UNITED are riddled with problems on the field.
But because it’s January, all the attention is off it — on the transfer market and players that haven’t been signed.
They should have swallowed their pride a long time ago and landed Bruno Fernandes, because that is what top clubs do.
Sporting Lisbon want £68million for him and United are willing to pay a total of £50m with £8.5m in add-ons, and the botched situation has left the Portuguese fuming.
Missing out on Erling Haaland – who scored another two goals for Dortmund last night – was bad enough, given his personal links to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Add to that the shambles in midfield departures.
Ander Herrera went to Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer last summer, Marouane Fellaini left 12 months ago, and at the start of this season, Alexis Sanchez was loaned to Inter Milan, where he joined Romelu Lukaku, who was also allowed to leave United for the Italian team, for £72m.
On top of this, a wretched injury situation means that several of the remaining squad players have also missed out on playing.
Paul Pogba has been absent for most of the campaign, Scott McTominay picked up an injury on Boxing Day, and is out with knee ligament damage.
Marcus Rashford, United’s most impressive player under Solskjær, is another long-term absentee with a back injury.
The players that have been added in the last three windows are Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who was desperately required at right full-back and Harry Maguire, who we thought would tighten things up at the back.
It leaves Dan James in the attacking third, a player who has done well, but who should only have been signed to play the part of an impact substitute in his first year, rather than Manchester United first team regular.
And these are the facts.
It means most fans are bemused as to why, when so many players have left in midfield and forward positions, has only one reinforcements, in James, been brought in?
It was explained to me before Christmas that Solskjaer works closely with the recruitment team and had identified players.
The January window, I was also told was “difficult” to conclude deals.
Fair enough, but it’s not impossible. If United want a player, they should be able to get him.
Remember, in January, United have signed players such as Patrice Evra and Nemanja Vidic, and in recent years Juan Mata and Alexis Sanchez.
Impossible?
It doesn’t excuse the fact that Lukaku was allowed to leave late in the window and wasn’t replaced.
And the same can be said for the others too.
The crime is not allowing players to leave, but failing to replace them.
And when it happens several times over a short space of time, it starts to look like the club are trying to save money rather than spend it on much-needed reinforcements.
It means it’s been left to the latest crop of youngsters to come in and plug the holes.
Greenwood and Williams have excelled, but it’s unfair to expect them to come in and help carry United back to where they should be.
There’s a multitude of things wrong at Old Trafford and the club is in crisis, believe that. But, it looks set to get worse.
It feels like there’s a stubbornness, perhaps even arrogance, that United, because they’re United, will stumble across some luck, and get it right eventually.
Well here’s another fact because sadly, it’s seven years since Sir Alex Ferguson left, and it’s got progressively worse each year.
If the owners are not leaving, then Ed Woodward needs to hire someone to help with recruitment and footballing matters, otherwise I dread to think what will happen in the next seven years.
Manchester United and Mr Ed Woodward, your time to act is now.
