United Corner- New Season, New Hopes (August 19th 2019)

United Corner- New Season, New Hopes

At the start of the 2019/20 season it feels like the three of the top four places in the Premier League are going to be taken by Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur, but Manchester United fans have to believe there have been enough changes at clubs below those three that can give them the edge to earn their way back into the Champions League.

Like the 2016/17 season, Manchester United have two paths back into the Champions League in front of them and I do think a similar approach should be taken to this season as United had under Jose Mourinho to that season. Simply put United have to make sure both avenues through to the Champions League remain alive going into the final couple of months of the season.

Finding the balance between the Premier League and Europa League won't be easy, but it should not be lost on the fans that two of the last three editions of this competition have been won by English clubs. With a battle expected for a top four spot, Manchester United have to make sure they have every opportunity available to them for a return to the Champions League.

The 4-0 win over Chelsea to open the season will definitely have given the whole squad a shot of belief as well as the fans who were not used to seeing clean sheets at Old Trafford, but no one wants to get too carried away about a single game. On another day Chelsea would have got plenty out of that fixture with the way the game was developing up until Anthony Martial scored Manchester United's second goal, and I think most will know United have to be much improved going forward to find the consistency they will need to move back into the top four.

The top four- there was a time when that was a given for Manchester United and the only concerns at the start of a season would have been regarding a title challenge.

Under the current ownership United couldn't be much further away from the last days of Sir Alex Ferguson and it can't be ignored that their finishing positions in the six seasons since he retired have been 7th, 4th, 5th, 6th, 2nd and 6th.

Let's be honest for a second- Sir Alex was extracting every last bit of magic he had to keep United punching way above their weight during a period when there was apparently 'no value in the market'. David Moyes came in and things began to fall apart pretty quickly as a overachieving squad didn't appreciate the new voice in the dressing room who had removed most links to the Ferguson era in terms of his backroom staff, but the focus should not only be on the manager.

Another big change that summer was the departure of David Gill and the incoming Dick 'Ed Woodward who as proved a disaster as far as the footballing side of the club is concerned. For some unknown reason Woodward has not only considered him a master negotiator, despite the clear evidence to the contrary over the last six years, but he always seems to believe he knows more about football than those he is appointing to manage the club.

David Moyes, Louis Van Gaal and Jose Mourinho have all come and gone and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is the fourth manager of this club in the six seasons that have been completed since Sir Alex retired. The one overarching feature has been Woodward and most owners would have recognised the problem at the club, but the Glazer family are not like most owners.

Manchester United has long been seen as an investment in which they have spent very little of their own money and been able to take out fortunes to the detriment of the Stadium and the playing staff. Twelve months ago the master tactician Woodward didn't want to invest in the playing squad for Jose Mourinho because he didn't believe there were better defenders on the list given to him than those already at the club.

Yet twelve months later he buys the player that Mourinho had requested? It all points back to finding the cheapest way to get into the top four while a title challenge is clearly not something that the club are going to chase, but more hope that is something that may fall into their laps. Otherwise it makes no sense to not back your manager after he has guided the team to 2nd place in the Premier League, but clearly with a significant gap to the Champions Manchester City at the end of the 2017/18 season.

Too often those who don't have a deeper look talk about the money United have spent under the Glazers, but it is only a tiny fraction of what those people have taken out of the club through their debt management or dividends they feel they are entitled to at the end of the season. This off-season a club that finished over 30 points off the top four invested around 70 million pounds when you include the money that came back into the club and only a fool would believe that is designed to get closer to Liverpool and Manchester City rather than trying to close the gap to those chasing the top four places.

We have seen 'Glazers Out' and 'Woodward Out' trending at times on social media, but the former aren't going anywhere until they receive a huge bid and even then the new owners would likely come from backgrounds that won't impress everybody. And Dick 'Ed Woodward is very secure in his role considering he is making the Glazers money hand over fist and ultimately that is all they really care about rather than the level of performances Manchester United are producing week to week. With that in mind, it does point to a tough road to return to the top of English Football unless there is a touch of luck involved.

You would hope the fans will be able to do something about the ownership of the club and the clown that seems to be running the football side, but as I have said above I do feel both are very secure in their positions at the moment. The time came in 2005 when things may have been changed, but it has been too long now and I think we have to accept the way it is.

As a season ticket holder at Old Trafford I am not that impressed by people being critical of those who go to games- my love for United far outweighs my dislike of the Glazers and Woodward and I refuse to let those people force me to do something else with my weekends.

I do want to see United restored to their past glories and at the moment the only thing that can really be done is getting behind Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and hoping he can find the right formula to start turning the club back around.

I am not going to revise history though, I did not think Solskjaer was the right choice. His managerial career to this point has been below average at best and the only real claim he had to being manager was that he was a former player of the club, but Sir Matt Busby, Tommy Doherty and Sir Alex Ferguson didn't have those connections and all managed to turn United around when they came in during difficult periods.

Ultimately you need to be the right manager so I am hoping more than believing in Solskjaer at the moment, although I would love to be very wrong and will stick behind the manager for as long as he is in charge at Old Trafford. The poor run to end last season has to be a concern and I do think the remainder of August and early September will give us a real indication of what Solskjaer can achieve at the club.

Some will say he needs to be given a couple of years to really put his stamp on the squad, but I do feel Solskjaer will only be given that if Manchester United return to the Champions League at the end of this season. Over the next few weeks trips to Wolves, Southampton and West Ham United will be a real test for the manager and the club, especially considering United earned just a single point from those away games last season.

Home games against Crystal Palace, Leicester City and Arsenal round out the next six weeks and United only managed 5 points from those corresponding fixtures last season so we will learn plenty about the management team United have. Last weekend United did beat Chelsea, who earned a point at Old Trafford back in April, so that is a positive start, but I do feel Solskjaer needs to oversee at least 14 points from those six games coming up to make sure Manchester United remain on track for their ambitions to be achieved this season.

Even if United manage less than that, at this stage of the campaign the fans will stick behind the manager and rightly so. No matter our personal feelings about whether a player or manager is right for the club, I do think it is important to back them as United fans as we have done throughout our history.

There are going to be some obvious frustrations at times, but those should be focused on the board and above, even if ultimately the sword will fall on Solskjaer if things don't go as we would like. He might not have been my choice, but Solskjaer is our manager and I hope in nine months time I will regret ever doubting him.

The next few weeks are going to be very important for all United fans as the League settles down and we can really analyse where the team stands. I wasn't as happy as many that Romelu Lukaku was moved on, but we have to respect the fact that Solskjaer did not see a place for the Belgian in the way he wants his team to play and so it was better for both Lukaku and the club that he was sold.

It is a shame that money was not reinvested into a midfield that has lost Marouane Fellaini and Ander Herrera in recent months and I do think United look light there. There is going to be a sharp focus on the attackers to score enough goals to help United as I do think the midfield is going to struggle in plenty of games, especially when they come up against clever midfields that the likes of Wolves and Leicester City will employ.

Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka will help defensively, but Luke Shaw and Victor Lindelof are yet to convince and I am not sure Manchester United are going to be vastly improved at the back. On another day Chelsea score two or three goals last week and games in the next few weeks will tell us a lot about where United stand as I have said a few times now.

I am hopeful that a top four place can be earned- I don't think Arsenal have improved significantly from a defensive point of view and Chelsea's loss of Eden Hazard will hurt. Even if the next few weeks don't go as well as I would hope, I think it will be a season long battle for the top four as all those teams chasing those places have some inconsistent moments and I could even include Tottenham Hotspur in that.

It does mean United will have their chances, but much depends on whether they can score enough goals and I would not get carried away by the capitulation Chelsea had last week. I feel United have been left short of numbers when it comes to attacking areas on the pitch and the midfield- there are some very promising youngsters coming through, but I am not sure they can be relied upon to carry the club just yet.

Comparison to the 'Class of '92' feel wide of the mark as those players came in to play alongside established, proven Premier League winners in Peter Schmeichel, Roy Keane and Eric Cantona and I am not sure the United current squad has those kind of winning personalities. It will make it harder for young players to make the impact they would want and I also think it would be harsh on them to be asked to fill in the obvious gaps in the squad if they are not suited to those positions.

Last week some suggested Mason Greenwood should start on the right of the team- while I agree that is a problem position, asking a 17 year old to play there when he is clearly a centre forward that likes scoring goals is not going to be good for his development.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is going to be judged on all of these decisions though, I just hope he gets them right.

This is a new season though and over the last couple of months the stench of the poor ending to the 2018/19 campaign has been washed off. Like many fans, I do come into this one with renewed optimism despite a sub-par off-season when United did not come close to making the kind of investment they had been suggesting at the end of last season.

I do think Maguire and Wan-Bissaka will improve the team and Daniel James can learn and develop, but the midfield conundrum continues to be on that the club either can't, or refuse to, address. I am hoping Fred can come good after a season becoming accustomed to the League and Scott McTominay can hopefully kick on, but United look short in there as well as failing to address the right side of the attack.

Deep down I feel it is going to be an inconsistent year in front of Manchester United, but I do think the top four is a fairly open battle and I expect United to be there or thereabouts. The Europa League should offer the club a long run in a major European competition and Chelsea proved you can finish in the top four of the Premier League and win that trophy too.

There will be moments of frustration and there will be ups and downs, but that's part of the journey of being a football fan. Manchester United's road to recovery and bridging the gap to two of their biggest rivals is not going to be a short one, and it will be rocky at times, but the hope is that there is finally a plan in place as to how United will get there.

With the Glazer family and Woodward around, I wouldn't count on it and we can only hope Ole Gunnar Solskjaer can help this squad achieve their full potential.

United Corner- Manchester United, New Season, Increased Expectations (August 11th)

United Corner- Manchester United, New Season, Increased Expectations (August 11th 2017)

If you were going to grade the 2016/17 season, the first under Jose Mourinho, I think a 'B' would be about right.

While most of us would have hoped for a top four finish and a place back in the Champions League, winning the Europa League does feel a more positive way to do that. Adding the League Cup to the Community Shield won earlier in the season and seeing the likes of Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan improve over the course of the campaign means there is an even better spirit going into the new season.

The summer transfer window work has been solid enough with a central defender, central midfielder and number nine being brought in to add to the squad that has mainly been kept together from last season.

Victor Lindelof may need some time to settle, as the likes of Nemanja Vidic needed when they first arrived at Old Trafford into a position where mistakes are highlighted tenfold compared to most other positions on the pitch. I love the signing of Nemanja Matic which should free up Paul Pogba and increase his influence further up the pitch while Romelu Lukaku is a proven Premier League striker who should be able to help turn a number of Old Trafford draws into Old Trafford wins.

Mourinho would love for one more left sided player to be brought in to give Manchester United more balance and that continues to be a position they are targeting before the end of August.

All in all, it feels a good time to be a Manchester United fan.

Mourinho's history in the second season of previous clubs will only increase the expectations from twelve months ago when most would have accepted a top four finish. This time around, with the money being spent in the last two summer transfer windows, Manchester United fans are hoping they can make a significant leap like Leicester City and Chelsea have in the last couple of seasons and win the Premier League title for the first time since 2013.

I'm not so sure Mourinho is completely happy with the squad when it comes to winning the title, and the Super Cup loss to Real Madrid has shown the even larger gap to the European elite, but I will be expecting a title challenge at least.

That simply means top four is not enough.

Instead I am looking for Manchester United to at least be playing meaningful Premier League games towards the Premier League title in April 2018 and I don't think that is asking too much. Last season the 11 League draws at Old Trafford were an absolute killer for Manchester United and even turning half of those into wins would have meant United finished above Manchester City into 3rd place.

It would have definitely see United a lot closer to Chelsea especially when you consider Mourinho put the Europa League as the priority down the stretch which saw United slip back in the Premier League. By adding Lukaku, I do think Manchester United have a player who has thrived against the weaker opposition in the Premier League and he certainly can turn those draws into wins.

Lukaku has room to improve, but he can do that at Manchester United and I think it looks  a good signing, even if I was initially a little skeptical about the move. Now I see a player who is going into his prime years with vast Premier League experience behind him and one who will score goals to help Manchester United win games.

He will need support and I would challenge the wingers and attacking midfielders to chip in with around 60 goals themselves to give Manchester United the platform to challenge for the title. That isn't asking too much of the likes of Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Paul Pogba as far as I am concerned.

I am looking for big things from Mikhitaryan and Pogba in their second season now they have a little more experience behind them and Manchester United also avoid the extra games that come with the Europa League by being back in the Champions League.

We are all positive at the start of the season and I think Manchester United have been given a boost by the fixture compiler by being offered up a fairly weak start to the season. Before facing Liverpool after the international break in October, Manchester United face West Ham United, Leicester City, Everton and Crystal Palace at Old Trafford, while also heading to Swansea City, Stoke City and Southampton.

From those seven League games, I would expect Manchester United to win six if they want to challenge for the Premier League title and I fully believe they can do that. In previous Championship wining seasons Mourinho has had, his teams do build an early momentum and this gives Manchester United to do that before what looks a tough October/early November when facing three of the top four.

Win the games as expected and Manchester United really could be the title challengers we are all hoping they can be, but failure to win three or more and the pressure will already be on the club.

It would be great if United can add the left sided player they are clearly looking for, but even with the current squad I am excited about the new season ahead.

I would expect the early season team to mix up four at the back and three at the back depending on the team United are facing, although I would be surprised if United do not play all three August games with the same 4-2-3-1 system that Mourinho has loved throughout his career.

Expected Team versus West Ham: De Gea, Valencia, Darmian, Bailly, Jones, Matic, Herrera, Pogba, Mkhitaryan, Martial, Lukaku.

There definitely feels an excitement at Old Trafford that may not have been there since the 2012/13 season which ended with the League title. While that may not happen this season, I do think Manchester United are building a really good squad.

A Premier League title challenge, a Quarter Final run in the Champions League and perhaps adding one of the domestic Cups would be the kind of season I would be looking for from Manchester United.

Win one of the top two competitions and it would be an 'A+' season, but there has to be at least be an improvement from last season. Matching last season would not be good enough this time around, but I am excited and ready for the new season.

Finally it is here.

United Corner 2012-13 (Pre-Season)

This is a new 'corner' I have added to the blog that will be devoted to my first passion in life, Manchester United. I will publish this, on most occasions, on a Sunday evening where I will look back at the previous week, giving my take on results and upcoming fixtures.

All views expressed will be my own.


It has been a long Summer as the heartbreak of May 13th has lingered on- it hasn't helped that SkySports have been advertising the coming season by showing clips of those final, fateful, moments on that Sunday afternoon, but now the new season is upon us and there is a sense that Manchester United can earn some redemption by reclaiming the Premier League title from those lot up the road.

While the memories of the last day of the season have been in the back of the mind, the bigger issues this Summer were about the off-field activities of the club as the debt the Glazers accumulated when they bought the club continues to spiral out of control.

The latest method of floating the club on the New York Stock Exchange has many critics- I, for one, cannot understand why anyone would seriously invest in these 'shares' considering the lack of influence they actually provide, but they are seemingly holding their value at the moment (although far less than what the owners actually thought the club was going to be worth).

The issue continues to divide the club's supporters, something that wasn't helped with Sir Alex Ferguson's 'real fans' comments during the pre-season games. I have total respect for the way Fergie has turned around this club from the one that had failed to win a League title in 26 years, but the comments about 'real fans' have only increased the fracture between individual fans with some believing he needs full backing, while others believe he should do more in highlighting how his hands have been tied in the Glazer-era.

A lot of 'smoke and mirrors' are being used by the owners to claim there hasn't been an issue with the early exit from the Champions League last season, but the announcement of a new shirt sponsor a year before the current deal is expiring seems a touch strange (particularly considering AON were told to pay a lump sum in advance and I am assuming Chevrolet have had to do the same thing) and will only make sure the financial figures they release do not show the negative impact last season's relative lack of success may have had.


On the field matters have seen United purchase the likes of Nick Powell and Shinji Kagawa, while Robin Van Persie is due for his medical before the new season starts and should be in the squad come Monday night when United travel to Goodison Park.

The signings do look decent on paper, but I can't help but wonder why a centre midfielder has not been purchased, especially considering Darren Fletcher is coming off a debilitating illness, while Anderson has also been far too injury-prone over the last couple of seasons. The likes of Michael Carrick, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Tom Cleverley will be expected to run the show in the engine room and I do think we now have a squad that is capable of being very good in the Premier League, but lacking the mobility and strength to really compete in the latter stages of the Champions League.

The attacking options available to United now could provide an effective 'band-aid' for the centre midfield, especially if Van Persie and Rooney can spark an effective partnership. I just hope Antonio Valencia is not going to be used as a permanent right back, a position he is expected to start the season.

I actually have felt the signing of Van Persie shows that Fergie may not have too long left in the job- it is almost like he has put all his eggs in one basket of trying to win the title back from Manchester City so he can end his time in charge of the club on a high. United have had a policy of buying players with a 'sell on' value in recent seasons, but this goes against that grain and strengthens the rumours that there are only one or two seasons left for Fergie as the man in charge at Old Trafford.


We did miss signing Lucas Moura from Sao Paulo, but I haven't seen enough of the lad to know whether that's a good or bad decision. He is still young and so we will see in a few seasons whether he was a miss or not, but the price was remarkably high for someone who wasn't even a regular in the Brazil Under-23 team at the London Olympics.

I was still amused that Fergie thought 'when somebody's paying 45 million euros (£35m) for a 19 year old boy you have to say the game's gone mad'... After all, he did spend £25.6 million on an 18 year old boy in Wayne Rooney back in 2004 (I would guess with the inflation in transfer fees, that price is actually more than what PSG spent on Moura).

Granted Rooney was a lot more established having just terrorised teams at the European Championships that Summer, but the comments from Fergie just seemed a little strange considering he opened the doors to the big-priced teenage signing, although most journalists are too scared to say that to him in fear of being banned from the weekly press conferences as has been the situation for some who challenged him over the last few years.


Nemanja Vidic's return is great news for the defence as United now have the added experience of Jonny Evans and Chris Smalling, two players that had to fill in in the Captain's absence, while Phil Jones has had a year at the club and should have improved from the experiences.

Rumours are running that the likes of Nani and Javier Hernandez will be sold off to 'balance the books' with the latter apparently requesting a transfer now that he is behind three other players for what could be one position. With Dimitar Berbatov set to stay for another year, and the likes of Valencia, Kagawa and Ashley Young in line to play in the wide positions, these two players do look the biggest 'assets' that can be let go, but I would be sad to see the back of Nani.

Despite being very inconsistent, Nani does possess that bit of magic that can turn a game and you can never have enough of those players, especially in the big matches when a single piece of genius can turn a game in favour of one team. However, his contract is running down (2 years left), with a new one yet to be agreed, and he would bring in a decent transfer fee from a foreign club so his future at the club may be in a little bit of danger.

It does look like the squad is going to be capable of pushing Manchester City all the way in the title race again, but I still think they will be a little short when coming up against the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in Europe.


Winning the title has become more possible with the signings made in the Summer, but thinking it was simply down to a lack of goals/lack of clean sheets last season that we failed to take the title seems far too simplistic has far as I am concerned.

Manchester City, despite the huge transfer fees paid, were inexperienced in many ways in terms of winning top level titles. Take out Yaya Toure, Edin Dzeko and Mario Balotelli and there were plenty of big name players that hadn't won a big European League title nor a Champions League (not including Carlos Tevez who missed much of last season).

Gael Clichy and Samir Nasri had come in from Arsenal, a side that hadn't won anything since 2005, David Silva had been part of the Spanish World Cup winning team, but had been dropped after one game in that tournament, Sergio Aguero had helped Atletico Madrid win the Europa League, but not the League.

Roberto Mancini would also have been feeling the pressure with rumours surrounding his future in the job if they did not win the Premier League and all of this would have contributed to their collapse towards the end of the season.

Older Manchester United fans will remember the collapse in the League title race of 1992 as the team fell apart down the stretch and allowed Leeds United to steal the title. A year later, United did manage to control their nerves, although the turning point in terms of 'belief' came in the 2-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday thanks to two late, late Steve Bruce goals.

Those two seasons saw a very nervous United side blow one title, and just about control themselves to take another and it goes to show what can happen when the inexperience of being in that position affects the squad. After winning the title, there was a new found swagger in the United approach that saw them win the Double in 1994 with fabulous attacking football and I fear City, despite the lack of investment this Summer, may have acquired that swagger now.

They have plenty of goals in their side and lots of attacking options, while their midfield gives them an edge over most of the teams in the League.

Of course there are other factors to consider that may swing the momentum one way or the other this season- injuries will always play a factor and you have to keep your fingers crossed that the key men can survive the rigours of a full season (see the absence of Nemanja Vidic last season, especially when the Captain could have settled the side holding a 4-2 lead over Everton at Old Trafford).

The other factor is which of these teams goes deeper in the Champions League and has their squad stretched by being involved in the latter stages of that competition.

Robin Van Persie and Shinji Kagawa have helped close the gap on City this season, and they have me believing we can take the title back... But I think City are perhaps being under-estimated in terms of the continuity and experience they have built in the last 12 months and I still think they are the right favourites to win the Premier League at this moment in time.

The Week Ahead

Monday 20th August: Everton (a): This is a tough start to the season for United, although I am glad to get the game out of the way early with Everton being notoriously slow starters.

Over the last couple of seasons, United have dropped 4 points against Everton courtesy of blowing 2 goal leads so I won't be sitting tight in this one until the final whistle goes.

It would be a surprise to me if Fergie decides to start any of his new signings in this one considering the tough atmosphere generated at Goodison Park and I would look for a side that will all be well aware of what the rest of the starting line up are doing.

Three points would be a huge bonus from this, one of the tougher away grounds in the Premier League, but a point would not be the end of the World either if I am honest.

Predicted Starting XI: De Gea, Valencia, Evra, Ferdinand, Vidic, Carrick, Scholes, Nani, Young, Rooney and Welbeck; Subs: Lindegaard, Jones, Rafael, Cleverley, Kagawa, Anderson and Van Persie

Saturday 25th August: Fulham (h): The first home game of the season is when I think Robin Van Persie will make his debut for United as it has all the ingredients of a match in which to blood a new signing- Fulham are a good team, but they will likely give United plenty of the possession and attacking momentum at Old Trafford and that should help Van Persie blend into the side, rather than pitching him in at a raucous Goodison Park in an evening game five days earlier.

Anything less than three points from this game would be a big disappointment for United, and hopefully they won't be as tense as they were the last time they faced Fulham here when we won 1-0, but were fortunate not to concede a penalty in the last five minutes of that game.

This early in the season, the pressure of staying ahead of Manchester City will not be as great as it is/was in March/April and I would expect a comfortable enough home win.

Predicted Starting XI: De Gea, Rafael, Evra, Ferdinand, Vidic, Carrick, Cleverley, Valencia, Young, Rooney and Van Persie; Subs: Lindegaard, Jones, Scholes, Anderson, Nani, Kagawa and Welbeck