'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Manchester United fans will certainly want to put the 2018-2019 season behind them. This comes as no surprise given the kind of football they had to witness under Jose Mourinho and in the final 13-15 matches of the season. Yes, the team has struggled since 2013 when Sir. Alex Ferguson retired but they reached new lows in their downward spiral.
Arguably, this has been the worst Premier League campaign for the Red Devils in the last 30 years. The team conceded more than 50 goals this season. Such has been the feeble backline that even David De Gea has been reduced to a bang average goalkeeper. Years of digging United out of trouble has finally caught up with him.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's appointment was supposed to breathe new life into the 20-time English champions. However, his appointment as full time boss came with dire consequences.
This begs the question, just what happened to the team that won the first 11 out 12 matches under Ole? What makes it a bitter pill to swallow is that United beat teams such as PSG, Spurs, Arsenal and Chelsea away from home in that spell.
#3 Complacency
There was an obvious rift in the United camp when Jose Mourinho was at the helm. Here comes Ole, a man with United blood in his veins and a serial winner. The team was rejuvenated with some players who may have wanted Mourinho to leave having their way. So the players played their hearts out in the first few months and the team got big results against top sides.
While riding on this wave of wins and positive results, some players got complacent. This was seen on the pitch as the players at most times lacked determination. There was no desire to recover possession and it came as little surprise when the team won only four of their final 11 games of the season.
#2 Unsettled players
Reports emerged in England of several players who were unsettled at the club. This was fueled by Alexis Sanchez' ridiculous wages at the club, which got the attention of top stars such as David De Gea and Ander Herrera. For others such as Paul Pogba, he was quoted as fancying a move to Real Madrid. This created unhealthy team chemistry, especially at a crucial time of the season.
#1 Bang average players
It really is quite simple. United had a squad of average players, and that aspect was exposed time and again. When the post-Mourinho hullabaloo faded, so did the performance. The team was back to square one and could not dig themselves out of a seemingly deep hole.
Solskjaer was not the problem. Even if the best manager in the world was brought in, that crop of United players would not cut it. Since deeating PSG 3-1 in the return leg, it was downhill. United played 12 matches, lost 8 and won only two matches. In the process, the team conceded a whopping 22 goals and managed to score only 10.
The final day defeat to Cardiff City summarised the sorry state of United players and the club as a whole.
