The 2024-25 season was depressingly familiar for United fans, as another manager failed to live up to the club’s glories of the past. Relegation was only avoided due to the woeful nature of some other teams, while the club limped to the final of the Europa League only to lose to an equally poor Tottenham Hotspur.
Ruben Amorim could only hang on to his job for so long, and the Portuguese coach was out of the door with the New Year bells still ringing. Former legends took over, with Michael Carrick ultimately trusted to take United into the current campaign. Comparisons with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer were rife, with the risk that it could all go very wrong once again.
There had been a definite improvement as well, however, and the majority of sportsbooks featured on www.onlinesportsbetting.net thought that United might be able to be even better this season, if not actually challenge for the title. The 2026-27 season is still in its nascent stages, but we can already gather some thoughts on what is working at United this year – and what isn’t.
Attacking Brilliance
Results haven’t been quite as Carrick would have wanted so far this season, but there is a lot to take from the way the side attacks – at times. There is still not a lot of joined-up thinking resulting in a fearsome attack, but the team is moving forward quickly, through players like Bryan Mbeumo.
When other areas of the team are not clicking as well as they should do, it is heartening to see flourishes of brilliance from some of the attacking unit in the team. This reliance on moments, instead of consistent play, will not be good enough as the season carries on. But it will do for the moment to stop United from falling off the pace so early.
Leaky Defense
Although all three of the opening games of the Premier League season were very different, there was one common denominator. In each game, United conceded twice – and that is not good enough if it wants to challenge for a European place again this year. It is especially worrying when you consider the caliber of opponents faced.
Allowing Hull to run the show on that team’s return to the top tier is unforgiveable, as is letting Everton come back to salvage a point deep into stoppage time. It doesn’t matter that both those games were away from home. United should be able to keep opponents out, wherever the match is taking place.
Creativity from Leaders
Arguably the most concerning rumor circulating Old Trafford in the summer was the one about Bruno Fernandes leaving the club to play in Saudi or Turkey. No matter that he is far too good for either of those leagues, United needs Bruno more than any other player – and he has proven that in the early weeks of the season.
Whereas he may seem grumpy to some critics, that is only his desire to see United do better coming through. He is the creative lynchpin in the middle of the field where everything positive from United comes from. Other players look to him when they need some help, and he has been there to keep things going when games have started to drift away from the team.
Lack of Depth on the Bench
While other clubs in the Premier League were paying incredible amounts of money to recruit new players, United enjoyed – or endured – a relatively quiet summer transfer window. The club was never going to pay the money that Chelsea and City shelled out, but there wasn’t enough business completed to provide Carrick with a deep squad.
There have been some positive moves, like the signing of Tielemens and Baleba, but the inability to complete other deals to get rid of weaker players has meant that there just isn’t much on the bench for Carrick to draw from when a plan B is needed. Some of this can be fixed in January, but that window can sometimes be the last roll of the dice.
Players are Confident
With the intense pressure that playing for Manchester United can heap on an individual, it has been good to see how positive United’s squad seems to be this season. Considering the way that the last few campaigns have gone, it is almost a miracle to see such swagger and confidence from the players.
This confidence comes from the top, of course, and it must be much better for Carrick to know that his job security is as strong as it can be at the moment, after the precariousness of an interim position. Bruno can then have an effect, and the confidence is now demonstrably flowing through the rest of the squad.
No Focal Point Up Front
No fan really wanted United to recall Højlund from his time at Napoli, but there is definitely a lack of a trusted striker in Carrick’s side. United may feel as if it can play with a false nine, but the team could really do with a striker who can be relied on to score goals every week.
Šeško has not consistently found the net, and seems to be a little injury-prone, while other forward players like Cunha, Mbeumo, and Rashford operate more successfully out wide, providing crosses for the number nine that United doesn’t really have at the moment. Carrick will need to figure out how to score more goals without the type of player his United teams always had.
This season could end up being hugely successful for United, but it needs to improve on the things that are working and cut out the things that currently are not.
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