The Best Man Utd Line-Up - what is missing?

by Julian Tabone

It was all going so well.

A good consistent run of wins. Comebacks. Progress in the FA Cup and in the Europa League. A never-say-die-attitude. Belief. Old Trafford once more looking like a fortress. Top - 4 looking good. A trophy. Everything pointing towards a fantastic season. Confidence.

Then, we went to Anfield. And in a horrifying second 45 minutes, it felt like all the progress made would disappear in thin air! It was a shocking throwback to last season, when heads used to drop and tools downed as soon as the team would go behind. It is a worry and if anything, it proved there’s so much left to be done.

But let’s not let that freak result define our season.

After all, this Manchester United side went to the Nou Camp and deserved to win.

This Manchester United side has produced glimpses of scintillating football very much reminiscent of some of the best sides of the past.

This Manchester United side has shown togetherness and a resilience to grind out results when it mattered most, synonymous to top winning sides.

This Manchester United side is still in contention on four fronts.

This Manchester United side, since coming back from the World Cup, right up until the 0-0 home draw with Southampton, has played 23 games: won 17, drew 4 and lost only twice.

And, for the very first time after a long while, it really feels like we are starting to build something.

Ten Hag has been using the squad to great effect. He’s been rotating the players around his favourite formation of 4-2-3-1 in such a productive way that whoever comes in, there is no disruption and the rhythm does not change.

The spine of the team is quite obvious.

Varane, Casemiro and Rashford should be kept in cotton wool.

Others such as De Gea, Bruno Fernandes, Martinez, Luke Shaw and until he got injured Eriksen too, are also almost invariably amongst the first names on the starting team-sheet.

The remaining places in the first 11 are always up for grabs. Players such as Antony, Sancho, Malacia, Wan Bissaka (after the World Cup) and Dalot (before the World Cup), Fred, McTominay, Lindelof and Maguire have been rotated sparingly to good effect too. Same thing for the exciting talents of Garnacho and Pellistri.

In January, Weghorst along with Sabitzer came in to fill in the holes of Martial, Eriksen and Van de Beek. But we all knew those two would not be enough.

So, what’s missing? It’s a no brainer really to understand that we are playing without a proper striker. Weghorst is undoubtedly pulling his socks up and Ten Hag is trying to utilise him as best as he can. He’s employed him in different positions but we all know that a proper number 9 striker will make a big whole difference to our attack.

What’s missing? Midfield back up. We are really short in numbers in midfield too. Quite clearly, Casemiro and Eriksen are Ten Hag’s first choice. Fred is a useful deputy whilst Sabitzer, McTominay and Van De Beek are good squad players. A look at the youngsters coming up, Kobbie Mainoo and Dan Gore look to be very promising. But it is abundantly clear we need more than that if we are to compete for the biggest prizes.

What else is missing? Defensive back-up, as well. Once again. Varane is a great leader and brings bags of experience. Martinez is the warrior we all love to watch play and Lindelof is a valuable back-up but that is basically it. Maguire has lost his place and has not been himself ever since he’s had to endure off field troubles. In addition, he slows down the play and gives the impression he is out-of-place.

The English Premier League is not just the best league in the world, it is also the toughest league because it is so intense. Playing 3 games a week is not easy and can take its toll. Injuries become inevitable, fatigue creeps in and in the long run you’ll get exposed and caught as we found out to our detriment in recent games.

Re-enforcements are needed. Squad depth needs to be addressed. Ten Hag must be trusted. Solid foundations need to be restored.

And that is another thing that is currently missing: adequate support and expertise when it comes to recruiting players. Stability. Financial steadiness. It is the (only) way forward in modern-football, I believe.

The whole club ownership saga is set to take long and it risks ruining Ten Hag’s summer plans. New wealthy owners can take the club to the next step, to the next level and can make sure that the club is competitive enough.

The Ten Hag effect is great to watch. He really is a genius but he is no magician and he deserves to be supported. In the coming weeks or months, all Manchester United fans will be hoping for that missing link to be filled! The rest will then follow, naturally.