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Manchester United have enjoyed a sudden resurgence in form and confidence under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Supporters and management alike were pleasantly surprised by the last two seasons where they have finished third and second respectively in a league dominated by Liverpool and Manchester City.
After the torrid time under Jose Mourinho, Solskjaer has been a breath of fresh air, returning the team's playing style to the Manchester United of old, with results to match the attitude.
After having a successful transfer window this summer, many feel Manchester United are within reach of competing for their first Premier League title since Sir Alex Ferguson's departure. Here are 5 things Manchester United need to do to win the Premier League title again.
#5 Improve their home form
Last season Manchester United became only the fourth team to go an entire Premier League season unbeaten away from home. Their home form, however, let them down. Manchester United have become increasingly inconsistent at Old Trafford during Solskjaer's reign. They picked up just 31 points from 19 games at home last season.
A constant theme last season was Manchester going a goal or two down at the Theater of Dreams only to pressurize themselves into making a comeback. Old Trafford looks a far cry from the fortress it was under Sir Alex Ferguson. A number of clubs are confident of grabbing a point or all three when they travel to Manchester.
With the restrictions imposed by the devastating COVID-19 pandemic now lifted, Solskjaer will be hoping that Manchester United's loyal fanbase will show their vocal strength against traveling teams and make them a formidable team.
#4 Convince Paul Pogba to stay
Paul Pogba is a complex and often controversial figure at Manchester United. The former United Academy protégé famously left for greener pastures. He shone for Juventus before returning for a world record free of £89 million in 2016.
Pogba, the character, has provided colorful moments, hairstyles and celebrations over the last five years. He was even involved in a fallout with Jose Mourinho, resulting in his agent Mino Raiola threatening to lure his star client away from Manchester United.
Pogba, the player, however, is markedly talented and vital to Manchester United. A powerhouse and skilled dribbler, astute in working his way out of tight spaces, Pogba's brilliance often goes unnoticed in the age of stats and figures.
Solskjaer has, at times, struggled to fit Pogba into the team. The Frenchman has shifted between playing as an attacking midfielder, a holding midfielder and even as a right midfielder.
Pogba's role against teams who maintain higher levels of possession is indispensable almost with his long-range passing. Manchester United should do their best to shut down the advances from clubs trying to sign the Frenchman.
#3 Finding the right midfield balance
A glance at Manchester United's team shows an exciting and deep squad on paper in attack and defense. Their biggest area of concern will undoubtedly be in central midfield, where Scott McTominay, Paul Pogba, Fred and Nemanja Matic seem to struggle to balance their defensive ability with playmaking obligations.
With Matic in his thirties and hardly the box-to-box beast we saw at Chelsea under Mourinho and Conte, Fred and McTominay have been reluctant and "safe" in possession. This has affected the team's ability to build attacks from the back.
Paul Pogba, on the other hand, has looked reluctant to drop too deep to cover the defence, and often finds himself stuck or in a position to misplace passes. Solskjaer must resolve issues at the centre of the pitch to allow Bruno Fernandes and the team's wingers freedom higher up the pitch.
#2 Integrate Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho quickly
Manchester United have had an excellent transfer window, having been largely subdued over the last year. The marquee signings of Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane are functional additions to the current squad and need to be integrated straight into the first team.
On the wings, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood have been inconsistent in their shifts owing to injury and inexperience. Sancho will present an injection of pace and one-on-one dribbling ability that will be a strategic tool to Solskjaer's brand of attacking football.
Sancho's presence also adds to the already strong English core in the team. He will join the likes of Marcus Rashford, Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka at the club.
Raphael Varane's signing from Real Madrid might just be the smartest bargain of the transfer window thus far. Still only 28, the four-time Champions League winner and World Cup hero leaves Real Madrid with almost a decade of top-tier experience.
Equipped with an ability to handle pressure and stand up and be counted at crucial moments of the game, Varane plugs a major gap in the Manchester United defence. This is an area which has been left unaddressed for a long time.
Harry Maguire's playing style may serve as the perfect compliment to Varane's pace and technical ability, with United potentially having the best backline in the Premier League on paper.
#1 Try to win more games against the other Big 6 teams
A constant theme of Solskjaer's reign and Mourinho's before him, is the inferiority complex against the other members of the Premier League's Big 6. Unlike the United of the old, the Red Devils are now set up to tactically neutralize their opponents, creating dull and archaic football with little to no counterattacking threat.
The best examples would be their games against Chelsea. Manchester United tend to set up with essentially a back-five, with Marcus Rashford alone afforded the opportunity to counterattack.
Solskjaer's squad will have to adapt and play braver and more adventurous football. They are more than capable of doing this with the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Edinson Cavani and now Jadon Sancho within their ranks.
