Football Season Guide

After an expectedly poor last season that saw Mourinho sacked and hastily replaced by the inexperienced and unproven Ole Solskjaer, Man United continue to struggle finding identity. Ever since Sir Alex Ferguson left, the displays and results have been poor, with the Red Devils unable to win a major trophy in the last 5 years. Solskjaer is finding it as difficult this summer as his predecessor to strengthen the squad, with the absence of Champions League football deterring most of the top players from even considering joining. On top of that, both Pogba and Lukaku are heavily linked with moves away once more, and even if they stay they are unlikely to be very happy squad members. The big issue that needs addressing is the poor defending, and Solskjaer must find a way to deliver better stability. The arrival of right-back Wan-Bissaka and De Gea’s extended contract are helpful news in that department. The departure of Herrera in the summer leaves a gap to be filled in midfield, and all indications are that the young Scot McTominay could become a regular starter. Solskajer is keen on trusting several more youngsters from the Academy, and his preferences are to use both Rashford and Greenwood much more in attack. However, none of them has shown yet that they have what it takes to be prolific goalscorers. There are many pundits that worry the forward threat is not enough to really trouble the top defences. Harry Maguire finally signed from Leicester City after a prolonged negotiation. His addition to the back line is predicted to see the number of goals conceded by United reduce significantly.