A Season in Review: Were the Red Devils as bad as everyone says?


For most United supporters as well as the football world at large, Manchester United claimed top spot for underachievers of the season. With the arrival of Jose Mourinho at the healm, and top transfer signings such as Ibrahimovich, Pogba and Mkhitaryan, most expected the Red Devils to be title contenders in the Premier League. Mourinho's side fell well short of this expectation, having ended the campaign in sixth place, with the most draws out of every team this season. Furthermore, they recorded a series of disappointing results, including home draws against Burnley, Hull City, West Brom, Swansea City and West Ham United, not to mention a 4-0 thumping at the hands of Chelsea and an away loss to Watford.

On the other hand, United had a good showing in the EFL League Cup. Although it may be a trophy regarded with less esteem, victory over Manchester City and a hard-fought triumph over Southampton in the final meant United won the trophy in style.

Probably one of the most important moments for the Manchester United faithful was winning the Europa League in one of the most dramatic fashions possible. After United's 2-0 win over Chelsea in the league, United seemed to take their foot off the gas, with Jose Mourinho hinting that priority was being placed on winning the Europa League as a means of qualifying for next season's Champions League. United's league form plummeted into the abyss once again, and soon a top four place was far from their reach. This meant even further pressure was to be placed on United, as a Europa League victory was now their only means of Champions League qualification. Furthermore, with a poor run of form in the league, it seemed that United were not in a position to defeat an in-form Ajax in Stockholm.

The final seemed to reflect the above circumstances, with Ajax dominating the run of play with 67% possession and 17 shots, in comparison to United's 6. Despite Ajax's attempt at dominating the match, United still came away as champions through a 2-0 victory. One such result showed United's ability to keep a cool temperament and beat the odds.
In addition, United also won the Community Shield in the pre-season and possess some rising stars on the way to becoming world class talents, including Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard, who proved themselves to be core members of the team this season.

All in all, a disappointing Premier League campaign does not offset the Red Devils' impressive showings in cup competitions, and although there may be room for improvement, the current United squad definitely have the ability to live up to their full potentials.


Comments