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The 2018-19 campaign started in a somewhat controversial manner for the Red Devils as the club suffered a disappointing pre-season which led to Mourinho complaining about the lack of transfers till the time he got sacked. United endured one of the worst starts to their Premier League campaign, and the performance against arch-rivals Liverpool proved to be the final nail in the coffin for Jose Mourinho.
Manchester United appointed a former player and club legend, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as the caretaker manager until the end of the season. The Norwegian had a stellar start to his managerial campaign, winning nine out of ten games in all competitions. The players have looked happy, and there is a sense of positivity around Old Trafford which eluded the fans for all these years.
The most notable change under Solskjaer's reign is the performance of few of their star players like Rashford, Pogba, Lingard, and Martial. Pogba and Martial had a fallout with Jose which somewhat affected their form, but now both of them are looking a completely different player under the new manager. Even Marcus, who seemed to play under enormous pressure, is looking relaxed and has cemented his place as the number one striker in the side.
Despite some eye-catching performances, the recent 2-2 draw against Burnley and a hard-fought win against Leicester shows there are still some loopholes, and Solskjaer needs to address those immediately as a tough test lies ahead in February.
#3 Average performances week in and week out from Ashley Young
Ashley Young has been a loyal servant to the club since he signed in 2011. The former Watford and Aston Villa player started his career as a left winger, but with age, he has established himself as a full back who can play in either flank.
There is no doubt about Young's crossing ability. The way he used to curve those inswinging crosses is a delight for any forward to play. However, he has looked a mere shadow of himself in recent times. Playing as a right back under Solskjaer, Young's crossing has been weak and so has the defending.
In a recent match against Leicester, he got caught out of position on several occasions and even overplayed a few simple passes at the other end. The problem Solskjaer faces is that United don't have a reliable backup for Ashley Young.
Valencia is struggling for fitness and Dalot is not yet ready for the Premier League. With some tough fixtures coming up, it would be interesting to see how Solskjaer changes his tactics to get the best possible results from those games.
#2 Alexis Sanchez's lack of improvement
Alexis Sanchez was in a two-way battle between Manchester United and Manchester City last January with the Chilean finally signing for United after a swap deal got agreed between United and Arsenal. Sanchez was Arsenal's best player, and Wenger didn't want him to leave the Emirates. However. Alexis looked to win trophies and hence joined Jose Mourinho at the Theatre of Dreams.
For many United fans, it was a dream signing as Alexis was a workhorse and a goal scorer which the Red Devils needed at that time. It often takes time for a player to adjust to a new system and he did use the entire second half of the last season to settle down at Old Trafford.
There were big expectations from him as the new season began, but he couldn't live up to it. Even after Ole's arrival, Sanchez still looks like a shadow of the player he was at Arsenal. Moreover, the injuries haven't helped his cause either as the Chilean is gradually heading towards a significant transfer disaster for United.
#1 Over-reliance on Matic and Herrera
Ironically both Matic and Herrera, who got battered for their performances under Jose Mourinho, have now become United's two primary central midfielders under the caretaker manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Though Paul has been at the heart of everything United created upfront, Herrera and Matic made sure the momentum never dropped and provided stability in front of the back four.
However, the most prominent challenge Solskjaer faces is that United do not have an ideal backup to any of those players. Andreas Pereira got a start against Burnley, but he looked sluggish and was responsible for Burnley's opening goal on the day. Even Fred is not yet ready for English football and could be easily shrugged out of possession.
It's impossible for Nemanja and Ander to play every game week in and week out and Solskjaer has to find a way out to rotate his squad and make sure it doesn't cost the side dearly.
