Manchester United have shown encouraging signs that their Premier League title drought could well end in the next campaign due to the resurgence of their attacking flair. The Red Devils have been derided over the past seven years following their fall from grace since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson. David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, and Jose Mourinho all failed to return the club to the Premier League summit.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer put faith in his young players to push United back into contention for a Champions League, and they have delivered. The uncertainty of Manchester City’s future in Europe’s elite competition has opened up a pathway for the Red Devils to capitalise on their rivals’ misfortune.
It would be the perfect springboard for Solskjaer’s men to launch an assault on the Premier League crown. Liverpool and City are not going anywhere soon, but the recent performances of Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, and Mason Greenwood, along with new signing Bruno Fernandes suggest that United could have a strikeforce to match the potency of the Reds and Pep Guardiola’s side.
Firing Frontline
Outside of Rashford, United were struggling to fire under Solskjaer in the opening six months of the current campaign. There was no creative outlet to allow the Red Devils to flourish in the final third, especially after Paul Pogba was ruled out of action for a long period of the term, only returning in June. All eyes were on United to make a splash in the transfer market to spark the team into life.
Fernandes has performed above all expectations since arriving from Sporting CP. The 25-year-old has been the architect of United’s renaissance, bringing out the best in Rashford, Greenwood, and Martial. Even Pogba appears to be more relaxed in his approach – with the burden of carrying the fortunes of the team in the middle of the park been eased by the Portuguese.
Add Greenwood into the mix – with the potential to be even better than his team-mates, and it could be a trifecta that sees the Premier League crown return to Old Trafford after an eight-year wait.
Depth Issues
United remain one injury away from a world of trouble. Their starting line-up is good enough to match up with their potential rivals, but their levels of depth in the squad are not. Their cause has not been aided by the impending departure of the promising Angel Gomes, while Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard’s days as contributors appear to be numbered. Should Fernandes suffer an injury, then the club are back to square one. Though it looks a fine side which could match the potentials of Liverpool and Manchester City , but it will be an interesting season to look out for.