Analysing Manchester United's perpetual right wing problems

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has changed the fortunes of Manchester United since taking over after United’s dismal defeat against arch-rivals Liverpool saw them 11 points adrift of the top four, languishing in 6th position with their season already looking done and dusted in Christmas.

Fast-forward three months later and they find themselves three points away from Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier Leauge and into the quarter-finals of both the Champions League and FA cup after remarkable away wins against PSG and Chelsea respectively in challenging circumstances. However, there are problems that need addressing if United want to challenge for silverware on a consistent basis and get back to their best.

One such dire problem that the previous regimes have faced and still persists is the lack of proper personnel on the right wing.

United have had plenty of legendary players who played in the right-wing position

United usually attack down the left with Paul Pogba, Luke Shaw, and Anthony Martial combining well to open up the opposition defence. Unfortunately, the Red Devils do not carry the same threat on the right-hand side. Their attacks fizzle out or do not have enough incision and precision when they are carried from the right. This wing has not just been a weakness in an attacking sense but they also have struggled defensively in that position when subjected to attacks as witnessed in the first half an hour against PSG and against Arsenal when Sead Kolasinac and Aaron Ramsey caused United trouble.

Ashley Young has done brilliantly to transform himself into a reliable full-back but far too many times, the need of a specialist right back and a right winger have been felt. Diago Dalot has been signed as a long term solution for the right-back position but he has failed to start regularly in that position due to a variety of reasons.

His own injury concerns earlier in the season restricted him to sporadic appearances and when he has been fit, he has played in an attacking right midfield role courtesy of a cluster of injuries at the club. Antonio Valencia’s time is coming to an end and with Ashley Young not getting any younger, United’s right wing is crying out for a specialist right back. Aaron Wan Bissaka has been linked to United and would be a welcome addition to the team.

Could a move for Aaron Wan Bissaka be on the cards?

Going further forward a number of players have been tried and tested in that right-wing role but none have been able to make the desired impact. The last specialist right winger signed was Wilfried Zaha 6 years ago by Sir Alex. He was never given a proper chance by David Moyes to truly showcase his potential at the Theatre of Dreams and then after a couple of loan moves he made a permanent move to Crystal Palace.

Since then Angel Di Maria and Henrikh Mkhitaryan were brought in to solve United’s attacking problems, but the former lacked the fight and the mentality to make it at United while the latter performed better in a number 10 role and suffered under the rigid system of Jose Mourinho.

In the current squad, Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard prefer playing in a central position while Martial and Rashford look threatening playing through the middle or coming in from the left. Romelu Lukaku is at his best when he is playing as a poacher near the box. Dalot has impressed recently in an attacking role and has looked like an old school winger hugging the touchline and running to the byline using his impressive pace, power and bag of tricks to whip in dangerous crosses for the other attackers. However, he is a short term solution and not an answer to the long-standing problem.

Can Jadon Sancho be the answer to United's right wing woes?

Youngsters like Mason Greenwood and Tahith Chong will be hoping to make that position their own in the future but will need time to get used to the physical rigours and demands of the Premier League. United are reportedly eyeing the young English sensation Jadon Sancho who has turned heads after his eye-catching displays in the Bundesliga. The 18-year-old can play anywhere across the front three but has predominantly played on the right, which should be music to the ears of the United faithful. But an argument that has been made is that his signing could restrict the growth of the aforementioned youngsters and might block their pathway into the first team.

Thus Ed Woodward and co will have some major decisions to make ahead of the upcoming summer transfer market. This will be a crucial window as United will look to build on the progress Solkjaer has made and launch a credible title challenge next season. The first step towards it should be solving the right wing conundrum.