Erik ten Hag’s men have had an inconsistent start to their Premier League season. However, throughout this calendar year, there have been some considerable high points for Manchester United. There are few players within the current United setup that stand out as having the quality, consistency or drive to win as some of the players of yesterday. Still, like any squad, there’s a handful of skilful players that can often drag them out of trouble at the most inopportune moments.
The lack of cohesion between the club at several key levels has contributed significantly to the current climate at Old Trafford. A football club often runs like a machine, with the board, management, training staff, and players all being on the same page and singing from the same hymn sheet, and it currently feels as though this is far from the case at Manchester United.
Dissecting Premier League information, statistics, injuries, and goal scorers are all effective ways to build a picture of how this season might shape up for The Red Devils. However, United and their mid-table mediocrity is only a symptom of the current predicament. To build a bigger picture, understanding what’s happening in the board room and how players are currently dealing with disunity is another layer to this complex, ongoing issue.
Marcus Rashford
Although Rashford has hardly started this season in good form, it was his performances last season that earned him the title of one of United’s top players. Marcus has notched up over 100 career goals in competitions for the Red Devils, and he is closing in on 60 appearances for his country. Often using his platform to raise awareness for worthy causes, Marcus is a fan favourite at Old Trafford. Last season was a potential breakthrough season for him, as long as he can capitalise on it this year after signing a bumper new contract extension to keep him at United for another five years.
Marcus stood out in United’s win in the Manchester derby at the beginning of 2023, assisting and scoring the winner in the last 15 minutes. The following month, Marcus found the back of the net as the Red Devils tasted domestic success in the League Cup final against Newcastle. The local hero was named Players Player of The Season and ended the campaign with 30 goals in 56 games.
Casemiro
The Brazilian’s inclusion might seem controversial, given his questionable temperament on the field. However, his performances in crucial games throughout this calendar year have earned him a rightful place in this conversation. Despite a reasonably convincing argument that he could have seen red in the FA Cup Final, he also played a decisive role in ensuring United defeated Newcastle in the League Cup Final. This sums up the Brazilian: despite his issues with red cards, when he is at his best, he is one of the best players in the world in his position, with big displays in Champions League games and decisive finals coming naturally to him.
Scott McTominay
Although there has been plenty of reason to despair at Old Trafford this season, one of the shining positives has been academy graduate Scott McTominay. Many United fans felt that McTominay could be heading for the exit, given the big money spent on proven, world-class Casemiro in his position and the fact he’s operated on the fringes of the squad for many years.
However, it looks as though this spurred on the Scottish international. Just a few weeks ago, his remarkable and inspiring display against Brentford¾single-handedly winning the game for United with two stoppage-time goals¾fired him right into contention as one of the stars of 2023.
Conclusion
A series of issues off the pitch, and several breakdowns between manager and player, have compounded Man Utd’s poor start to the campaign. Jadon Sancho has fallen out with Ten Hag, and the disunity in the dressing room seems to be spreading and impacting results on the pitch.
Man United are already trailing behind their City rivals by six points after the opening nine games. Plenty of United fans believe this crisis will deepen before it improves. With the Jadon Sancho saga continuing to rumble on and cause even more disruption during a time when the team requires unity, it’ll be more challenging for players to focus on their football and deliver for United on the pitch. As we know, with football, these things can turn around quickly, but they can also spiral out of control, and if Ten Hag doesn’t handle this correctly, he could soon face a mutiny, which will cause further issues on the pitch for United.
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