Writings on the Ball

In a blog post last week , I focused on right winger Jadon Sancho, and why capturing his signature is of vital importance to Manchester United going into this 2021-2022 season. However, the executives at United would do well to note that if they are to position the club in a manner to be genuinely competitive on all fronts ( including in Europe ) from a silverware perspective, there are a few more additions required to be made on the personnel front. In this post, I intend to focus on the central-defensive midfielder (colloquially, CDM). A lot of United fans believe that a centre-back, or a backup right-back, or a striker, are all more important than signing a CDM. However, while there is no disputing the fact that adding quality in those positions will indeed make us a more formidable team, a central defensive midfielder is a crucial necessity, and one which could shore up the backbone of United's defensive structure, and offensive organization.   A moniker which has always held t...

The 2020-21 domestic footballing season is officially concluded, and all eyes are now moving towards Euro 2020. In this context, a date that all football clubs around the world would have marked out on their calendars is fast approaching: June 09, 2021. For the uninitiated, June 09, 2021 marks the beginning of two and a half months of drama, rumours, incessant analysis, and clubs running from pillar to post to either bid for, or clarify stories surrounding their players / potential acquisitions. Yes, the Summer Transfer Window is upon us. Transfer market activity is a must for United With the 2021-22 English Premier League scheduled to kick-off on August 14, 2021 and the Euros scheduled to wrap up on July 12, like all other clubs around the world, Manchester United will be keen to wrap up key transfer business which will shape their squad going into a crucial year for the club's development. There is, indeed, a lot at stake. With a solid 2nd place finish in the Premier League to bu...

Manchester United's 2020-21 season came to an end in heartbreaking fashion, with a loss to Spanish side Villareal CF in a long-drawn out penalty shootout in the UEFA Europa League final. With the Red Devils' hopes of securing a first trophy under manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær hanging in the balance, Spanish goalkeeper David de Gea missed the decisive spot kick, giving the Unai Emery-led Villareal  an 11-10 (1-1 after extra time) win on penalties. For a club that started the Premier League season with a shambolic loss to Crystal Palace  and shortly after followed it up with a humiliating defeat at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur  at Old Trafford, Manchester United ended up thriving in the chaos of what has been labelled as one of the most unconventional Premier League campaigns. The club went on to lose a total of only 6 games in the Premier League, which, for context, is the same number of games lost by champions Manchester City. Further, the Reds surprised many a pundit an...