It wasn’t too long ago that The Walcott came out with the fantastic phrase about being “consistent in patches”, and it looks like that expression could be used to sum up Manchester United this season.
It’s so difficult to figure out what they need to do in the transfer market this month. There are games where they look almost complete and you feel they are just one or two additions away from challenging again, but then you see performances like last night and think the whole team needs to be replaced.
One area of the pitch that’s consistently looked vulnerable is in the number 10 position. You could argue that Andreas Pereira has shown flashes, but Jesse Lingard has been a non-entity while Tahith Chong and Angel Gomes haven’t looked like stepping up either.
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That could explain why a recent article from The Independent has hinted that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may look to sign James Maddison or Jack Grealish this month to try and fix the problem.
If you look at the team it’s clear that there’s so much pace going forward, but they are crying out for someone who’s comfortable on the ball and who can pick a pass to unlock the defence. Juan Mata should be ideal for that role but he looks a shadow of his former self, so the only solution seems to be to bring someone in.
Maddison has been a key part of the Leicester team that’s been brilliant all season. It might sound ridiculous to say, but would he consider taking the step down to join Man United at this point?
Grealish has finally shown he belongs in the Premier League and could be an interesting addition, but this would be one almighty step up in class for him too.
It’s still not clear if Man United will actually bring anyone in this month, but that position behind the striker appears to be the biggest need right now.