Inconsistent Manchester United drop points to Southampton

Manchester United dominated Leeds United, but couldn’t do the same to Southampton

That is the same sort of problem that troubled the club last season, and for Manchester United and manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, that will have to change immediately. Manchester United has far too much talent to play so inconsistently.

The Red Devils are full of wonderful talent, both young and veteran, and are capable of playing against the best teams in the world and match up well consistently. Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba have become an absolutely wonderful pair in the middle of the pitch and in attack and defense, familiar faces continue to carry the club.

Edinson Cavani, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Mason Greenwood and Jadon Sancho are all high-quality players and household names. Yet with all of these players, as well as depth in the backline and in the goal, dismal performances like the one against Southampton remain.

It seems as though this type of play is simply a part of this team’s DNA. One game they play poorly, the next brilliant. They dominate and wow the world before slipping up against a team that got hammered by Everton in the second half just a week before.

The two best teams in the league, on paper, are Manchester City and Chelsea. If United wish to be in the same conversation as the other two, they need to step up their focus immediately.

Manchester United: A good team that must break bad habits

This issue is not a new one rather a problem that has been wrestled with for quite some time. Jose Mourhino was fired after bringing trophies to Manchester, albeit trophies that United seemed unconcerned to win. His successor, the fan favorite and legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, has only ever managed a semifinal appearance and a second-place finish.

Against Unai Emery and Villarreal, United could do nothing to score on the Yellow Submarine and  eventually lost in a seemingly endless penalty shootout. This issue predates this loss and harkens back to the earlier days of the new management regime. It was very apparent in the weeks and months leading up to the end of last season in both England and Europe.

That the problem keeps rearing its ugly head again for a team that has a lot of ambition when it comes to the Premier League, it has to be unsettling for them. Slip-ups at any time of the season are costly but dropping points at this juncture, against teams of lesser caliber, is a recipe for ending up in second or third come the end of the season.

Perhaps it’s a mental thing in which the players have to learn to play at the level they’re capable of day-in and day-out. I do not believe it falls entirely on the manager, though he should have an active role given his pedigree, of stopping the behavior unless he is doing something that is negatively affecting the team.

With just one match against Wolverhampton before the first international break, United can go into the break close to the top of the table. Wolves will be no easy out but the Red Devils surely have the talent to overcome them should they be put in a performance like the one against Leeds United.

In any event, Ole and company will have to figure out what is behind the mental block of sorts and fast.  With a handful of proper teams vying for a top position this year, even a few mistakes could be one too many with City, Liverpool and Chelsea likely standing in their way. But more displays like the one against Southampton and United will find themselves challenging for second-tier competitions and a top four finish in England.