Man United Mid-Season Report 2017/18
290 views · Published 27 December 2017 · 4:28 · Indexed 27 October 2026
Channel: Life The Basic Manual · 2017 · Sports
19 games played. And so we arrive at the halfway mark in what is proving a fascinating and potentially record-breaking season in the Premier League. With 19 games played we are second behind, er well you know who, with a fairly impressive points haul of 42, normally enough to lead in the standings with the Christmas and New Year fixture programme in full swing. Unfortunately, of course, there appears to be no stopping the juggernaut from east Manchester who is devouring everything in their sight as they continue to break records with contemptuous ease. Jose Mourinho must be beside himself as he reviews his side's progress with little consolation that his squad is currently "best of the rest." He trails his deadly local rivals by an overwhelming 13 points, City having failed only once to gain maximum points and look as if things will continue in that vein right through till May. United's form over recent weeks has been patchy. Great away wins at Arsenal and Watford, but below - par performances against Bournemouth and the derby defeat have still left a number of questions unanswered. Some of them came into sharp focus in the 2-2 draw at Leicester. They pushed too many people forward and failed to react to the lightning-quick breakaway from their own attacking situation. Even worse, the last second equaliser with the injured Chris Smalling asked to mark the towering McGuire showed a lack of thought from manager and players alike. On the positive side, the chasing pack still lack a leader to challenge for what at best would be the runners-up spot so there is still plenty to play for. There have been some real positives so far, with Nemanja Matic, in particular, a real cornerstone of the side, often taking on the added responsibilities of creating openings when others should be fulfilling this role. The enigma that is Paul Pogba continues to be just that. His overall form has been significantly better than last term, but a long injury lay-off soon followed by an unfortunate three-match suspension have both interrupted his progress. Romelu Lukaku started off like a house on fire, hit a really bad patch, but seems to be finding his touch again and has provided a number of assists in recent outings. The biggest disappointment has been Henrikh Mkhitaryan who looks as though he is surplus to requirements and may be jettisoned in the January transfer window, with Matteo Darmian another close to the exit door. So as we look ahead to the New Year with Champions League and FA Cup competitions to be fought for. Mourinho may well have an ace or two up his sleeve as he strives to add further silverware to the two trophies he picked up in his first season at Old Trafford. But the question remains in some people's minds - will this be his last?" Let me know what you think Lew Fink
