"Something isn't right" - Frank McAvennie says it would be a miracle if Manchester United secure top-4 finish this season

Former Scotland footballer Frank McAvennie believes Manchester United finishing in the top four of the Premier League this season 'would be a miracle'.

United have won just two of their last five Premier League games and are currently a point behind fourth-placed West Ham United in the league table.

The Red Devils have struggled to get favorable results against teams placed in the lower half of the table and most recently drew against bottom-placed Burnley.

McAvennie is of the opinion that with the kind of talent they have at their disposal, United shouldn't struggle against such sides.

“I said this after they drew with Newcastle in January, there is no way these results should be happening,” McAvennie told Football Insider.

“In fairness to Newcastle, they deserved a draw but look at that Man United squad," he added. "Look at the talent that is there. These games against the Burnleys of the world should be easy wins.To go there and not win is shocking. Where are their attackers? Burnley can’t defend and all of these attackers can’t score."

Looking at United's shoddy recent performances, the 62-year-old feels something is definitely amiss at the club.

"Something is not right at that football club," he said. "I don’t know what it is but something isn’t right. Is it the manager? Do the players not want to play for him? They are Man United, they shouldn’t need motivation. I think it would be a miracle if they got a top-four spot now.”

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Manchester United's current league position

Burnley v Manchester United - Premier League

Manchester United are currently fifth in the league table, a point behind fourth-placed West Ham United. The Red Devils, however, have a game in hand over the Hammers.

Trailing the Ralf Rangnick-managed side are Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur respectively in the next couple of spots with 36 points each. But both sides have two games in hand over United, which doesn't bode well for them.

The Red Devils are scheduled to face Southampton, Brighton, Leeds United and Watford in the Premier League this month. They will hope to gain maximum points from these matches before heading into a much tougher March when they face Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool.

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About the author

Sankalp is a veteran European and international football writer at Sportskeeda. He has a total experience of 8 years, having previously worked for some top companies such as Wisden India and Fox Sports Asia. An engineer by qualification, Sankalp places a very high emphasis on accuracy by leaving no stone unturned in his research, and prides himself on showcasing the human aspect of the sporting world.

Sankalp has had the privilege of interviewing senior Indian cricketers such as Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and Chris Woakes in his experience so far. He has also covered various Indian and international matches, such as the 2019 ICC ODI World Cup when working for FOX.

Sankalp started following football after watching the 2002 FIFA World Cup with his family. He is a die-hard Manchester United supporter, who started following the club due to David Beckham. His favorite manager is Sir Alex Ferguson and favorite player is Lionel Messi, both for setting unattainable benchmarks. He considers Barcelona’s incredible 6-1 second leg comeback win in the 2016-17 UCL against Paris Saint-Germain as one of the most iconic matches ever.

Along with European football, Sankalp also follows the Indian Super League. When not writing, Sankalp enjoys traveling and watching sports.

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Edited by Sudeshna Banerjee