Man Utd will play simply 40 video games this season so what’s left to play for after FA Cup exit to Brighton? | Soccer Information

No supervisor, no trophy hopes, no noise. The ultimate whistle in opposition to Brighton was met with a couple of boos, then shocked silence. Just the place do Manchester United go from right here?

One statistic flew round United’s FA Cup defeat to Brighton. 40 video games – that’s how lengthy United’s season might be. Their shortest season for the reason that 1914-15 marketing campaign, the place there have been no cup video games because of the First World War.

Defeat to Grimsby within the Carabao Cup second spherical, then a primary ever defeat to Brighton within the FA Cup additionally made it the primary time United have been knocked out the 2 home cup competitions on the first hurdle for the reason that 1981-82 season.

That was not the one déjà vu United skilled on Sunday night time. Another was Danny Welbeck. The final time United had 45 video games or much less within the season was 11 years in the past, when Welbeck scored a FA Cup winner in a 2-1 win at Old Trafford for Arsenal. Sounds acquainted.

And with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Michael Carrick the 2 foremost contenders for the United interim job – having held these positions up to now – it is one nod to the previous too many. So what does the longer term maintain?

United are actually considered one of solely three Premier League groups who simply have top-flight soccer on their calendar between now and May, the others being Bournemouth and Everton. Even the underside 5 groups within the division nonetheless have an opportunity of a trophy this season. United’s silverware ship has sailed.

There continues to be a Champions League place nonetheless up for grabs, with the membership three factors behind fourth place in a race that even may see fifth place qualify – and interim head coach Darren Fletcher believes this workforce can qualify for Europe’s high desk subsequent season.

“That can be achieved this season,” mentioned Fletcher. “It’s not what fans want to hear about Manchester United. They should be winning cups and challenging for the Premier League.

“That is the place we’re at. We must face that and take care of that. It’s not Manchester United degree and what’s anticipated. But we’ve to do one thing about that. We must take a step ahead by qualifying for the Champions League, which is vital for quite a few causes.

“The players have to step up. They will come together. I challenge them to do that, they have enough quality and leaders to do that.

“Don’t waste the season, that’s the problem I’d set.”

Champions League football from here would represent success for United – it wouldn’t for the old version of United that we used to know but it absolutely would for this current standard of the club. But even then, there are a few problems in the way of that goal.

United’s next two games – which follow this latest blow – are against the two best teams in the country. Manchester City come to Old Trafford next. It’s a difficult challenge anyway, but it’s even harder when nobody inside the club knows who will take the team for that game.

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Come the tip of Arsenal away, the sport after the Manchester derby, United may very well be 9 factors adrift of the highest 4. It’s not unattainable that United fail to win each, however given the place they’re proper now and Fletcher calling them a “fragile” workforce, it is onerous to see every other consequence.

Another drawback is: can this United workforce be actually backed to qualify for the Champions League?

The Opta supercomputer provides them a 4.9 per cent probability of reaching that purpose come May. Right now, 4 groups are statistically higher positioned than United to complete within the high 4. That consists of fifth-placed Brentford, who Opta imagine has twice as a lot of an opportunity than United of getting there.

With Keith Andrews’ facet being a membership fully aligned high to backside, making transfers to enhance the squad, possessing a superb dwelling kind and a striker on track for over 30 objectives for the marketing campaign, how do you argue in opposition to that logic when United have the alternative of all of them?

United are at the moment predicted to complete eighth, ten factors off the Champions League locations, which can not even be sufficient for European soccer. The prospect Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS’ two full seasons on the membership ending in back-to-back trophyless campaigns and back-to-back seasons with out Europe is a greater than real looking chance.

No surprise there was a banner claiming Ratcliffe’s incapability to repair the present scenario – and a protest deliberate for the upcoming Fulham sport concerning the present possession construction being unfit for objective.

Like at full-time in opposition to Brighton on Sunday, United followers have little to shout about between now and May. Perhaps the silver lining for them is – with 17 video games of the season to go – they do not must put themselves by way of the mill for for much longer.

Watch Manchester United’s subsequent two video games in opposition to Man City and Arsenal stay on Sky Sports on January 17 and January 25.