A few days ago, the women's side's Champions League story ended differently. Arsenal Women, the defending champions, were eliminated in the semi-final by Lyon on Saturday, beaten 4-3 on aggregate. Lyon won the second leg 3-1 at the Groupama Stadium, and they were the deserved winners on the night. That's Arsenal.

Now, Chelsea. Their most recent appearance in a Champions League final came in 2021 when they defeated Manchester City 1-0, with Kai Havertz scoring the decisive goal just before half-time. The women's side were also in a final that year, but it didn't go the same way. They were dismantled by Barcelona Femení in a contest that lost its competitive edge before it could even get going. Barcelona struck four times inside 36 minutes and effectively ended their season before half-time.

Across Manchester, City won it too, and recently. In 2023, they beat Inter Milan 1-0 in Istanbul, Rodri scoring the only goal in the second half, the club's first ever European trophy. The women's side haven't exactly been outstanding in European competition, but they've been in it consistently and have just won the Women's Super League. That's sizeable success.

So when you take stock of it: Arsenal are in the men's final now, and the women's side are current holders. City won it in 2023. Liverpool reached the final in 2018 and won it in 2019. Tottenham reached the final in 2019. Chelsea won it in 2021. Five of the current top six in English football have reached the final of the biggest club competition in the world within the last decade or so. The one exception? Manchester United. Not once in that entire period. Not a final. Not even close.

And it's not just the men. United Women have appeared in the UEFA Women's Champions League exactly twice. They made their debut in the competition in 2023/24, drawn against PSG in the second qualifying round, drew 1-1 at home, and were knocked out 3-1 in the second leg. This season they made the main league phase for the first time, but Bayern Munich eliminated them in the quarter-finals, winning 5-3 on aggregate. Two seasons. Two early exits. That's the whole European story of Manchester United Women.

All of this sits against a backdrop of stated ambition. In early 2025, INEOS sporting director Sir Dave Brailsford unveiled a plan to United staff called "Mission 21", aimed at delivering the club's 21st English league title. Alongside it was "Mission 1" for the women's side, targeting their first WSL title. Both missions sit under the broader "Project 150" initiative, tied to the club's 150th anniversary in 2028, with the ambition of United challenging for and winning league titles by that point.

That's the plan on paper. Brailsford stepped away from his day-to-day role just four months after announcing it, following a broader restructuring under Ratcliffe.

"Mission 21" remains unfinished. Another ambitious plan, another false start. And it's made worse by the fact that the men's senior manager at the time of the announcement had failed so woefully across two seasons that the club needed a lifeline. The same applies to the women's team now, who have effectively failed to win anything this term or qualify for the Champions League.

It's not just that Manchester United are behind. It's how far behind they are, and how little clarity exists about what the plan actually is now across both sides of the club. Arsenal, Chelsea, City, Liverpool and Tottenham have all had their European moment in recent years. Manchester United? The men haven't reached a Champions League final in 15 years and have lost two of their most recent European final appearances, both of which came in the second tier.

INEOS supposedly had a vision. They gave it a name. And then the man who came up with it left four months after the announcement. These are the questions the club needs to answer, not just to the fanbase, but to themselves.

What level of ambition actually exists here? Because right now, the gap between what Manchester United are and what the clubs around them are doing speaks for itself.

When will Manchester United return to peak performance and genuine ambition to compete on all levels again? When?

Statistically, United's form under Michael Carrick is better than Arsenal's form all season. You can't win the league off 14 games, sure, but this is how I expected United to look all season, and that's exactly why Amorim stands out to me as a terrible coach.

At the start of the season, I asked a simple question: what is United's stumbling block? Why can't they challenge for the Premier League? The reason I asked is because in the two seasons we genuinely challenged – the 2017-18 season under Mourinho and the 2020-21 season under Solskjær – we were actively in multiple competitions. Those competitions to an extent derailed our title chase because we stayed deep into them, and we simply didn't have the squad to match Manchester City, who were clearly above us in both seasons.

This season, none of those disturbances existed. We exited the Carabao Cup early, pulled out of the FA Cup after the Brighton loss, and were never in European competition at all. Every excuse was gone. So again, why couldn't United compete?

When you look at the numbers Carrick has produced, they're quite solid. And prior to his appointment, excluding what Amorim had done at United, you wouldn't have seen him as a clear upgrade on paper if you had both side by side. Or may be you would have, either ways, you'd expect a coach like Amorim — once you strip away the mid-season appointment excuses, the lack of pre-season, the "not my players" narrative to kick on once he had everything he asked for. He got his pre-season. He got Premier League-proven players. He got Benjamin Sesko, who's despite not being Premier League-proven but has shown under Carrick that he's capable of pulling up surprises. And yet, when you look at how United played under him, the setup, the structure, how they challenged depending on the context of a game, you have to ask: what exactly was Rúben Amorim good at? It doesn't only question his time at United. It questions his entire career as a football coach. That's a separate discussion.

I understand managing Manchester United is a huge task, especially in a Premier League that's more physical and tactically rigid than ever, with teams increasingly built around set-pieces. But every other team in the league has tried to compete. Liverpool had a sinusoidal season, lots of highs, lots of lows, and terrible by their recent standards, yet they're still in the Champions League places.

United had everything in their favour. No distracting competitions. A decent group of players, with maybe some injury concerns at the back and a little settling-in needed in goal, but broadly, a squad in a good position. And yet, in December, Amorim actually hinted that United weren't in a position to compete for top places. Maybe at the time there was a sliver of truth to it, but that's precisely the problem. That situation was of his own making. The question of why United weren't competing at the top is a question he himself should have been answering, because it was his performances, or the lack of them, that put United there in the first place. But away from the results, it questions his mentality. To think that Manchester United can't – or shouldn't — be competing at the top? That mindset alone is a sin at this club. And again, it didn't come from nowhere. It was a direct product of his coaching.

After 35 matchdays, United sit 12 points behind Arsenal. The league is gone. But those 12 points weren't unattainable. United haven't even lost as many games as you'd expect given how the season started. They have lost seven league games so far, they'd need to lose the remaining three to match the losses in the season Ten Hag finished second. Had they begun under Carrick's structure, those dropped points become could, in hindsight, not been this bad. But you never know. Slip-ups happen at the top, and United could have been close enough to capitalise. For the first time in well over a decade, maybe a real title talk could have been on the table.

Instead, United spent the bulk of their season under a manager who had quietly talked himself and this club, out of competing. That's the part that stings most.

To put a final nail in it, United have now qualified for the Champions League, confirmed after their latest win against Liverpool. A feat Amorim failed to achieve, despite getting his feet under the table at United earlier last season than Carrick did this one. Carrick came in later, with less time, and still got the job done.

That alone says everything.

For what it’s worth, this is governance by retroactive convenience, and African football will carry this scar for years. Away from the legal gymnastics, a more uncomfortable question lingers in the corridors of African football politics: was this decision ever really about the rules at all?

Article 84 of the AFCON regulations exists to punish teams that ‘refuse to play’ or ‘abandon’ a match. The operative word is abandon. The critical question the Appeal Board seems to have breezed past is this — did Senegal, ultimately, abandon this match?

They did not. It took the intervention of senior figures, most notably talisman Sadio Mane, to talk the squad down and convince them to return to the pitch to complete the match. They came back. They played extra time. They won 1-0. The match had a full, unambiguous result determined by football. Invoking a forfeit clause on a completed match is like awarding a race to the second-place finisher because the winner’s car stalled briefly on the track before crossing the finish line. Article 84 was not designed for this scenario. Its spirit, its intent, and any reasonable reading of its text apply to teams that ‘do not finish’ matches — not teams that finish them and win them.

The most damning aspect of tonight’s decision is what it says about the internal integrity of CAF’s own process. The CAF Disciplinary Board rejected Morocco’s complaint, ruling that the protest lacked merit and effectively confirming Senegal’s 1-0 extra-time victory. That body reviewed the same evidence and reached a fundamentally different conclusion. For the Appeal Board to not merely adjust sanctions but wholesale overturn a completed sporting result is extraordinary — and CAF owes the football world a far more detailed explanation of exactly where the Disciplinary Board erred. When two chambers of the same institution arrive at opposite conclusions on the same facts, it is not the law that is uncertain. It is the institution. The Institution opens itself to questioning, and that question a why question.

After reviewing the initial ruling, the FSF, Senegal’s Football Federation opted not to file an appeal, signalling a relative level of satisfaction with the outcome. Senegal accepted fines, accepted suspensions, and chose not to fight. That was an act of institutional good faith. Their coach, Pape Thiaw, was wrong to lead his players off the pitch — no serious observer disputes that. CAF fined and suspended Thiaw, and the scale of the penalties marked what it called a “zero-tolerance” policy for conduct damaging to the image of African football.

The punishment existed. It was applied. The case was, by any reasonable standard, closed. Yet Morocco’s federation pressed on, describing the initial penalties as insufficient — and the Appeal Board obliged. What this means, in practice, is that one federation’s refusal to accept a result, combined with access to a working appeals mechanism, is now sufficient to undo a completed match in African football. That is a terrifying precedent, and CAF must reckon with it honestly.

The FRMF described the initial penalties as “not commensurate with the gravity and seriousness of these events” and argued they were “disproportionately lenient.”

Morocco’s federation was, in plain terms, pursuing every available legal avenue to overturn a result that went against them on home soil. That is their right. But CAF’s Appeal Board granting that request should have come with the highest possible threshold of impartiality — especially given what had unfolded throughout the tournament.

From complaints about South Africa’s training facilities to Tom Saintfiet’s objections about refereeing equality as Mali held the hosts in the group stage, to ball boys constantly removing Stanley Nwabali’s towel, a narrative had developed and taken root throughout the tournament about Morocco’s home advantage. Right or wrong, that backdrop meant CAF had a heightened responsibility to be seen to be above reproach. Tonight, it has failed that test spectacularly.

And perhaps most tellingly, Moroccan coach Walid Regragui — a man with every reason to demand redress — said after the match: “That doesn’t excuse Brahim for the way he hit it... We need to look forward now, and accept that Brahim missed it.”

Even Morocco’s coach, in the raw heat of defeat, understood that football had delivered its verdict. It took two months and a legal process for his federation to persuade a board to disagree with him.

A seasoned observer of African football politics cannot look at this Appeal Board decision in isolation. The timing, the beneficiary, and the commercial stakes make one uncomfortable question unavoidable, even if one is reluctant to ask it aloud: Is CAF keeping its most powerful host nation onside?

Consider this. Morocco made an official bid to host the 2028 AFCON, and is considered among the favourites, with the 2025 tournament generating over 3.45 billion viewers and 6 billion social media interactions — figures CAF will be desperate to replicate. CAF President Patrice Motsepe himself called Morocco’s hosting a “new benchmark,” and other nations are actively studying the Moroccan model as a blueprint. You can even extend that to Morocco’s reported reluctance to host subsequent editions, as well as the near cancellation and eventual postponement of the 2026 WAFCON from its original dates of 17 March to 3 April to 25 July to 16 August 2026. When your most commercially successful host nation is simultaneously pursuing your next major tournament hosting bid, the relationship between the two parties is no longer purely administrative, but transactional.

And it goes further than 2028. Some within CAF believe Morocco is the only country currently capable of delivering the competition at the commercial and logistical level of recent editions , a view that has effectively made Morocco indispensable to the body’s short-term ambitions.

This is the context in which tonight’s Appeal Board ruling must be read. CAF is not simply a sports regulator, it is an organisation with broadcast deals, sponsor relationships, and commercial obligations that depend heavily on the prestige and revenue of its flagship tournament. Morocco’s hosting drew widespread praise for smooth organisation, modern stadiums, and efficient transport links, and that reputation directly feeds CAF’s ability to sell the tournament to global broadcasters and partners going forward. A Morocco that hosts future tournaments is worth considerably more to CAF’s balance sheet than a Morocco that feels aggrieved and disengaged.The incentive to keep Rabat satisfied is more than political; it was fundamentally financial.

None of this, it must be stated plainly, constitutes proof of corruption or a deliberate quid pro quo. The Appeal Board may have reached its verdict entirely on legal grounds, and reasonable jurists can disagree. But in a governing body that has historically struggled with perceptions of political interference, optics matter enormously. Moroccan officials reportedly felt CAF did not sufficiently defend the host nation against criticism during the tournament — and now, almost as if in correction, the Appeal Board has handed Morocco not just vindication, but a championship. When a regulatory decision neatly aligns with the financial interests of the governing body making it, the burden of proof on impartiality rises dramatically. CAF has not met that burden.

Step back and look at the full picture. Ball boys interfered with Senegal’s goalkeeper. The heated final saw supporters trying to storm the field, Morocco’s and Senegal’s players scuffling on the sidelines, and reporters from the two countries fighting in media areas. Both federations were sanctioned. Both behaved badly. Yet only one of them has had their trophy taken away, and it is not the federation whose fans attempted to invade the pitch.

Senegal’s players, including Sadio Mane — whose intervention in the dressing room arguably “saved” this final from actual abandonment — deserved better. The Teranga Lions came back, played on, and won. Their reward, two months later, is a forfeit.

What has CAF established tonight? That a team can play a match, complete a match, win a match — and have that result stripped not by replay, but by boardroom decree? That the appeal process of a governing body can function as a second chance to win a trophy your team lost on the field? That commercial dependence on a host nation can quietly reshape what justice looks like in African football?

This precedent poisons the well of every future AFCON competition. Every losing team now knows that if the legal architecture is navigated correctly, the final whistle is not necessarily the end. Every host nation now knows that their indispensability to CAF’s commercial vision is a card that can be played in ways that transcend the football pitch.

CAF has not delivered justice tonight. It has delivered a result. And those two things, in this case, and perhaps in many cases to come, are not remotely the same.

The whisper in the corridors of African football will not go away easily: the trophy wasn’t won — it was awarded. And Africa’s football future may have been the price.

Congratulations to Patrice Motsepe and Morocco.

Integrating Data into Scouting Processes and Care

1. Combining Data and Traditional Scouting.

Data analytics complement traditional scouting methods like the eye tests. Data provides a broad overview and highlight players to watch, while scouts can provide context and qualitative insights.

For football, data come in different forms.

• Performance Data

• Physical Data

• Technical Data

• Tactical Data

• Injury and Medical Data.

All of these, when put together give you a wider spread of values to analyse as you draw closer to your final verdict on a player or team.

2. Holistic Evaluation: Integrate data with video analysis and live scouting reports to get a comprehensive view of a player’s abilities. This multi-faceted approach helps in cross-verifying information and making near-perfect decisions. In truth, there’s no perfect result in sports as it’s based on human ability which isn’t 100% efficient. Regardless you can still get the best by getting a cumulative of what the eye sees and what the numbers tell.

3. Data storage and management

Having data on players is one thing; storing and managing it so it’s readily available worldwide to the intended audience is another. Regardless of whether player data will be publicly accessible, there will be an in-house database that securely maintains data for each scouted or admitted player. This ensures easy access to records, allowing retrieval of necessary information at any time. Additionally, the system is one that is reliable.

4. Regular Reviews and Updates

Continuously updating scouting reports with the latest data and performance metrics is crucial for making informed decisions. By regularly incorporating new information, to ensure that assessments reflect a player’s current abilities and potential. Regular reviews of these reports guarantee that our decisions are based on the most accurate and up-to-date information available. This process helps maintain the relevance and reliability of scouting efforts.

5. Training and Education

Train scouts, analysts and coaches to understand and effectively use data. Ensuring that everyone involved in the scouting process is comfortable with data tools and analysis techniques is crucial.

Character Development

While data is a powerful tool, it’s crucial to remember that scouting and player development involve more than just numbers. Treating players as individuals, rather than mere data points, can significantly impact their confidence and overall development.

Personal interaction and support can be a defining factor in a player’s growth. Some might need encouragement and motivation to reach their potential, while others may thrive with minimal intervention. Recognizing and addressing these individual needs is essential for fostering a supportive and effective development environment. This human-centric approach ensures that players not only improve their skills but also grow as confident, well-rounded individuals.

Marcus Rashford was one of these and is the best reference to the current situation. Having come into the United squad during a Europa League campaign too, scoring twice on his debut and subsequently on his Premier league debut.

Charlie McNeill, who turned 19 few days ago is one who now fits into this description. After a remarkable spell at Manchester City with club's under—15s and contributing an average of two goals every game, Charlie was resigned by United 2020. A time that has had his goalscoring frequency compared to the saying "waters wet".

He's already been involved in over 65 goals for United since his return, scoring at least 43 times in games across all levels he's played in at academy level (U18s, *U19s and U21s).

After getting his first team debut at Old Trafford in United's first game of this season's Europa league against Real Sociedad, he has arrived Moldova for their second game, with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Antony, Jadon Sancho and fellow academy forwards, Alejandro Garnacho and Anthony Elanga. It's a game where he's likelier to get more minutes because of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial's absences due to injuries. There certainly is an opening for a player of his profile.

Compared most recently to Harry Kane for having a similar style of play, Charlie isn't scared to take chances when they come and is pretty good at converting them. He is equally good on the ball and has been for long, so much that he doesn't hesitate to create goalscoring situations for his team mates.

His holdup play still needs working on but his movement in and around the box is as pleasing as he shooting techniques and shot type selection.

Charlie is currently on the back of scoring in consecutive games for the Academy, after he netted in United's PL2 2-2 draw against Liverpool and scored the opener in the Papa John's Cup against Carlisle United.

It is very unlikely he will start vs Sheriff Tiraspol on Thursday, however his inclusion in the squad by Erik ten Hag is significant. He would once again, need to justify further inclusions and earn the trust of the manager whenever he's handed the opportunity and he certainly has the ability to do just that.

*UEFA Youth League age group.

In a nostalgic return to Old Trafford and a move that had lingered around the transfer market for years, United had gotten their golden boy back, or so they thought. Ronaldo also seemed excited too. In his statement on joining the club, he said: “Manchester United is a club that has always had a special place in my heart, and I have been overwhelmed by all the messages I have received since the announcement on Friday. I cannot wait to play at Old Trafford in front of a full stadium and see all the fans again. I'm looking forward to joining up with the team after the international games, and I hope we have a very successful season ahead.”

“I hope we have a very successful season ahead”, quite an ending remark and one to look forward to and be excited about but that was never to be as United suffered its worst Premier League season in decades and looked a complete shadow of themselves in every area. United had three Managers across the season and all three would eventually leave.

For the first time in three years United also failed to qualify for the Champions League, a season so bad they could not get past the last 16 in any competition they were in. Not in the Carabao Cup, the FA Cup or the Champions League where they had won the first leg away from home.

Ronaldo however scored 18 league goals in the season, emerging top scorer with as many as Bruno Fernandes had scored in the previous season and one more than Martial and Rashford who were United’s highest goalscorers in the league in 2019/2020 season. Ronaldo was also United’s top scorer in the Champions League, with six goals; as many as Rashford totalled in less games in the previous season.

In total, Ronaldo finished the season as the club's highest goalscorer but this was still four shy of Bruno Fernandes’ record 28 in the previous season.

By volume, Ronaldo didn’t really overdo in terms of goals but we can’t also say he didn't do the minimum required of him, but there’s more to the sport.

In no way can all of this be attributed to one player or just two. The entire group failed and realistically, there wasn't anyone who was entirely without fault.

David De Gea said in an interview in May that, “I think I did well but this is a team sport, so it doesn’t matter what I did.”

A calamity caused by everyone in the team, at least we’d say everyone contributed if the opposite was the case, regardless of who caused an error that led to a goal or scored one against the team themselves.

United would seal their place outside the top four by the end of April and qualify for the Europa League on the last day of the season because West Ham failed to win their game. A situation that would have put United in the third tier of European Competition, the UEFA Europa Conference League.

The season was bad and that’s been well emphasized but it could have been worse, regardless it's a gloomy look for Ronaldo who would now be looking to make his first Europa League appearance in his 20 year career span.

Away from the football —on the pitch— and attention turned to matters off the pitch, Ronaldo's return hasn't spurred the growth a lot of people expected and the back stories that bear a level of credibility aren’t also a good look.

Several reports suggests that there were issues over united’s captaincy and Ronaldo preferred to lead the group as he didn’t feel confident with Harry Maguire's captaincy. An issue I would not dwell on but feel sends a wrong message.

In the second instance, Ronaldo is said to have been frantic with Rangnick's selection choices and was unhappy with the decision in December to sideline him in United's final Champions league group game, which came after United had already secured top spot in their group.

He'd also take a leave of absence in March before United played Manchester City and reported a hip flexor injury as the cause for this, as he travelled back to Portugal for a few days. A situation that till now remains unclear but it’s best to believe what the club reports and that’s a hip flexor injury.

In the final and latest instance, Erik Ten Hag in his inaugural interview said he expected all International players to return in the first week of July, which would be today —the time this is being written. Confirmation from multiple reliable sources indicate that Ronaldo was the only exception as he’s stated family reasons for his absence. The nature of this reason makes it best to not dabble and raise dust over it.

Looking at the transfer which took place over 10 months ago, neither United nor Ronaldo have come out as winners as both have visibly regressed in that short period.

Ronaldo's set ambitions haven’t been met as he’s finished the season trophyless and his arrival didn’t break United's spell of four years without a trophy, but only extended it.

United also don't look ready to take on the current giants in Liverpool and Manchester City and are a little bit off Tottenham and Chelsea as things stand, putting them in a place where there’s little guarantee of a silverware going into the next season.

Ronaldo is aging and doesn't bode well in a system that one would expect ten Hag to set up and his ambitions realistically surpasses United's in this moment.

For multiple reasons, an exit for Ronaldo would do him a handful of good and probably do United the same. He gets to join a club where his chances of success are higher and United get to look for other attacking options, after Darwin Nunez who United were reportedly into joining rivals Liverpool. There’s a higher chance of flipping this already established lose-lose to a win-win here but that’s just how I see it.

At the end of the day, everyone has to take the best decision for themselves; Manchester United, Erik ten Hag and Cristiano Ronaldo hopefully will.

It's now been over five years since the club last lifted a silverware, and almost a decade since they won the league. The records of consecutive league titles and multiple trophies in a season are now a thing of the past for everyone around the men’s senior team. Hope has turned into despair and some have taken that more lightly than others.

It is no news that there are many varying factions that cut across Manchester United's online support. A few diligent supporters through the thick and thin, others frustrated and angry at either players, the manager, the management or the owners of the club and then those frustrated that the club isn’t run the way they please amongst a lot of other groups.

It's tough to point at any other sports outfit, especially in football with so many factions in it's supposed support system.

This can be blamed on it's lack of winnings on the field, a drought of success has changed perspectives of things around the club. The energy people would channel into wins and celebrate have now funnelled into streams of frustration splashing off anyone that has anything to do with the club. From players who have spent time at the club giving all, to those who have only just joined. A worthy note for those who intend to switch and play for the club as well.

A classic example of a repeat of this situation is one faced by United's archrivals Liverpool.

Prior to Jürgen Klopp's trophy haulage at the club and before his appointment, a lot of players and the Fenway Sports Group, owners of Liverpool did come under fire from fans and they still are but at a lower level than United, arguably because they have won more amongst other reasons.

Jürgen Klopp also came under heavy fire after fans of the club demanded he got sacked five years ago.

It's a load that comes with a teams lack of success on the pitch and one that’s multiplied by the ever-growing presence of fans across the world who want to partake in the teams successes and have been denied that.

In January 2020, few weeks before the pandemic and days before United announced the signing of Bruno Fernandes, Manchester United's ex-Chief Ed Woodward had his horse attacked by fans reportedly frustrated with the dealings of the club.

Everyone around United have suffered similar fate with the most recent example of this being the captain, Harry Maguire.

In light of this, there’s only one actual solution to reducing issues like these, or only one that’s guaranteed to yield maximum success. It’s simply for the club to return to winning ways.

A run of trophy hauls and being considered serious contenders for multiple seasons surely eliminate these actions that come with being a huge and popular club and having a fanbase of the same size.

At the time of publishing this, United are one of eight clubs in the league yet to get a new signing, whilst also being one of the leaders in transfers out, with seven players leaving the team on a permanent or temporary basis.

On the back of the club’s worst season, the exasperation amongst fans who had hope things would take a quick turn is at new highs and most getting frustrated by the littlest things around the club that aren’t transfers in.

For a clearer perspective, both United's men and womes’s team missed out on Champions League places by considerably small margins but both are yet to make new signings.

With issues like this persisting and not getting credible and best attention, it’ll only mean more fan pressure on players, staff and owners. Days have turned to months and months to years if the same thing getting repeated.

Manchester United's freedom will have to come from within. Only then can the club get a saner surrounding and heal just like every other successful team in Europe, with everything geared for it's success and that alone.

Just like everywhere else, United's split fanbase will unify when there's success, a proven unifying factor in any sport.

According to statistics, this is De Gea's poorest season at Manchester United, coming in second only to his first professional season with Atlético Madrid.

While some of this can be attributed to Manchester United's dismal season, it does not absolve David De Gea of problems that are becoming more noticeable and problematic each time.

Manchester United finished the season conceding 69 goals in 49 games all competitions, with 59 of those coming in the league alone where De Gea played every minute of. A return that's United's worst since 1992 whilst also earning him a Player's Player of the year award.

In a recent interview, De Gea said "I think I played very consistent this season and I helped the team a lot, so I'm happy with my performance. Maybe it's one of my best seasons. I've had very good seasons before but I think it's been a very good one".
These are not statements you'd want to hear from someone who's second longest serving player in the squad, having joined two weeks after Phil Jones. It's not a statement you'd like from someone being touted as a permanent first team captain in the coming season but that's a story for another day.

In the colossal drop in performances at United this term, David De Gea's inabilities isn't the greatest of issues but it isn't a non-issue either. His shotstopping ability peaked in mid-season but they've returned to where they were at the start of the season now.

De Gea's reaction time to shots on goal are his most valuable attributes, as these reflexes were —in his early years at United— described as cat-like. He reportedly had Hypermetropia and had a surgery in 2012 to sort it out. This can be said to have resolved issues as he'd go on to have excellent seasons stopping attempts that a lot of goalkeepers in Europe would have found difficult.
His performance at the Emirates in 2017 remains one of the highlights of his career as his reflexes were put to the grand test and he came out top in United's 3-1 win against Arsenal, making 14 saves in that game. This was and still is a Premier League record he shares with Tim Krul (Newcastle v. Spurs in Nov 2013) and Vito Mannone (Sunderland v. Chelsea in Apr 2014).

In recent times, doubts have indeed set in over how good this reflexes are, given he’s been stunned by a lot of shots he’d normally save

In the 2019/20 season, David De Gea ranked amongst the three worst goalkeepers in the Premier League with Kepa Arrizabalaga the only other goalkeeper he outperformed and Vincente Guaita finishing just behind him in third.

De Gea has a history of relying on his stretch leg in close one-on-ones, a technique that's now very predictable by players who play against him, forcing them to poke, tip or roof shots around him at the near post. In similar fashion, attacking De Gea in one-on-ones from a long distance (20-40yards) means players do not have to hurry, as they would get into the box before De Gea leaves his six yard box, if he does at all. This means players get more time to think of where to place their shot and how to do so more efficiently.

According to Premier league, De Gea has claimed 50 crosses in the last five seasons, averaging 10 per season and in return costing Manchester United five goals in the league per season.

In United's first game against Wolves this season, De Gea pulled off a double save after Romain Saiss took a shot off Wolves’ corner and tried to sneak De Gea's spilled save in with a second attempt.

On the surface, De Gea pulled off two great saves, realistically, De Gea caused two shots by failing to deal with a cross right across the face of his goal, a recurring occurrence with him.

When a popular fireman becomes an arsonist and then goes on to put out the fire he set, people will only pay attention to the fire he put out and not the fact that he started it.

United have narrowed how the concede off set-pieces, United are still very much susceptible to conceding through open play crosses across their goal.

With teams studying the best ways to get past their opponents, it's no surprise to see how much this is attempted against United and how often it's converted.

With little to no presence outside his box, coupled with United's lack of a full-on defensive midfielder, Manchester United's centre backs —regardless of who is selected— are forced to work more than any team in the top six. Working two jobs, one and a half and half.

This would be less work if they had a goalkeeper whose presence was certain when the ball is looped over them or when they have to chase through balls played deep into their area.

De Gea's absence increases how jittery defensive actions look and forces players around him to opt for other options over him when they have the ball.

Conclusion

David De Gea isn't Manchester United's problem, he's very far away from being that but if United wish to be possession intensive and control games by building from the back, his position is one that needs attention in the next 12 months, given his current contract expires then.

The choice between him ameliorating his abilities or a complete overhaul as he would be 34 at the time and has visibly gone past his peak despite goalkeepers peaking around that age on the average.

If United choose to renew his contract and keep him, United's endless pursuit of centre backs will continue to be a priority every transfer window, just as it has been in all 19 before.

Odoi however with his dual nationality is eligible to play for the Black Stars and probably will in the coming days.

In an interview with goal.com in 2014, Odoi said, "I believe Ghana is one of the best African teams there are. It is a side that can give any opponent a difficult day."

"I'm interested [in representing the Black Stars because it will allow me to get to familiarise with my roots while doing what I love most. I will also get to play games on a higher level against some of the sport's top players. Hopefully I will grow as a player and person by playing for Ghana."

"Well, sincerely speaking, I do not know just what my chances are, but all I can say is that I'm available and will give my all if ever invited.”

Playing extensively in the Belgian first division and for Fulham just before he moved back to Club Brugge in Belgium, Odoi will provide a variety of options in Ghana's backline and fulfil his dream of representing Ghana.

He will look to bolster Ghana's claim to a spot at the World Cup in the winter as they face off with Nigeria in a two-legged fixture in Kumasi and Abuja in a battle for one of the five available spots.

It’s a chance for him to experience competitive senior international football for the first time.

A dive into the change in performances highlights how certain pre-game and in-game decisions has altered United's early poor look for good.

Having started the season with consecutive league wins against Reading and Leicester, Skinner's side looked to be on the right path despite the obvious disparity in quality between both teams. This would be too early to call as United fell to a heavy 6-1 defeat to Chelsea at the Leigh Sports Village.

Chelsea's form and obviously better quality wouldn't make this so much of a problem and so would the performance on the day. In the unlikeliest of ways, United had more possession than Chelsea but that would not be enough. United managed only one goal from 13 attempts, with only two of those on target. They seemingly had a conversion problem and this was only the beginning.

Subsequently, United would draw four consecutive games at full-time, giving up the lead in every one of them and only getting two points of Durham after winning on penalties in the League Cup (the only game that got into extra-time).

In this run, they averaged over 10 shots per game but with an accuracy well below 30 percent. This record was poor for a team looking to compete for Champions League places. Things had to change.

THE DIFFERENCE

In recent games, these changes have become more pronounced and have reflected heavily in the results.

We take a look at what these changes are, where and how they've been effected.

Midfield Set-Up

Skinner would change his approach by playing Katie Zelem who had been under criticism higher up the pitch and more often than not partnered with Vilde Bøe Risa. A partnership which didn't only bolster the team's attacking and chance creation in flurry but equally made the job of tracking opposition runs easier.

They weren’t just good at these but by playing both higher up the pitch, Skinner had sorted out keeping possession and recycling it efficiently, a problem Zelem particularly had struggled to get away from at the start of the season. She was losing the ball far less than in subsequent games and getting more passes into the right areas in the opposition half.

Bøe Risa’s job was to alternative with Zelem. However, she was more likely to make direct runs into the box than wait for second balls which was Zelem’s preference.

Behind or beside them—as the case may be— was Lucy Staniforth and/or Hayley Ladd.

Staniforth had been outstanding before she went out injured. Creating the most chances per 90 and the most passes into the final third, her position in midfield was not a problem at all as she did well everywhere.

For Ladd, she kept it simple and that did make it all worthwhile. Whilst all three have not played any full game together in this run, they’ve been a good combination of midfielders whose profiles complement each other.

These complementary show between the three, Bøe Risa - Zelem - Staniforth would mean United were stable despite the absence of Staniforth and Groenen due to injuries in this period.

As a plus, these three didn't pick up any significant injuries and Zelem was one of only two outfield players to have played every minute of the winning streak.

Width

With Hannah Blundell and Ona Batlle, United have full backs who are capable to be dangerous offensively and equally as important defensively.

Both fullbacks are excellent ball progressors and are in the top four progressive carriers in the team. Ona Batlle alone leads for ball carried into the final third with 2.59 per 90, higher than any other United player in the league.

Both players are equally options when attackers need underlapping and overlapping runs. Blundell especially whose four league assists, only behind Ella Toone for United this season has come from similar runs.

These runs have also given United chance to exploit spaces in central areas, making it easier to split up opposition defences and make passes into attackers.

Defensively, Batlle functions as

Leah Galton, Kirsty Hanson and Ella Toone have also contributed to stretching team's defences and with the choice/decision to spend less time on the ball and play with less touches, United's attacking play have become quite unpredictable.

GOOOAAALLLLSSSS

Averaging three goals per game in the streak, one thing United haven't lacked is goals. It could be a lot more frequent but it's been better than the start and this can be attributed to the team's non reliance on any player for goals.

Leah Galton has scored the most goals during this period but it's not being a huge margin away from the rest of the team's goalscorers as Ella Toone, Alessia Russo and Martha Thomas are all just one behind her.

The conversion rate teams conversion rate has increased and they’ve more often than not, taken their chances when necessary.

This is evident as goals have come from almost everyone in attack. 18 Goals from eight different players shows the team has harnessed the need to take score from most of the chance they create.

Set-Pieces

With a variety of routines and a handful of goals off them, it’s clear this is an area that has had work done on.

Katie Zelem is usually on the end of all free kicks and corners. She’s been —as always — very good at delivering them.

However, the standout part of these set-pieces has been the runs off the ball by other players and it's applaudable.

There’s still a lot of work to be done at defending them regardless. They may not have conceded from them recently but there’s still job to do.

Summary

A handful of players have stepped up to the challenge and played better and others have simply maintained their good form the whole season. Mary Earps, Aoife Mannion and Ella Toone fall into the category of those who have stayed great all season.

Whilst there can be arguments of a mentality change, one thing that’s certain is that Marc Skinner effected changes tactically which have inspired good results and results are very capable of changing any group's mentality.

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Despite the fact that the Eagles scored the second most goals in the process and Algeria was the only team to earn more points than them, supporters claim that much more should have been achieved.

Style of play has been the major area Gernot Rohr’s team has received criticism for and fairly so. Whilst the conditions in these games have been one of the major factors that may have contributed to somewhat boring games.

STYLE OF PLAY

For specific reasons, I’ll pay attention to the last 2 games in the qualifiers.

Benin 0-1 Nigeria

Rohr’s approach to those games was pretty simple — keep possession and create chances for the strikers. Osimhen was a point man for most parts of these games. He’d be open to receive, finish, drop or hold up depending on the situation. In the game against Benin Republic in Porto Novo, Iheanacho was tasked with creation and Aribo just behind him. This was the first time Rohr was trying this out so it didn’t look so promising in the first period.

If Alex Iwobi’s COVID-19 result had turned out differently in Benin, there certainly would have been a different front three but not withstanding, the Eagles held out nicely and preferred keeping possession in the game and were unfortunate not to convert from the few chance the had in the first half due to Benin Republic’s goalkeepers heroics. Nigeria also fumbled a lot of chances from set pieces, failing to convert those they got on the end of.

The second half saw the Eagles retain more possession as they tried to pry Benin’s attack but most of it came crumbling. Paul Onuachu was introduced in the later stages as Iwuala Anayo also made his debut for the Eagles too. Both players altered the dynamics and startled that Benin defense in the few minutes they played.

After a scramble in the box for a loose ball off a corner kick, Onuachu got the chance to score late in the game, rising highest and tucking it into the net.

Nigeria 3-0 Lesotho

With nothing to lose for either team, the Eagles came out shooting, with Victor Osimhen scoring after 16 minutes, but his goal was overturned as he was offside.

Eight minutes later Victor Osimhen was on the end of a pass from Kelechi Iheanacho to get his fifth goal in the goal of the qualifiers as he flicked the ball past Moerane.

Iwobi’s presence on the pitch made it easier for the Eagles to penetrate and they got a barrage of chance too but were denied by Lesotho.

The scoring started faster in the second half as Osimhen laid it for Oghenekaro Etebo to poke home five minutes after the restart.

In the last 15 minutes, Paul Onuachu came off the bench for Osimhen and darted a shot past Moerane to give the Eagles a strong win in Lagos, with Francis Uzoho barely troubled.

Both wins were good enough to ensure Nigeria finished top of their group in the qualifiers.

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