Manchester United is living a transition period. One where the team wants to get back to the top of the world, but the road isn’t going to be easy.
It’s not a secret that the club had been stuck in mediocrity after Sir Alex Ferguson left. David Moyes and Louis van Gaal failed during their time at Old Trafford, and it was clear the team needed a change as soon as possible. Looking to shake things up, the Board of Directors decided to sign Jose Mourinho. And even though it’s still early, the arrival of ‘The Special One’ is already paying dividends.
Mourinho changed the culture of the locker room instantly. His first words were “I want to win everything”, and he lived up to it winning the Community Shield trophy against current EPL champions Leicester City in his first official match.
Titles aren’t everything though, and the Portuguese manager also needed to improve a squad that lacked game-changing players. His arrival allowed United to sign world-class stars such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba. The depth is bigger and the attacking options are endless now. Let’s not forget that United already had Wayne Rooney, Anthony Martial and Juan Mata on the squad. There’s an enormous amount of talent, and Mourinho knows how to get the best out of every single player on the team.
The midfield is absolutely loaded. The arrival of Pogba gives the team a true star in the middle of the field, but he isn’t the only one who can change the course of a game. Henrik Mkhitaryan has all the traits needed to shine at the EPL level. Ander Herrera looks far more comfortable now that he adjusted to the physicality of England. Morgan Schneiderlin and Michael Carrick are proven commodities. Mourinho even left Bastian Schweinsteiger off the squad for the UEFA Europa League. That’s how good the team is.
The defense doesn’t have a true star, but it’s not like there are many world-class defenders out there. Marcos Rojo, Daley Blind, Phil Jones and Chris Smalling are all above-average players who can play multiple positions. Luke Shaw remains as one of the best left-back prospects in the world.
Defensively they lack a bit of leadership, but the presence of David de Gea solves everything. The Spanish is one of the best goalkeepers in the world, and he can win matches on his own. There’s also Sergio Romero in case de Gea suffers an injury, so there shouldn’t be problems between the posts throughout the season.
Unfortunately competing in the Premier League means there are no easy opponents. Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea are all dangerous teams. And the middle-of-the-pack squads can pull the upset on any given day. It’s going to be a tough road if United wants to win the tile, but they have the depth and the talent to make it happen.
And let’s not forget they also have one of the best managers in the world on the sidelines. That’s a plus no other team (aside from Manchester City) has this season, so they can feel confident going forward in their title quest.
Yes, it’s still early in the season. But Manchester United has already shown they will contend for the title until the final weeks of the campaign. And that’s a positive change compared to what they did the last couple of years.