlesbrough (above) shouldn’t be too much of a cause for concern – it happens. But it’s confirmation of a long-term trend.
United are heading one way – downwards.
Assuming – and it’s not too great a leap – they come a cropper in Europe, it will mean the club’s last trophy was the Europa League five years ago.
Set against the benchmark at Spurs, those are glory days. But United measure themselves consistently against the best. Excellence was taken as standard when Sir Alex Ferguson was routinely crushing the opposition.
Where is that drive for the best anywhere in the club?
It is not in the manager’s chair where Ralf Rangnick (below) doesn’t boast the credentials to be sitting there.
He doesn’t. It’s not even an argument. Two title wins in Austria and one German
Cup. For the record, he didn’t invent pressing football, either.
He hasn’t claimed one single title of any note in one of the powerhouse leagues in Europe. Compare that with the records of Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp or Thomas Tuchel.
Out on the pitch, the main hopes lie with a 37-year-old who has his moments but still needs to be told he is being substituted for the good of the team and who stomps off if the result doesn’t go his way. Cristiano Ronaldo is an all-time great. But, judged by the here and now, his time is obviously nearing an end. He cannot influence games the way he once did.
And look at the rest of the team and ask yourself
one question – how many from that XI would Manchester City, Chelsea or Liverpool pick week in, week out?
There’s an argument over the goalkeeper – maybe – but that’s about it.
Even the youngsters have not been cutting the mustard. Talk about longterm trends. It is 11 years since the fabled academy produced an FA Youth Cupwinning team.
Money has been thrown at the problem. It can only go so far. The fact is, standards have dropped. On and off the pitch. And when that happens in football, it’s reflected in results.
The FA Cup defeat might have been unwarranted – but given the stench of mediocrity running through the club no one should be the least bit surprised.