Manchester United went into the Qatar World Cup sitting fifth on the Premier league table during the ongoing 2022-23 season. The Red Devils had accumulated 8 wins, 2 draws, and 4 losses from the first 14 games. They have scored 20 goals so far in the league this season, conceding as many.
Man United have also progressed to the Round of 32 in the Europa League, finishing second in their group behind Real Sociedad, despite beating the Spanish side in their last group stage game. They are set to face FC Barcelona in the knockout stage in February.
Manchester United began their 2022-23 Premier League season very roughly. New manager Erik ten Hag was given a taste of what life can be in the Premier League with shocking losses against Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford in the first two game-weeks.
However, a morale-boosting victory against Liverpool finally kickstarted United’s campaign. Consecutive league wins against Southampton, Leicester City and Arsenal hinted that United’s turnaround had begun. They only lost two of their next 8 games; to Manchester City and Aston Villa. The Red Devils also convincingly beat Tottenham Hotspur and drew to Chelsea in this period.
Man United Players In The World Cup
The Red Devils have had a healthy representation in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. 14 different players from the Theatre of Dreams were called up to their respective national teams for the World Cup:
1. Christian Eriksen (Denmark)
Eriksen returned to the Denmark team that reached the semifinals of the 2020 Euros. However, the Danes were unable to recreate the same fairytale run, crashing out in the group stages of the tournament. Eriksen played all three games but managed no goal contributions as his side drew one and lost two of their games.
2. Facundo Pellistri (Uruguay)
Pellistri was a surprise starter for Uruguay in this tournament. The 20-year-old started 2 of the three games and had some bright moments. However, Uruguay were cruelly knocked out of the Cup by Korea’s shock win against Portugal in the final group-stage game.
3. Tyrell Malacia (Netherlands)
Malacia was called up as a left-back option for the Dutch team. However, former United boss Louis van Gaal preferred another former United player, Daley Blind in that role for all 5 games. As a result, Malacia saw no game time at all during his team’s run to the quarterfinals. However, the 23-year-old would definitely take away a lot from participating in his first international tournament.
4. Fred (Brazil)
Fred played 4 of Brazil’s five games in the tournament. Of these, he started 2 games, while making two appearances off the bench. Tite preferred the more attacking option of Lucas Paqueta in midfield behind Brazil’s front four.
5. Casemiro (Brazil)
Casemiro was a vital cog in the Brazilian side. The former Real Madrid man shielded the backline, allowing the attackers to bomb forward. Casemiro also scored an absolute screamer to guide Brazil to a 1-0 victory against Switzerland.
6. Antony (Brazil)
Antony made just one start in the World Cup, as he largely sat on the bench as a backup for Raphinha. The Brazilian winger accumulated 172 minutes from 4 games and was a constant menace on the flank.
7. Marcus Rashford (England)
Rashford was England’s top scorer at the Qatar World Cup with 3 goals from just 150 minutes. He made only one start from 5 games but was highly influential even with his limited game time. Fans will feel that the 25-year-old should have been brought on earlier in the 2-1 loss to France.
8. Harry Maguire (England)
Harry Maguire started all 5 of England’s games. The former Leicester man was an imposing presence at the back. Ten Hag will be pleased to see his captain find form and confidence with the national colours.
9. Luke Shaw (England)
Like Maguire, Luke Shaw also started all 5 games for the Three Lions. The 27-year-old full-back was one of England’s best players in the tournament. Shaw looked composed in defence and was always a promising option on the overlap too.
10. Diogo Dalot (Portugal)
Dalot had an impressive tournament, registering 1 assist from three starts in the competition. The former AC Milan loanee is steadily clamping down on his place as the undisputed starter in United’s system. The Red Devils are reportedly looking to extend Dalot’s contract in the near future.
11. Bruno Fernandes (Portugal)
One of the best players in the Portuguese team, if not the entire tournament. Fernandes had 2 goals and 3 assists to his name in 4 games. The 28-year-old was the creative fulcrum of Fernando Santos’ side and always looked capable of creating danger out of nothing.
12. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
Included because he was a United player before the tournament began. Cristiano Ronaldo’s last international tournament began well with a goal against Ghana. However, the 38-year-old blanked against Uruguay and South Korea, before being dropped to the bench for both knockout games. A sad draw of curtains to one of the most illustrious players on the international stage.
13. Raphael Varane (France)
Returning from an injury layoff, Varane slotted into the French defence for the second group-stage game, against Denmark. Since then, the former Real Madrid defender has played all 5 games, and has been a crucial part of his team’s backline. Varane is on course to become the first player ever to win 4 UEFA Champions League titles and 2 World Cups.
14. Lisandro Martinez (Argentina)
Martinez has largely been benched for Nicolas Otamendi and Christian Romero in the World Cup. However, coach Lionel Scaloni started Martinez as a left centre-back in a 3-5-2 system as Argentina beat the Netherlands in the quarterfinals. This could indicate that Martinez will start at least one more game this tournament.
Looking Ahead
The Red Devils return to face Burnley in the EFL Cup on 22nd December. Manchester United also are scheduled to restart their 2022-23 Premier League season as they take on Nottingham Forest 6 days later. United will also look to maximize the winter transfer window to bolster their charge for a top-4 finish. Here are possible upgrades United could make during the winter window:
A. Defence
David de Gea will continue as United’s preferred keeper until the end of the season at least. The Red Devils have been linked with new options in the position, but are unlikely to make any signings in the winter window.
Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw provide Ten Hag with adequate quality on the left. Similarly, the roster of Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane, Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire also appears quite solid. United can consider offloading Aaron Wan-Bissaka to sign some new competition for Diogo Dalot.
B. Midfield
Casemiro has made the pivot position his own this season. Fred and Scott McTominay further enhance Ten Hag’s options for the defensive midfield position. Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes are quality playmakers, while the forgotten Donny van de Beek still remains on the fringes of the squad.
At maximum, United could look to sign a deep-lying playmaker to support Casemiro. However, any major upgrades to the midfield can be postponed till next summer.
C. Attack
Possibly the phase where the Red Devils require the most modifications. The sudden expulsion of Cristiano Ronaldo means that United absolutely need to revamp their frontline if they are to sustain in a Premier League top-4 battle for the 2022-23 season.
United need one more striker minimum, to backup for Anthony Martial who can play down the middle effectively. Brentford’s Ivan Toney would make a sensible investment. Furthermore, Jadon Sancho has struggled for form and consistency this season. This could tempt United to bring in one more winger to back up Rashford and Antony.
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Verdict
Given Chelsea, Tottenham and Liverpool have also struggled this season, Manchester United are still very much in the hunt for a spot in the top 4. The Red Devils have done well to adapt to Erik ten Hag’s philosophy.
The Dutchman has demonstrated good flexibility and leadership to stabilise the team amidst several tricky incidents off the field. United will only get better with time, as the players get in sync with their manager’s expectations. However, Ten Hag should be given a couple of new players in the attack to lay down an effective tactical setup.
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