Manchester United had one of the worst seasons. Conceding the most goals in a single season in its history, being dropped off Champions League, switching coaches, and trouble with players are what made Manchester United have such a hard time keeping up with the best. Even though they appointed Ole Gunnar Solskjær as their new manager, things did not last very long. Ole Gunnar openly discussed the topic and said that he will be a successful manager at Manchester United, but some of the players are not going to be part of that success.
The critics are divided. Their argument: Manchester United has a lot of problems that cannot be solved in just a season or two. It takes years and years of bringing order and tradition back to its core. Seems that even some betting sites do not believe him. They think that Ole is a bit delusional. NetBet Betting on Sports went as far as placing odds against him in his quest. They stated that one man can hardly make so many changes.
Lack of Discipline
Most of the players this season have completely run out of motivation and hard work on the pitch. While Mourinho was the manager, you could see it in the player’s faces that they are not too happy to play. The average distance in km was low, their marking was weak, and they lacked discipline while playing. Coaches like Fergusson would never allow that to happen.
Weak Defense
As mentioned above, this was Manchester United’s worst ever season when it comes to conceding goals. Even though De Gea is a top slot goalkeeper, his ability means nothing if the defense is not there to cover the goal. Lindelof, Luke Shaw, Ashley Young, and Smalling have flopped and there is no denying that. Their marking was off balance on a lot of the games. Even Gary Neville openly voiced his displeasure with the defense, saying they were below the standard at Manchester United.
Weak Leadership on the Pitch
The team’s captain is always the leader on the pitch. That was not the case with Ashley Young. Playing aggressive on a lot of the games, leading angry, getting booked, and weak play is what he displayed. His worst game, against Barcelona in the second leg of the CL, showed how bad his form can drop. His crosses missed the target, his passes were not accurate, and he did not lead the team towards victory.
Bad Player-Coach Relationship
There were rumors that the players are not getting along with Mourinho since the beginning of the season. Some of them have even openly criticized him, and his style of play. That is something that no club can allow to happen. Respect is the first thing that the players need to learn, followed by believing in the coaches’ strategies and style of play. That was not the case at Manchester United. Paul Pogba was the player who was always rumored to have a lot of arguments with Mourinho, and that led to the bad form that he was in. Ole Gunnar corrected that relationship, but they still have a long way to go.
