Manchester United failed to win the Europa League last night against Spurs, and consequently, they will not play in the UEFA Champions League next season. Yesterday’s loss was brutal and will damage Manchester United financially, but the break from Europe could help the club plan their immediate future and “restart” the club positively.
If United had won last night, the sporting directors would have started preparing for a season in the UCL. They would shortlist players that could make an immediate impact at the club, instead of fixing the deeper problems that plague the club.
How To “Restart” Manchester United
Signing new players would only put a bandage on an already infected wound. Manchester United, as a club, needs an open-heart surgery, and their failure to get European football for next season should help the club and INEOS restructure the club. With that said, here are some ways the Manchester United board and directors can “restart” the club—starting this summer:
Set New Goals & Standards For Manchester United
Manchester United, as a club, needs new standards and goals for a fresh restart. Over the past 12 years, the club has tried to rediscover the old “United way,” but it is clear that football has moved past whatever worked in that era.
United need to move on as a club and set new and improved standards for every single aspect of the club. These shouldn’t be seasonal standards or goals—they should be 10-year or 20-year strategies and plans—both on and off the pitch.
Get All the Deadwoods Out
This mainly concerns the players, but it should not stop with the playing staff alone. United need to upgrade in every aspect. The physios, the doctors, the coaches, the trainers, and every other employee who does not meet the standard should leave.
Players who have proven unreliable over the years, like Luke Shaw, Hojlund, Onana, and many more, should be sold. United must have a real transitional season with a much younger and hungrier core. The same should happen off the pitch too. The club needs physios who are hungry to advance their careers and coaches who share the long-term vision of the club.
Set Club-Oriented Player Recruitment Strategy
The club’s recruitment strategy needs to remain simple, concise, and universal throughout all levels. From the academy to the under-8s, the way Manchester United recruits should follow a single philosophy.
This approach gives a sense of oneness in strategy and will help the club rebuild a new identity across all departments.
At this moment, this might not be the article many United fans would love to read, but the pain of disappointment provides more than enough fuel for everyone at the club to drive Manchester United back to where they belong—at the pinnacle of English and European football.
