3 Factors which have contributed to Manchester United having a below-par season in 2021-22 Notifications New User posted their first comment this is comment text Approve Reject & ban Delete Logout

3 factors which have contributed to Manchester United having a below-par season in 2021-22

Manchester United have had a dismal 2021-22 season With just one matchday left in the 2021-22 season, it is safe to say that Manchester United have endured a terrible campaign. They are languishing in sixth place in the league table, and have failed to qualify for the Champions League next season. They would have to win away at Crystal Palace to ensure participation in next season’s Europa League. Ramping up our preparations

Ramping up our preparations It's been a poor season for the Red Devils despite three high-profile signings in the form of , and at the start of the season. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked mid-season, and Ralf Rangnick was appointed as the interim manager. But there was hardly any improvement in the performance of the team. In this article, we take a look at three prime factors that have contributed to United’s dismal season:

#1 Ronaldo not getting enough support upfront

Ronaldo had a decent season but lacked support upfront Cristiano Ronaldo was supposed to be the talisman around whom Manchester United’s attack was to be built this season. The Portuguese superstar has done his bit this season for the club where he first achieved success as a youngster. Ronaldo remains lethal in the opposition penalty area. He has scored a couple of hat-tricks in the Premier League and has 24 goals from 38 matches this season. However, his fellow forwards have failed to rise to the occasion whenever Ronaldo couldn't bail United out with his individual brilliance. Sancho was ordinary during the initial part of the season and often failed to make it to the starting line-up. Despite having a better second half of the season, Sancho has only five goals and three assists to show for from 38 matches this season. Moreover, Marcus Rashford’s indifferent form has meant that he could only play in 32 matches this season, 18 of which have come as a substitute. Anthony Elanga has shown promise and has become a regular feature of late, but his efforts were not enough to pull United out of troubled waters. Ronaldo has been in great form on his return to Manchester United. As such, one could argue that the narrative could have been very different for United had the Portuguese gotten adequate support upfront.

#2 Absence of key players for long periods

United missed Greenwood's finishing abilities during the latter part of the season Manchester United were devoid of Mason Greenwood’s services during the second half of the season as he could only appear in 24 matches this season. It meant that the onus was almost always on Ronaldo to score goals for the team. To make matters worse, Scott McTominay and Luke Shaw suffered injuries and could not play often during the latter part of the season. As a result, the Red Devils had to resort to playing an aging Nemanja Matic as a defensive midfielder and start with Alex Telles as the left-back. Telles has good crossing ability with his left foot but is incapable of making marauding runs through the inside-left channel like Shaw usually does. Matic also cannot match McTominay’s box-to-box playing abilities and as a result, United have suffered. Varane could also not feature often owing to injury and fitness issues, and United's cause was not helped by Harry Maguire's poor form either.

#3 Playing some players out of their usual positions

Manchester United were forced to play Paul Pogba, who was a record signing for the club in 2016, alongside Fred as a defensive midfielder in their double pivot. Pogba usually thrives playing as a central midfielder in a 4-3-3 and did not have the attacking freedom while playing as a defensive midfielder in a 4-2-3-1. The Frenchman also had to start as the left-winger in some games and understandably showed a tendency to shift into a more central position. As a result, Manchester United often lacked width down the left flank. Funnily enough, playmaker Bruno Fernandes started as a false nine in a few matches when United switched to a 4-3-3 and Ronaldo was not available. Fernandes looked completely out of sorts while playing in such an advanced position. He frequently dropped down and as a result, Manchester United lacked teeth upfront. Paul Merson predicts the result of Newcastle vs Chelsea and other EPL GW 16 fixtures! Poll : 0 votes Quick Links More from Sportskeeda Thank You! Show More Comments No thanks Delete Cancel Update Reply ❮ ❯ No thanks Delete Cancel Update Reply ❮ ❯ Be the first one to comment on this story More from Sportskeeda Fetching more content... 1 Logout No Results Found