Manchester United’s 4-1 loss against their rivals Manchester City highlighted the flaws in their game even further. They have been replaced from fourth place in the table by Arsenal, and are now in danger of not qualifying for the Champions League.
Despite the arrival of Ralf Rangnick, things aren’t quite going according to plan with the team. And in this article, we’ll take a look at some of the reasons why United are in such poor form.
Reasons behind Manchester United’s poor form right now
1. Lack of defensive cover
Fans have been calling out for the signing of a defensive midfielder for months now. Fred, Scott McTominay and Nemanja Matic don’t have the correct profile to secure the defenders. As a result, the backline is exposed when on the counter, since more bodies are committed forward.
Manchester United need a player that can provide cover to the backline, and can nullify the threat posed by a turnover. They also need a fast centre-back, who can pair alongside Raphael Varane or Harry Maguire, both of whom have been in poor form this season.
2. Poor mentality within the team
The run of results has given Manchester United fans little to be happy about. But more importantly, the team mentality has suffered a lot. This is evident as Manchester United have often given up their lead in the latter stages of games, and have dropped points from winning positions. They were criticised for ‘surrendering’ on the field against City, and it is evident that a big change needs to come over at Old Trafford.
3. Bloated squad with no impact from the bench
The likes of Nemanja Matic, Juan Mata, Phil Jones and Jesse Lingard have been restricted to the bench for most of their time with Manchester United. And they need to be cleared out in the summer. This would make room for better talent to come over and change things at the club. However, proper replacements also need to be identified for these players.
