Manchester United supporters feel at a low ebb right now after a difficult week. We are trying to be optimistic.
There is a famous line in The Simpsons where Bart complains, ‘This is the worst day of my life!’, before Homer retorts, “The worst day of your life so far.”
It is an exchange Manchester United fans have a connection with. Every time you think we have hit rock bottom, there is a new nadir.
Every week last season United seemed to hit new depths, before a humiliating Europa League Final defeat to Tottenham.
Ineos’ second full season has had similar elements of farce, knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Grimsby, before a FA Cup opening round defeat. It is the first time the club have been eliminated from both opening rounds of the cups since 1981/82.
But rather than predict new depths the team may inevitably fall to, we are going to flip the narrative and current fan sentiment on its head and look at three reasons for fans to be positive right now…
What is YOUR biggest reason to feel positive about Manchester United right now?
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New manager incoming
The worst part of Manchester United’s FA Cup defeat to Brighton was that everything felt so aimless. Caretaker boss Darren Fletcher admitted he was working ‘day-to-day’ in the role and could offer no more clarity than that.
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United are now pushing to hire an interim manager in a fixed role until the end of the season, with Michael Carrick leading the race.
Carrick edges out Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, which prevents United from re-treading the past. The Norwegian was a safe pair of hands, but it would have felt like the club were going backwards. What if the magic of his first spell disappeared?
The attraction of hiring Carrick is that he is a younger manager who has worked in English football more recently than Solskjaer, with a spell in the Championship. He has fresh ideas, and gave a tantalising glimpse of his abilities during his 2021 caretaker spell.
It felt like there was more to tap into with Carrick, while with Solskjaer we had seen it all, good and bad.
Appointing Carrick will give United some direction, something to get behind. There is also some long-term appeal.
Could he earn the role full-time? Could he become an assistant to a permanent boss next season, and eventually his long-term successor? There are a few avenues to explore here if it all goes well.
Michael Carrick is the new favourite for the Man Utd interim job, are you happy with this?
Manchester United Coach Michael Carrick celebrates at the end of the Premier League match between Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford on December 2, 2021
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Players returning
Manchester United are set to welcome key players back, with Amad and Bryan Mbeumo returning after AFCON. Then Noussair Mazraoui will follow later this month.
The various injuries and breaks have meant that United’s three signings Mbeumo, Cunha and Sesko have barely been on the pitch together. We can put this right in the second half of the campaign.
The February to May stretch was always the part of the season with the least disruption, where we hoped that the team would begin to really click as player connections strengthened. This can still be the case.
Sesko is beginning to perform too, with three goals in his last two games. That’s something to cling onto.
Matthijs de Ligt is also due to return after a lengthy layoff. He was establishing himself as United’s most important defender before his injury.
Getting these players back will provide an immediate confidence boost, which is necessary in a low moment right now.
The new manager has a big job to work out his best XI and how to fit everybody in, but there is a great opportunity ahead to mesh the team’s varied attacking options into a cohesive unit.
The midfield has been a problem for United this season, but if anybody knows how to sort out the area, it has to be the club’s former midfield general Michael Carrick. With all of his options available finally, let’s see what he can conjure up.
What did you think of Kobbie Mainoo’s performance vs Brighton?
Did he do enough to earn a starting place vs City next weekend?
Kobbie Mainoo stats
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Full focus on Premier League
Manchester United’s only objective this season is to finish as high as possible in the Premier League. There are no distractions, no cup competitions.
It is embarrassing really that United will have a short season of just 40 competitive games, the fewest in club history since 1914/15.
United must ensure a high Premier League finish to qualify for European football next season to avoid a repeat.
And this is where a lack of distraction can end up working to our benefit.
United’s top rivals for Champions League places are Liverpool and Chelsea, who are both still battling on multiple fronts.
At some stage this will count against them, while United are fresh and focused each week. This team need to be laser-focused, and turn this situation into an advantage.
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