The Manchester United Situation

If you consider yourself a football fan, then you have probably heard of Manchester United, an elite team from Manchester, England with millions of fans worldwide. Because of their historical success in European football competitions, Manchester United’s supporters have always had high expectations for the club. Even though these standards may be high, it’s unlikely for a team to perform the same way over long periods of time. Sometimes, teams exceed expectations, while other times, they fall short. However, Manchester United’s performance this season has been extremely disappointing and unexpected. To fans, it seemed that they were going to be better than ever, especially after legendary manager Erik ten Hag promised to turn around the situation at Manchester United, primarily by introducing his creative strategies and playstyles. Nonetheless, Manchester United has not been holding up its reputation this season. After two losses against teams they were expected to win against, they plunged down to 20th place in the Premier League. Many fans were disappointed after they finished in sixth place last season, but dropping down to the very bottom of the table made it clear to fans that there is a problem with the team. Three potential worries brought up by fans are some Manchester United players, the club owners, and the players’ morale. It is hard to pinpoint a single problem that is leading to their losses, but it is worth exploring all of these concerns.

One of the first potential problems of the team is some of its players, in particular goalkeeper David de Gea and captain and center-back Harry Maguire. De Gea has been making fatal mistakes that have led to the opponents scoring, such as during Manchester United’s match against Brentford, when he allowed the opponents to score four times. Despite the keeper’s poor performance, Maguire has received even more backlash. Due to mistakes while defending, he is often ridiculed in online memes. Many fans believe that he needs to be sold in order for the team to improve. Some fans have taken matters to extreme measures, sending Maguire numerous death threats. One stated that if he didn’t leave Manchester United in 72 hours, explosives set up in his house would go off. In order to protect his family, Maguire’s home has several video surveillance cameras installed and round-the-clock guards in place. Even if the team’s losses were largely because of him, current fan behavior is not at all justifiable.

Another group of Manchester United fans is blaming their losses on the club’s American owners, the Glazer family. Manchester United fans want the Glazer family to sell the club because of the large sums of money they have taken out of the club (about €1.6 billion) and the poor player purchases they have made. Fans gathered outside Manchester United’s stadium, Old Trafford, and protested to have the Glazers sell the club. Many fans even participated in chants that mentioned killing the owners. Nonetheless, it is unlikely for the Glazers to sell the club, considering how profitable it has been. Just last year, its overall value increased by 10 percent and is likely to further increase, meaning that the Glazers are there to stay.

The last potential problem with Manchester United is the team’s morale. “It’s been a difficult start. Nobody is prepared to start like that at this club. But there is no better game to give an answer, for us and for our ambitions. It’s because of the lack of trust between us,” attacking midfielder Bruno Fernandes said. “It’s a sad locker room, a bit dejected by the results.” He claims that after losing 1-2 to Brighton, the players’ morale plummeted and was a reason that they lost 0-4 in their next match. A potential factor contributing to the apparent decrease of players’ morale is the recent surge in the online abuse that they receive. Out of the top 10 players receiving the most online abuse in the Premier League, seven were from Manchester United, and forward Cristiano Ronaldo was in first place. Receiving thousands of hate messages can be mentally destructive for players. After giving football their all, it can be extremely demotivating for players to be detested by their own fans. Most of the time, these comments are crude, highly discriminatory insults. It is sad to see the football community exhibiting such hatred of the players. It’s completely fine to be passionate about the club you support, but taking your anger out on players is completely unjustifiable. At the end of the day, excessive online abuse can be detrimental to players’ lives and, ultimately, their performance. Action must be taken to remove hate from the beautiful sport.

Even though the club is clearly experiencing hardships, there is still hope. In their third game of the season, United handily defeated Liverpool 2-1. This result was shocking, considering their performance in the two previous games and Liverpool’s performance in prior years. Manchester United was able to dominate the midfield and go on the counterattack much quicker. Maguire was not in the starting lineup, as Ten Hag aimed to create a set of fast paced forwards and strong defense that didn’t need to accommodate his lack of speed. Additionally, Ronaldo was not included due to his central playstyle and inability to slip into small spaces or counterattack. This win was absolutely crucial, as it gave hope of a better season to both the fans and the players. It will be difficult for Manchester United to finish in the top of the league, considering their fierce competition. Nonetheless, there is potential. If they are able to solidify their defense for the season and be more flexible in the midfield and attack, Manchester United will be a tougher team to play against. On top of those aspects, if Ten Hag uses similar tactics from his previous team, constantly having his players act aggressively and overwhelm the opponent defense, they might just have a chance at becoming Premier League champions. Seeing how Manchester United will learn from their mistakes and progress in the season will be one of the most intriguing things to look out for.