Riding the Emotional Rollercoaster at Old Trafford
Bruno Fernandes and Cristiano Ronaldo during United's loss to Wolves. (Photo by Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images)I’m writing this following Manchester United’s disappointing 0-1 loss to Wolverhampton at Old Trafford, and as is often the case following a Manchester United game, I’m left feeling hollow and worn out. Unfortunately, watching United in the post-Ferguson era means looking forward to a game all week only to realize within the first 5 minutes that we are destined to be outplayed by the likes of Brighton or Norwich City. Good performances live in isolation, as they are usually followed up by a game that makes you wonder if you are watching the same group of players who had played the week before, or if they had been all swapped out for their identical, talentless twins. This inconsistency has not left the club following the departure of manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær, as interim manager Ralf Rangnick has so far failed to draw consistent performances out of the talented group of players at his disposal. Considering that the defeat against Wolves was the first defeat United sustained under Rangnick, this may all seem a bit overdramatic. Rangnick has only been with the squad for a month, and nearly half of the time was lost due to an outbreak of Covid-19 within the squad. It’s unreasonable to expect that Rangnick should’ve dramatically reversed the fortunes of a squad in turmoil considering the short time he’s been in Manchester. However, if Rangnick does want to find sustained success at United, he’ll have to solve the problems that have plagued United this season; inconsistency and a lack of identity, issues that go hand in hand.
Watching Chelsea play Liverpool this past weekend served as a grim reminder for how far United have to go if they want to compete for a Premier League title. Both Chelsea and Liverpool played with an almost unbelievable intensity, and the speed at which both teams were able to move the ball up the field into dangerous positions made it seem more like a basketball game at times rather than a soccer match. The scariest part of all of this for United fans like me is that Chelsea and Liverpool aren’t even the cream of the Premier League crop this year; that would be Manchester City, who are sitting 10 points clear at the top of the table. In the post-Ferguson era, United have never looked like they could seriously compete for a PL title, despite a 2nd place finish here or there. This isn’t for a lack of spending either, as United have spent as much or more than the likes of City, Liverpool, and Chelsea over the past 10 years. The simple fact is that United’s performance over this period has not been good enough, and I’m not just talking about the players, from recruitment and scouting to hiring and personnel decisions, Manchester United are well behind the curve compared to their PL rivals.
I don’t mean for this article to have such a pessimistic view of United’s future, as I think Ralf Rangnick coming in and the elevation of John Murtough to Director of Football should put United on the right path. However, we should be clear eyed about the enormity of the task in front of those now running United, as the next United team that has the privilege of lifting a Premier League trophy will need to look a lot different than the current United. This doesn’t mean United aren’t close to having the talent to win the Premier League, I think bringing in a defensive midfielder and a striker should give Rangnick the squad he needs to compete for a Premier League title. Instead, the next title winning United team will have to have a completely revamped attitude and play style, and it will need to strike a chord of fear in the heart of its opponents. Until teams like Wolves come to Old Trafford and can’t comfortably expect to outplay and outwork United, then unfortunately Manchester United fans like myself shouldn’t be holding our breath in anticipation of United returning to the top of English football.