Random Thoughts on Man United's 2018-2019 Season

msn.com

As of writing this, Manchester United will not finish in the top four of the Premier League, and will not qualify for the 2019-2020 Champions League. It is currently a sad state of affairs at the club, with an unmotivated group of players, a manager who cannot provide that motivation anymore, and a CEO who does not understand how to run a football club. I can appreciate it if the players on the pitch play with heart and determination, even if the results may not always go their way. However, the players play lackadaisical, and there is no sense of true urgency when three points are up for grabs. The players deserve much of the blame for this failure of a season.

Manchester United are a club that are no longer synonymous with winning, honor, and prestige. Despite the owners of Man City having deep pockets and allegations of human rights abuses, at least the team seem to be in unity. City are developing an attractive play-style under Pep Guardiola, and are developing club legends, such as Aguero, Kompany, and David Silva. Over the past five years, Man City are the prestigious club. Man United are now just the club in the shadow. This is damaging in the eyes of Man United supporters.

Under CEO Ed Woodward, Man United are a club that are more concerned with commercialism and earning profits through sponsorships. However, these sponsorships and profits will dry up if United cannot win games and trophies. United cannot end up as a has-been club that lives off their past glories from the Sir Alex Ferguson era. There needs to be a hiring of a Director of Football as soon as possible so that the new hire can refresh the squad. The Director of Football needs to get rid of the deadwood, and purchase players that will not only improve the squad, but also give the fans a sense of hope and optimism. Then, Woodward can fully focus on the business side of Man United.

Whether he likes it or not, Ed Woodward is the face of the failure and is at the center of the cultural rot at Manchester United. There were obscene amounts of spending on coaches and players that did not live up to the expected high standards that a Manchester United player should have, and yet the club sees no progression. The club needs to go back to a winning-first mentality, and I have no idea how the club is to achieve that.

These are trying times at Manchester United Football Club.