Long-term vision is admirable, and Manchester United chief executive Omar Berrada says the club intends to win the title in 2028 to commemorate the club’s 150th anniversary – but at current pace, that appears to be an optimistic goal.
Only five games into the Premier League season, they are already six points behind the leaders. And Wednesday night’s tepid 1-1 draw with FC Twente means they have only won once in nine European games, hardly the form of a continental powerhouse.
Manager Erik ten Hag never seemed to be more than 90 minutes away from being under pressure, and this is another critical week for him, with Tottenham at home followed by a difficult Europa League trip to Porto, one of the competition’s top sides.
Co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe appears to have the club’s structure in fine order, but on the pitch, where it means the most, United are still a long way from capturing their first trophy since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement. In some aspects, they got the recruiting right by signing younger players who will have a higher sell-on value if they show to be excellent value for money.
However, players such as Joshua Zirkzee, Manuel Ugarte, and Noussair Mazraoui appear to be capable of finishing in the top four or achieving success in the Europa League, rather than winning the title or progressing to the Champions League. And if a club’s position in the league table is mostly determined by its playing budget, as it should be, United are still falling well short.
Ten Hag has two trophies in as many seasons, and I’m happy the board trusted him to stay on following his FA Cup victory over Manchester City four months ago. But are United making progress, or is Ten Hag in risk of falling into the same traps as last season?
If he chooses to leave out Marcus Rashford after the England striker has scored three goals in two games, like he did at Crystal Palace, he cannot be shocked if they lose momentum. We spent most of last season doubting Rashford’s form, so I was startled to see him back on the bench at Selhurst Park when it looked he had rediscovered his form.
In the end, United were grateful for Andre Onana’s superb double save to save a draw, but haven’t they moved on from their goalie as their finest player? It’s instructive that David de Gea has won the club’s player of the year award four years in a row; if the goalie is still one of Ten Hag’s busiest players, it implies they’re giving opponents too much territory and too many opportunities in areas where Fergie teams used to dominate.
United’s midfield balance may not be optimal yet. Kobbie Mainoo did a wonderful job breaking through and becoming an England regular last season, but he needs a running partner. Christian Eriksen, Bruno Fernandes, and Ugarte all have their strengths, but United are still too easy to exploit, and they want more movement in the midfield.
With all due respect, being 1-0 up at home against clubs like Twente in Europe should be enough to defeat them. The 1-1 draw was a sad result and a frustrating performance, and Sam Lammers’ equaliser for the Dutch was far too simple – he cut clean through the middle with little opposition.
Ten Hag’s situation isn’t likely to improve this week. Tottenham and Porto will be significant challenges. And with the 25th anniversary of Fergie’s Treble season approaching, it would be a tragedy if the commemoration went short.
