Sky Sports pundit Alan Smith has played down the chances of Man Utd challenging for the title next season.
Michael Owen has tipped Michael Carrick’s team as “dark horses”, but speaking exclusively to Man U News (courtesy of Best Betting Sites UK), Smith said the Red Devils are not good enough defensively to be contenders:
“I can’t see them challenging at the moment. In the forward positions with Cunha and Mbeumo, Sesko, and Amad Diallo, they’ve got some good forwards, good strikers, obviously Bruno Fernandes as well.”
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“I just think defensively, maybe they won’t be good enough. De Ligt, this injury is just dragging on and on. So yeah, I don’t think that they will be good enough to challenge. You look at their goals conceded, and it’s too many this season just gone.”
Man Utd have to improve at the back
If you look at the statistics, there is no doubt that United will need to shore things up defensively. They conceded 50 times in the Premier League, which is more than the likes of Aston Villa, Brighton and Sunderland.
Senne Lammens was rightly praised for how quickly he settled into life at Old Trafford, but the Belgian only managed to keep 8 clean sheets. Arsenal’s David Raya picked up the Golden Glove award with 19.
What are the odds of Man Utd winning the title next season?
Unsurprisingly, the bookmakers have made Smith’s former club Arsenal favourites to retain their title. Manchester City are second among the runners and riders, with last year’s winners Liverpool third.
United’s strong second half of the campaign under Carrick has definitely increased optimism that a title challenge is possible, with most bookies pricing them as fourth favourites between 5/1 and 13/2.
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