The impossible now possible for Manchester United

Manchester United’s latest form must be put into perspective.

The date is January 22, 2020. Manchester United have just suffered a crushing 2-0 defeat at home to industrious but limited Burnley.

Of all the negative, downright embarrassing, defeats suffered and unwanted records accumulated since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure (during David Moyes’ ill-fated ten-month reign United registered first home defeats at the hands of Newcastle since 1972, West Brom since 1978 and Stoke since 1984) this defeat feels like it could be catastrophic to both United’s hopes of salvaging anything from the 2019/20 season and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s tenure as manager.

United are fifth, six points off Chelsea in fourth, and closer to Norwich at the foot of the table (17 points ahead) than Liverpool at the top (36 points behind). They have lost four of their last seven games, winning just two. Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford are scoring goals but United have just lost the latter to a back injury that would, in a non-COVID-19 situation, have ended his season. Paul Pogba is also a long-term injury absentee and seemingly bound for the Old Trafford exit door. Mason Greenwood has shown only a flicker of his promise and the brilliant Bruno Fernandes has not yet arrived from Sporting Lisbon.

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Yet, it is another 179 days before United taste defeat again, a disappointing 3-1 loss to Chelsea at Wembley, denying the Red Devils the chance to duel with Arsenal to lift a record-equalling 13thFA Cup. Of course, when the three-month postponement of football is added to the equation it doesn’t look quite as impressive, but this still equates to a 19-match undefeated run, during which United won 14, drew five, scored 50 and conceded just eight goals.

Following defeat to the Clarets, United were 14 points behind Leicester in third. Now, it is the Red Devils who are third, a point ahead, with a draw or win on the final day required at the Foxes to qualify for next season’s Champions League. Any United fan in the world would have snapped your hand off if you’d offered them that scenario back on that dark January evening. Where it felt like things were coming to an end rather than beginning.

The dark nights of January were where United and Solskjaer found themselves surrounded by gloom and misery, so why are fans now panicking and doom-mongering? Why has optimism, belief in the side and in Solskjaer been replaced by negativity and pessimism following the recent poor run of form?

Football fans, particularly United followers these days, have short and fickle memories. Dissenting voices on social media have made renewed calls for Solskjaer to be replaced. His limited tactical knowledge, poor use and management of his squad and simply the fact he has a less than glorious track record in the dugout being used as sticks with which to beat him once again.

But, just compare United and Leicester since football’s return. United: Played eight, won five, drawn three. Leicester: Played eight, won two, lost three, drawn three. Yes, players look fatigued and they’ve had a little wobble. But Leicester have practically capitulated – conceding 11 and scoring only seven, as well as losing heavily to likely-to-be relegated Bournemouth, and Tottenham.
With the season on the line in one game you should expect the United players, galvanised by their manager, to head to the King Power Stadium on Sunday prepared for a Battle Royale, with a return to the Champions League the crown jewel on offer to the winner.

This is not to say there are no concerns whatsoever if you’re a United fan. Far from it. There is definitely a lack of quality outside the starting XI and no doubt plans are already afoot to bring in reinforcements over the rescheduled summer break.

One of the major factors in United’s recent stuttering form is that the starting XI – so ruthless since returning to action – has been almost exclusively played as a separate unit, because of their raucous form. And, while the football has been breathtaking to watch, it’s also stymied the impact of squad players who’ve otherwise been having excellent seasons – Fred and Scott McTominay in-particular. The players on the bench have all seen less game time and aren’t as sharp or able to influence matches as they otherwise might. No United fan would argue against there being a need to add to the squad – a left back, central defender, striker and ball-winning midfielder are the greatest needs – but before lockdown Fred, McTominay and Odion Ighalo were playing well and contributing regularly.

Before internally combusting and putting a pin in the balloon it’s important to consider the overall picture and what Solskjaer has done and is doing at the club. Looking back over the last 21 games, performances have been excellent – United have rediscovered their attacking swagger and seem to be playing with a revitalised spirit previously not seen in the post-Ferguson days. They’ve been steamrollering the stubborn, workmanlike sides they so often struggle to break down. Following the Burnley result, Watford (3-0), Sheffield United (3-0), Brighton (3-0), Bournemouth (5-2) and Aston Villa (3-0) have all been trounced.

Let’s not forget Solskjaer has achieved the feat of beating Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City three times in a season as well as Chelsea. And their only two defeats against the big guns came at the hands of runaway champions Liverpool and Arsenal (both 2-0 in that gloomy January period). Most important, perhaps, is the Norwegian’s nurturing of players and fostering of a spirit in a squad that has too often looked disenchanted and disjointed. It’s a squad that has been fraying at the sides for too long; toothless in attack and clueless in defence for the vast majority of the last seven years.

Previous managers threw money at the worrying gaps appearing in United’s veneer and this worked to some extent – Jose Mourinho and Louis van Gaal both delivered silverware in their tenures – but Solskjaer has taken the longer, more arduous road. Rooting out problematic players like Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez, whose departures brought ominous warnings that United would struggle to score goals. And yet Rashford and Martial both now have 22 goals for the season (from 41 and 44 appearances respectively). Both have already produced their best goalscoring campaigns in red, while they are the first United duo to each surpass 20 goals since Dimitar Berbatov and Javier Hernandez in the 2010/2011. campaign.

Solskjaer gambled, certainly, but it is one that is paying off and he now has a squad more stitched together. They are fitter, hungrier, happier, more unified. Rather than being held together the club has almost been torn down and rebuilt. He is still in the early stages of the rebuild of course, it is far from complete. But the foundations seem solidified, certainly stronger than the Moyes, Van Gaal and Mourinho eras. While it is far from the empire or dynasty that Ferguson built there is renewed faith Solskjaer is constructing something special and built to last.

So, for all those supporters crowing and complaining about recent form, the run had to end at some point. He gambled with his selection for the FA Cup semi-final defeat against Chelsea and they haven’t been at their free-flowing best in recent draws with West Ham and Southampton. But United have one game remaining and every opportunity to qualify for the Champions League.

Just think back to that dark day in January and the gargantuan gap to the top four. Not only has that been bridged, United are now in situ and favourites to finish there. So, rather than pessimism, perhaps look forward to the final game with optimism and reflect on how impossible this all seemed six months ago.

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