(Football news) Few can deny that Erik ten Hag has massively improved this Manchester United side. Almost nobody had predicted that the club would be competing for three trophies in this season, especially after their abysmal finish to the 2022 season. With the Carabao Cup already in the bag, there is a realistic possibility that the club could win the FA Cup and/or the Europa League by the end of the ongoing campaign. However, recent performances have shown that Manchester United are lacking depth, attacking prowess and experience.
After Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure, Manchester United opted to go for Wout Weghorst on loan, which has been a very underwhelming signing so far. The 30 year old Dutch attacker provides good work rate but has been largely ineffective in front of goal and provides little aerial presence despite his height and stature.
Injury prone Anthony Martial has also proved that he can’t be relied on, which means the team has an overdependence on Marcus Rashford for goals and are looking very one dimensional. Another concern has been the squad depth in midfield as Manchester United simply don’t look like the same side without Casemiro and Scott McTominay doesn’t seem up to the task as a midfield general.
Manchester United have already lost to Brentford, Manchester City, Aston Villa, Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home. The biggest concern is that the team appears to lack passion, hunger and desire in such big fixtures on the road and have been deservedly beaten. The club recently revealed their second quarter results, showing that they are currently almost £1 billion in debt, which is probably why no permanent signings were made. However, that has put the club at risk for a potential place in the Champions League.
Add to that is the fact that there have been long term injuries to Donny Van De Beek and Christian Eriksen while Jadon Sancho has looked like a shadow of himself from his time at Borussia Dortmund and goalkeeper David de Gea leaves much to be desired with regards to his ball playing ability.
Diogo Dalot seems to be a squad player at best while Aaron Wan Bissaka lacks a proper attacking threat for a fullback at a top club in the Premier League. All things considered, the reality is that Manchester United desperately need a takeover to go through as soon as possible because significant investment is required in the squad to remain competitive, despite Erik ten Hag exceeding expectations at the club.
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