The Manchester United of the past will leave Villa Park on Saturday night with all three points after weathering the storm in the second half to win 2-0. However, this is not the Manchester United of the past and, sadly, the Manchester United of the present are entangled in nagging problems regardless of the identity of the manager.
Interim manager Ralf Rangnick admits that he should probably switch to a three-back formation to give the team a firmer defence against Aston Villa, when Steven Gerrard’s side dominated after the break. to earn a well-deserved 2-2 draw. However, the German’s in-game management was not the only problem in another disappointing evening of Premier League football for United.
Mental weakness and familiar problems in midfield contributed to them having two more points in their quest to finish in the top four.
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Let’s start with the latter. In less than two weeks, the transfer window closes and as it stands, United have yet to sign anyone. The club’s stance on the winter window remains the same: it is a difficult time for business and they will only move for summer targets that are suddenly available mid-season for this reason or other reasons.
History clearly demonstrates that January signings can have a transformative impact on teams. United only need to go back to the purchase of Bruno Fernandes to see the impact a new addition could have at Old Trafford. And let’s not forget that the previous January transfers to Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra weren’t too bad either!
But it looks like United fans will have to wait to see an appearance in their questionable position.
Top targets Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham will not be moving for the next few weeks and while RB Leipzig midfielder Amadou Haidara is a more viable option at the moment, there is no major approach yet. knowledge and sources indicate the possibility is unlikely to arise.
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Then there is Paul Pogba, retired from the end of October.
The France international has returned to training after a thigh injury and could return to action next month, but if you look at the way United conceded against Aston Villa, his return won’t make a difference. big difference.
The 28-year-old’s creativity will be applauded but United were punished in Birmingham for not having the kind of solid defensive shield a top deep midfielder offers.
At Villa Park, Nemanja Matic’s speed was an issue and so was Fred’s position. The Brazilian was pushing higher, helping Fernandes create a second goal, but contributed to United’s arrest for Villa’s late equalizer. A lack of control in midfield has caused United to fail countless times this season.
While Gerrard let on Philippe Coutinho from the bench to turn the game around, Rangnick was not in a position to recommend an exciting January signing of his own.
Despite acknowledging business difficulties during the January window, Rangnick marked midfield as an area for improvement but, unless those above him change their mind about doing deals, agreed in the next few weeks, he will have to stick with the same team to make an appointment with him for the rest of the season. So he will have to make the most of the talent at his disposal, which means he has to deal with mental issues to hold United back right now.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitted when he was in charge that sometimes players would panic at the first sign of trouble and as a result, they would not be able to see the game. Rangnick disagrees with the claim that his team panicked after Jacob Ramsey’s goal at Villa Park but that they weren’t calm or experienced enough to withstand the inevitable onslaught that followed.
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Indeed, just four minutes later, the servers were balanced.
It was a tough one to pull off, as it was United’s best performance in Rangnick’s brief tenure up to that point, but it was clear the players lacked confidence when the situation turned tough.
Now, the manager must rely on motivational skills to restore confidence and mental toughness, as his bosses won’t be looking out the winter window for answers. And Pogba’s return doesn’t offer anything either.
