Manchester United will look back at their 2020-21 campaign with mixed feelings. Although they did improve on the previous season, they once again failed to win a trophy. Losing to Villareal in the Europa Cup Final on penalties, coming second in the Premier League, and reaching the League Cup and FA Cup semi-final, they will feel unlucky to have ended up empty-handed. However, a club with such high standards will look at the season as a failure.
Many believe if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer fails to win a major competition in the 2021-22 season, his time in the hot seat at Old Trafford might be up. The Norwegian has been at the club since 2018 and is yet to win a major trophy.
Although the football at times has looked like what United fans are used to from their glory days, both the fans and the hierarchy at the club expect United to be winning trophies on a regular basis. Whether the Old Trafford faithful like it or not, he will be under intense pressure this season. Its no surprise that online betting sites, like nettikasinot, offer poor odds on a long tenure.
Solskjaer is well aware of what is expected of him. He played a key role as a player for the club from 1996 to 2007, and during his time he managed to win several competitions, including the Premier League six times and the Champions League once.
1. They Purchased Jadon Sancho
Quite possibly the longest transfer saga in modern football has finally come to an end. Manchester United managed to sign Jadon Sancho from the German side Borussia Dortmund. During the summer transfer in 2020, United came close to signing Sancho, who is one of the most talented young wingers on the planet, but failed to reach an agreement with the German club. Instead, they relied on others to fill the position.
Both Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rachford both played in the right of midfield, and Daniel James also played there now and again. However, they seemed a lot more dangerous coming down the left and through the middle. With the arrival of Jadon Sancho, United look more complete.
In the past, they were known for having incredible right midfielders in their ranks, with players such as David Beckham playing in the role, but have struggled in recent years. The manager and the fans will be hoping that Sancho will be able to replicate what he did for his German club. Fans of gambling, be it choosing from a wide variety of games available online or betting on football, should be wary of backing against Manchester United with this youngster in their side.
2. Bruno Fernandes
If Bruno Fernandes picks up where he left off last season, they have a good chance of lifting a trophy. Although the midfielder will be disappointed with his performances at the Euros, he was once again outstanding for the Red Devils during the 2020-21 campaign.
Not only can the midfield maestro score goals and create chances, but he is also a leader on the pitch too. When Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took over the manager’s position, he had very few leaders in his team. From the first time Fernandes put on a United jersey, he has been barking orders at his teammates, something United missed for several years. Edison Cavani and Harry Maguire are not afraid to tell others what to do, which could prove pivotal, especially with so many young players in the United squad.
Fernandes seemed very upset last season to come away empty-handed. A player with such incredible talent should be winning trophies regularly.
3. Young, Experienced Players
The Norwegian boss has shown he is not afraid to play youngsters. Part of United’s DNA is to give young players a chance, and Solskjaer has given many players from the youth system the nod. Some of these players have developed to become outstanding prospects, especially Mason Greenwood. The young striker has played over 100 times for Manchester United and scored 30 goals. He is a natural finisher, and he has been compared to United and Dutch legend Robin Van Persie on more than one occasion.
He became a regular in the United side last season, and because he can shoot with both his right and left foot, defenders struggle to deal with him. At times, he looks like he has been playing at the top level for over a decade, and his experience will help him to continue his rich vein of form.
With Marcus Rashford playing on the big stage for so many years, many people forget how young the player actually is. With Greenwood, Rachford, and Jadon Sancho in the United side, United fans have the right to feel excited.
4. Last but not Least…
The return of Cristiano Ronaldo has provided a major boost to the club, in both marketing ability off the pitch and goal scoring prowess on it. He provides an element of fear to the opposition and already has started off in fine form. The crowd at Old Trafford have been fantastic in their efforts to spur him and the team on.
He brings a winning mentality to the team, a serial trophy winner. Hopefully this can rub off on his team mates in their quest for the Premier League title, which has eluded them since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson. His calmness and experience can only be of great benefit to the youngsters at Manchester United.
Conclusion
Arguably, the Premier League is the most difficult domestic league on the planet to win, and even big teams can find themselves in trouble at times. Manchester City are red hot favorites to win the league, and Champions League Chelsea will be hoping to put in their own title challenge too. United’s bitter rivals Liverpool will be hoping to improve on last season’s disappointing campaign, so United is well aware they have their work cut out for them if they are going to put in a serious title challenge.
Last season United got off to a bad start, which proved to be costly as the season progressed. Because United had very few pre-season friendly games, the side didn’t look up to scratch when the competition began. Solskjaer will have no excuses this season, and if he gets off to a similar start, the pressure will be on from the get-go.