Paul Merson has claimed that Manchester United will not contend for the Premier League title in the 2023/24 season.
Manchester United have brought in a number of reinforcements this summer, but their performances have dipped in recent weeks. Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson believes that they are a long way away from challenging for the league title and cannot be considered as genuine contenders this season.
The Arsenal icon has also added that Manchester United need to be braver with their approach, especially in the away games. He believes that United are often seen trying not to lose the game instead of trying to win it.
He said on Sky Sports, “Manchester United go away to draw games. They try not to lose a match before they try to win it. I don’t understand. If teams are scoring goals then you’ve got to have a go. I think the manager’s got to be braver. He’s got the players to be braver. It’s too negative – counter-attacking football. I do worry for Man Utd.
“The Sir Alex Ferguson days are long gone. They’re as far away from winning the league as you’ll ever see. I know everyone’s a long way off Manchester City but they’re a million miles off.”
Manchester United have picked up just two victories in the league so far, and they are 11th in the league table. Erik ten Hag will be thoroughly disappointed with the start from his players, and it remains to be seen whether Manchester United get back to their best once again.
Although they are 11th in the league table, they are just six points adrift of the defending champions and league leaders Manchester City. The table could easily change in a matter of weeks. So, United will need to start putting together a series of impressive performances and collect the three points.
There is no doubt that they have a talented squad which is capable of going on a winning run. However, the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City seem like a much more well-drilled outfit right now. It is fair to assume that United are still good enough to challenge for trophies this season.
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But they might not be able to last the distance in a title race just yet. Their squad is lacking in depth and they will be competing in the UEFA Champions League as well. Juggling between two major competitions will not be an easy task and it remains to be seen how the situation develops.
