The Pogba Factor, Solid Defence, And More: 5 Positive Signs For Manchester United Ahead Of The New Season

For a club that has been accustomed to winning trophies at a regular interval, the last three years have been quite disappointing for Manchester United. There was always a question that can Manchester United continue their glory days even after Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure? In came David Moyes; the Scottish had to fill in the shoes of one of the best footballing brains in the world. There were high hopes of him from his very first day at the Old Trafford and he started off in a flyer. United lifted the Community Shield defeating Wigan Athletic 2-0. However, that glory didn’t last long, after a ‘poor’ season United ultimately finished in the 7th position.  Moyes was sacked in April, and the board members announced Louis van Gaal as the gaffer in May 2014. But the scenario didn’t change even after buying players like Angel Di Maria, Marcos Rojo and Radamel Falcao; van Gaal failed to deliver success in his first year. But, at the final days of his tenure, he gave the Red Devils something  to rejoice for; the long-awaited FA Cup.

Two days after the FA Cup glory, van Gaal was sacked and the directors were searching for a manager with good Premier League track record and a righteous successor for SAF. On May 27th to the much delight of the fans, Manchester united declared Jose Mourinho as their manager. One of the great football coaches in the modern era, Mourinho wasted no time in rebuilding the squad. He brought some young guns in the team along with the Swedish superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic. To solve the defensive problems United has been facing for the last few years he signed Eric Bailly from Villarreal. And lastly United brought back their former player Paul Pogba for a record fee. With a star-studded squad and a brilliant tactician, here are the 5 positive signs for them ahead of the upcoming season:

 

 1. Jose Mourinho’s Win Ratio

 

The Portuguese himself is an important factor in United’s glory hunt. His record does most of the talking: three Premier League titles, one La Liga crown, two Serie A titles and two Champions League triumphs are the most important among all his achievements. It seems  about right that Manchester United have finally got a manager with both charisma and  a great tactical brain to bring back their happy days as well as attracting some exciting prospects to the club. An awesome 66% win ratio in the Premier League, Mourinho can be defined as one of the greatest managers the English Premier League has seen. Again it must be mentioned that Old Trafford is a place for a person like him and he surely will relish the coming months with his ultimate job.

2. Solid Defense

Despite the problems in the attacking flank, United’s defence was consistent all through the previous season. The Red Devils conceded only 34 goals in 38 matches last year to the surprise of the critics. With the likes of Chris Smalling and Luke Shaw, United surely have a good foundation in the back line. Plus they signed Eric Bailly this summer  from Villarreal, a great young centre back seems to be a nice idea and he could be the perfect partner for Smalling. Now, Mourinho is a coach famous for building his squad around a good defensive structure, so it’s regardless to say United might perform excellently thanks to the defenders.

3. Young attackers

 

Out of all the negative things in van Gaal era there was only one highlight after all. His final season at United saw the rising of several young stars who settled easily with the senior team. Marcus Rashford is one of the best examples of United’s youth academy. Anthony Martial is another one, this young striker has developed eventually as the league unfolded. He scored 17 goals in all competitions in his debut season which shows true character. Besides these two, United have some other young guns like Jesse Lingard, Adnan Janujaz, and Memphis Depay; who could prove to be lethal in their day. The vital  factor in the Premier League is pace, and United’s new generation of attackers have given their team something to believe in.

4. Zlatan Ibrahimovic Leading The Attack

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was just the man United were missing. Forget about his goals, they were definitely missing someone with an indispensable dressing-room presence. Now that he has arrived, they’d be expecting his natural leadership skill in the forward line. This 34-year-old doesn’t show any signs of decline yet and has just produced his best goal scoring season so far with 50 goals in 51 appearances for Paris Saint-Germain. It was the second-best tally of any striker in a major European league. Thus, United fans will be breathing a sigh of relief as they’ve guaranteed someone who can score consistently. With young Rashford and Martial by his side, Zlatan might just prove to be an important signing for the Red Devils this summer.

5. The Pogba Factor

There’s no doubt that this 23-year-old Frenchman has the ability to and become one of the best players in the modern era, and he seems ideal for the Premier League demands. 16 assists and 10 goals in 49 appearances for Juventus last season, proves that he has the ability to net and create as well as come down quickly and defend. Before returning to his parent club  he was wanted by most of the top teams across Europe. Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri provided him with the role of a central and left side midfielder, and he seemed to be comfortable in those two areas. One of his main advantages is that he can play both as a holding and an attacking midfielder, based on the requirements of the team. This versatility is surely going to be an asset to Mourinho.

 

The stage is set for Mourinho and his lads to bring back the silverwares at Old Trafford. With sheer hard work from the young guns, leadership skills from players like Rooney and Zlatan and the versatility from Pogba and Mkhitaryan; United fans can expect a scintillating performance from their heroes in the upcoming season.