Champions League: Defeat to Barcelona Shows Manchester United Have a Long Way to Go

Despite spending hundreds of millions in recent years, this Manchester United squad is still well behind where they want to be. So what can they do in the market to fix it?

Fred and Scott McTominay joined Paul Pogba in the midfield against Barcelona, and while the two performed admirably, there is a clear gulf in class between Manchester United’s midfield and that of its elite competitors. McTominay is tireless, and I actually think he is much more suitable for the ‘Matic’ role than summer signing Fred- a role where McTominay’s aggressiveness and athleticism will serve him well.  He played the position earlier in the season in the clash against Liverpool and more than held his own at Anfield. Fred, on the other hand, doesn’t possess the ball-winning or distribution skills to play in that position at the moment. He was caught out of position way too often and was also guilty of allowing the Barcelona midfielders to get past him far too easily. McTominay, on the other hand, impressed with his hard work at Old Trafford, but has clear limitations on the attacking side of the equation. Some of those could be offset by playing him in a more simplistic, deeper role.

Another central midfielder is desperately needed by Manchester United. Declan Rice is a potential option, but that would be for the no. 6 role vacated by Matic rather than the one by Herrera. United missed out on Frenkie de Jong, who looks sure to turn into a star at Barcelona, but there are still options like Saul Niguez from Atletico Madrid or Houssem Aouar from Lyon, a promising young Frenchman with a style of play similar to de Jong, and someone who could fit perfectly alongside Paul Pogba.

The last United mistake on Messi’s first goal came from central defender Phil Jones who opted to follow a Luis Suarez run rather than go after Messi and the ball as the attacker cut to the top of the box. Victor Lindelöf has impressed since Solskjaer’s arrival and seems like a quality modern center back capable of bringing the ball out and making passes. Smalling and Jones, however, simply don’t cut it at the next level. Neither are good enough with their feet to kick-start any United attacks, and the Red Devils often aren’t able to get it out of their own half because of their central defenders’ lack of comfort with the ball at their feet. They might be fine as backup options, but United desperately need a commanding central defender to take charge of their back-line just like Virgil van Dijk did for Liverpool.

Ed Woodward and Solskjaer shouldn’t back away from spending serious money on a quality player here. Much of United’s earlier success in the decade was thanks to the incredible Vidic-Ferdinand partnership that anchored the defense for so many years, and Lindelof needs a partner. Matthijs de Ligt from Ajax would be the dream choice, but he seems set on a move to Barcelona or Bayern Munich. Raphael Varane is reportedly unhappy at Real Madrid, and if the Frenchman is available, United should go after him no matter what the cost. Similarly, Samuel Umtiti, Kostas Manolas (even with his €36 million release clause), and Kalidou Koulibaly come to mind as other class players who have been proven at the highest level.

Manchester United have made progress under Solskjaer, but this side is still miles away from being the dominant force its fans will be demanding and the matches against Barcelona showed that gulf in class. The Red Devils can only do so much with the players at the club, and Solskjaer will have to spend some cash on reinforcements as United reshuffle their squad.

Six years after he retired, United is still trying to kickstart the post- Sir Alex Ferguson era, but with one of his favorite disciples in charge, this summer’s rebuilding will be crucial to the club’s future.