English Premier League side, Manchester United may miss out from UEFA Champions League again, for the second straight time in three years. Manchester United fans have had a lot to grumble about recently.
The 3-2 loss against West Ham on Tuesday means they’ll almost certainly miss out on the Champions League for the second time in three years. They now have to pray City lose while they win against Bournemouth in the final round of games.
The style of football has been painfully boring for most of this season, too, all while its fiercest rivals, Manchester City, plan to hand the best manager on the planet an empty checkbook this summer. Manchester United’s defensive line for most of this season has been comprised of Marcos Rojo, Daley Blind, Chris Smalling, and the injury-laden Matteo Darmian. These defenders are mostly seen as average players. Even though Sir Alex Ferguson achieved a lot with even average players, there were always top stars in great form that did the necessary. With the Red Devils’ team struggling in almost all departments, there is only so much they can achieve
Though the average players, with one game to go Manchester United have conceded just 34 goals, the second-fewest in the entire Premier League, behind Tottenham. Man United might not have the most attractive style in the world, but it’s effective: United’s 55.7 percent average possession is just 0.2 percent off the league leaders, Arsenal — and the team’s speed of attack is the slowest in the Premier League. The way they ruthlessly starve their opponents of the ball means they literally can’t be attacked and, therefore, scored against. It’s why of only two teams (Leicester City and Tottenham, who will finish first and second, respectively) have spent less time trailing matches this season than Manchester United.
The issue many have highlighted is the poor attacking football upfront. The strike force have achieved less than required to push the team to desired levels. Wayne Rooney’s return hasn’t brought much hope as they continue to struggle. The club has to do a lot of work during this summer ahead of next season; else they might miss the third UCL.