Manchester United don’t deserve top four. Simple as
By Ali Akbar
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Manchester United have squandered yet another opportunity to move closer to the top four, showing that they don’t deserve to be playing in next season’s Champions League.
Before Jose Mourinho was sacked, Manchester United were 6th in the Premier League table but closer to the relegation zone than they were to league-leaders Liverpool.
Then Ole Gunnar Solskjaer came in as caretaker manager, winning six league games in a row and bringing the Red Devils within touching distance of 4th place.
PLAYER RATINGS. Mata gets an 8 but de Gea gets a 2 after frustrating 1-1 draw against Chelsea at Old Trafford. light
Fast-forward a couple of months and United are still in 6th place with just two games left after losing four out of their last seven Premier League games.
Luckily for United, their top-six rivals have all been dropping points recently as well. However, that just makes our 1-1 draw against Chelsea all the more disappointing, as a win would have seen us finally move up the table.
Our two remaining fixtures are against Huddersfield Town and Cardiff City at home. These are two very winnable games but six points from these fixtures still wouldn’t guarantee us a top-four finish.
It’s time we recognised that we have well and truly bottled it under Solskjaer this season. Yes, the new manager had given us some great memories over these past few months, such as the 3-1 win against PSG, but none of this will matter if United fail to secure Champions League football next season.
The Norwegian should not have been given the permanent job until top four was guaranteed, as our performances dipped considerably after the announcement.
The players just don’t seem as motivated anymore as they were after Mourinho’s sacking. Will it take another manager to get sacked to get them playing again, I wonder?
If the players can’t be bothered enough to ensure they play in Europe’s top competition then maybe the Europa League is the right punishment for them next season – they ones who stay behind after the summer, that is.
Next. How Manchester United can follow Manchester City and dominate English football once again!. dark