The Premier League is back this weekend and frankly I am just indifferent about it. The international break has actually been a massive relief for me. Watching United play has been quite depressing over the first five games.
In previous seasons, when we lost games you never felt that the team wasn't trying. It was more about the quality on the pitch and how well different characteristics blended together. This season has been so different. It feels as if the players don't even want to be on the pitch. Every other team that plays us seems to be fitter and faster. We simply don't compete.
Now, I have really struggled to understand why this is the case and I came up with two reasons. The first is the makeshift attackers. The second is the aging backline.
Carrick's made his first mistake in the first game against Hull. Although he lost Amad Diallo to injury, there was no reason not to continue playing Mbeumo as his striker and having the young Shea Lacy play right wing. Playing Cunha, who had barely played 90 minutes of pre-season, was a huge mistake and it was quite clear to see. Cunha really struggled with the pace of the game. Carrick didn't learn from that mistake and he started the same team against Ipswich. It took the team conceding a goal to come alive, and thanks to Bruno Fernandes' brilliance, we came out of the game with a win. He went on to use that same team and forward line against Everton, City and Fulham. Something has to change.
That brings me to the backline. The biggest mistake going into this season was not getting, at the very least, a new left back. Shaw is finished at this level. His deputy, Dorgu, is practically brain dead and plays on muscle memory. On the other wing, Dalot simply doesn't know what to do once he crosses the half way line. It is a cruel joke on the fans that he is one of the players who finds himself in the box most of the times, considering he can't finish to save his life. Then we have Maguire. Purple patch Maguire is an elite player. However, for much of the season he is a liability. He tackles his teammates in the box. He gets bypassed by attackers before he gets a chance to turn. And for his size, he can't seem to get a decent header in the opposition box, let alone head the ball on-target.
Finally, before this degenerates into a rant, Carrick needs to demonstrate that he is capable of coaching a win. At the moment it just feels like he tells the players "go and enjoy yourselves." I can't see any form of identity. Not like I saw last season. I know that Carrick wants the team to be more front-foot. We can't get that with a midfield of Mainoo and Tielmans. Now that Baleba has been building fitness over the international break, it will be interesting to see how a midfield of him and Mainoo changes how we play. Hopefully we get to see that duo against Tottenham.
