It seemed like yesterday when we watched an enthralling game between Manchester United and West Bromwich Albion on the last day of the 2012/2013 English Premier League season. I remember every goal like it was yesterday; there were 10 of them. This match was Sir Alex Ferguson’s 1500th and final game at the helm for the Red Devils. Coincidentally, that was also the last time my beloved team ever won the domestic top-flight league.
Today, we always expect to constantly see them tragically crash out of the European Champions League or finish more than 10 points behind Premier League winners. As a lifelong Manchester United fan, this is unacceptable. However, I have grown accustomed to disappointment from my team.
The addition of quality and world-class players into the squad has long been a topic of controversy for the team in recent years. The owners are reluctant to spend money on the right players to strengthen a team that is light years behind the likes of noisy neighbours Manchester City and rivals like Liverpool. But, there seems to be a different approach and feeling in the last couple of years. We added an attacking stalwart in Bruno Fernandes, who has been our most pivotal player in the previous year and a half. This year, with ample time before the transfer window deadline, we have already landed very high-quality players like Raphael Varane, a well-decorated defender and proven winner and Jadon Sancho, one of the most exciting young attacking talents at the moment. I agreed with United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer when he said, “… we mean business this year.” This comment was, of course, about the fact that we usually fail miserably in the transfer by being stingy or by leaving business too close to the deadline.
So do these additions make Manchester United genuine contenders for the famous English Premier League? The answer is a resounding NO, and I’m sure every unbiased football fan would agree. We are still far from the quality of football, creativity, and sheer offensive dominance of teams like Liverpool and Manchester City. However, this is undoubtedly an opportunity to significantly close the gap at the top of the table since we have the squad depth to do it. The Manchester United fan in me hopes that my predictions are wrong, though. Only time will tell.
See below for what I think is the team’s best starting lineup this year.
Formation: 4-3-3
GK: David De Gea
Defence: Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire, Raphael Varane, Aaron Wan-Bissaka
Midfield: Paul Pogba, Scott McTominay, Bruno Fernandes
Forward: Marcus Rashford, Edison Cavani, Jadon Sancho
Exciting times for this team