I think so,
to get into the top 10 🤣.
When looking at United's current crop of players, it doesn't actually make for good reading. In fact, compare it to the end of last season, it is actually worse.
Who'd have thought? With all the excitement about Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro, you'd think we had a squad that was capable of competing for the title.
However, we've replaced an injury prone Anthony Martial with a young and raw striker in Zirkzee and an injury prone Rapha Varane with a teenager in Yoro. Both Martial and Varane are better than Zirkzee and Yoro with the Dutch striker not truly up to speed and the young centre-back being out for three months.
We've somehow gone backwards.
So with that in mind, the current squad.
Goalkeepers
Tom Heaton is a third-choice and only there for emergencies. Altay Bayindir may as well be a third-choice too because Erik ten Hag seems reluctant to use the first-ever Turkish player to wear the famous red of United.
I'm not actually sure why the manager doesn't play the number 2 because there were ample opportunities to do so last season not least when Andre Onana went to the AFCON and when he was sort of shite, which was a little too often.
And then there is the number 1 himself.
Andre Onana is quite an intriguing character. A man brimming with confidence when looking at how he carries himself, how much belief he has in himself and the way he speaks.
Unfortunately, while all this is great, his ability doesn't really match that confidence.
In a recent interview, the United shot-stopper said that fans should be "prepared" for a campaign in which there will be a lot of risk-taking:
“It’s what you’re going to see because I will take a lot of risks. I can tell you in advance already! Be prepared, because it’s going to be this season, trust me!”
Not like he didn't take risks before, but anyway.
This is a big season for him because we brought Onana in with quite a reputation for being this modern goalkeeper.
We haven't seen any of that at United.
If anything, he is a bit of a concern because he isn't the most reliable. He, much like his predecessor David de Gea, isn't completely prone to the odd cockup.
Onana needs drastic improvement. Hopefully his ability can match his confidence this season.
Defenders
We start off with those that shouldn't be at the club.
Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka are all players that are good,
for the likes of West Ham.
Mid-table Premier League teams and certain clubs across Europe is their level. I'm not saying their completely useless but in terms of how Erik ten Hag wants to play, they are kind of useless.
They should've been gone a long time ago.
The only worry with Lisandro Martinez is whether he can stay fit. If he does, then we will have no problem because what a defender he is. Martinez makes such a difference in our side with how we play out from the back and the fact that he seems to be quite the leader.
We need him to stay fit.
Speaking of fit, Diogo Dalot.
Everyone praises Bruno Fernandes because he is a machine in that he can play constantly. Dalot is kind of the same as the right-back is almost always available.
More than that, last season's player of the year is very versatile and can play that modern style required by the manager.
Jonny Evans is much like the Tom Heaton of defenders as he is only needed in emergencies or the occasional cup game. However, much like Heaton, Evans will bring in vital experience and a winning mentality which is key in any squad.
We then have the unreliables.
I don't mean to call Leny Yoro unreliable but as he is injured for three months, we obviously can't use him. Hopefully this doesn't become a chronic problem.
Luke Shaw is superb, when fit. The left-back hasn't played a game for United since the 2-1 win at Luton Town in February. He came off at halftime and that too, was after he had been out for a while previously.
When he is available, what a player he is but as he is not someone we can regularly call upon, it is a big problem.
And if Shaw wasn't bad enough, Tyrell Malacia.
I can't even remember the last time he played for United as he has been out for OVER A YEAR!
I know it sounds far-fetched but he has truly been MIA for more than 12 months. That absence will extend because Erik ten Hag said recently-ish that the defender will miss a further 2 months.
Even then, I'm not sure when he will actually be back playing for MUFC.
Yeah, we got a problem at left-back.
Midfielders
He is still listed as an MUFC midfielder but it is still unclear whether Sofyan Amrabat is actually a United player.
The Moroccan spent last season on loan at Old Trafford doing a relatively decent job especially towards the backend of the campaign yet there is still no word on Amrabat's future.
A big season ahead for Mason Mount as he was another who was plagued with injuries throughout his first year at United. Let's hope that that was just a season to forget and it isn't anything continuous in terms of those injuries.
In saying that, I still don't know why we bought him and where he actually fits in. He's no CDM so can't play there; he can't start ahead of Kobbie Mainoo or Bruno Fernandes; and while he can play out wide, that isn't his strength and probably won't start ahead of the likes of Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho or Amad.
He is the conundrum.
Captain Bruno Fernandes didn't have the most stellar of seasons last year (by his standards) when looking at his numbers although the magnifico still produced the most output in terms of goals and assists with 28, 10 more than the next best (Rasmus Hojlund).
We know that we can rely on the ever-present skipper. We need him too.
Then there are two more players that arguably shouldn't be here as well.
As much as I like them, Christian Eriksen and Casemiro appear to be past their sell-by dates.
After that horrific tackle on him by Andy Carroll in the FA Cup in 22/23, Eriksen just hasn't been the same. He came back out of form and started to pick up niggling injuries that kept him out for periods at a time causing him to not gain any rhythm to his game.
Casemiro just completely fell off from the player he was in his first campaign at United. That CDM was exactly what we needed in our team and is still what we need. A pity he forgot how to football over the past year - which resulted in him losing his spot in the national team despite being their captain - as that 22/23 version of Casemiro would make such a difference to the current side.
We probably needed him more last season than in his first given the amount of absences in the team.
At least he still maintained a strong output racking up 5 goals and 3 assists last term adding to his 7 goals and 7 assists from the previous campaign.
Facundo Pellistri is a player who probably needs to leave for himself. At 22-years-old, he has wasted a few years of his career at United having not been given that much game time since his arrival in 20/21.
The Uruguayan has been on loan a couple of times but has never really had that opportunity in a United shirt.
Kobbie Mainoo. I feel like I don't need to say anything about the best midfielder in the world.
Whereas with Scott McTominay, I feel like I could write a book on him.
I've never really understood the hype with this player. 'Scotty' has his useful attributes - physical, good in the air, good in the box, great attitude - but in his all round game, lacks the quality needed to be a United player.
Yet somehow, he's managed to be a first-team regular for multiple managers. So obviously he's doing something right.
That, or maybe he's got some dirt on them 😜.
With Fulham seriously interested in him, I think that would be a good move for all parties. Whether it will happen or not remains to be seen.
Dan Gore is a youngster whom we cannot put too much pressure on and Hannibal Mejbri is a player I seriously don't know what's good about him.
I mean no disrespect to him, but he is worse than McTominay.
Mejbri needs to go.
Forwards
Another injury to United as Rasmus Hojlund will be out for 6 weeks!
After scoring in the defeat to Arsenal in pre-season, Hojlund had to be substituted not long after thanks to what appeared to be a bit of a knock.
Nothing too serious.
After examination though, it was bad news as the striker would miss the first month or so of the campaign.
Marcus Rashford is a player whom we don't know what to expect. With there being rumors of a potential departure, there wasn't much of an uproar from fans at the Manchester-born, MUFC lifelong fan's potential departure.
That should tell you everything.
This is a massive season for him. Perhaps a last chance?
Amad is similar to Pellistri in that he hasn't received as much playing time as he warranted. The young Ivorian also joined in the 20/21 transfer window but has hardly featured for United.
He too was sent out on loan to the likes of Rangers and Sunderland. He did so well in fact, that he was awarded Sunderland's young player of the year which indicates just how good he can be.
Amad was eventually rewarded with his hard work as he was given that deserved game time. He repaid his manager by putting in some superb performances. He continued that form in pre-season as he was the absolute standout best player on tour.
I think he should be starting on the right.
And on the left should be Alejandro Garnacho.
Just like Mainoo, I don't think I need to say much about this young star boy.
Antony is unknown because I do believe there is a player there that has something to his game but it's about finding it and then displaying it consistently.
In his third season, Antony can't afford any slip-ups or regular bad performances, if he gets into the side as that is probably his main concern.
All of Rashford, Garnacho, Amad and maybe even Jadon Sancho are all ahead of him.
Speaking of Sancho, what his future is is anybody's guess. I've always felt that he is a player who suits the manager's ideal style perfectly but that it was more about his attitude rather than ability.
Joshua Zirkzee is in the same boat as Leny Yoro: unknown. Much like Hojlund in his first season, we will have to give Zirkzee time as we cannot expect too much from him from the off.
Although with Hojlund's injury, we made need it. Zirkzee himself will probably want to hit the ground running as this is his chance to make that striker spot his own. He will also have more one-on-one time with Ruud van Nistelrooy and who better to learn from than arguably the greatest Dutch striker of all time?
This squad is based on those listed on the Man Utd website.
Final Thoughts
A lot of that squad is just not good enough. Other than a handful of players, I don't believe we have anywhere near the quality we require to be competing for the title.
Lisandro Martinez, Diogo Dalot, Bruno Fernandes, Kobbie Mainoo, Rasmus Hojlund, potentially Amad (if given the game time), and Alejandro Garnacho are the only ones I think we can truly rely on.
Just 7 out of 29 players.
I'm not saying that all of the rest are shite but we don't know what we're going to get from the likes of Andre Onana, Leny Yoro, Mason Mount, Casemiro, Marcus Rashford, Antony and Joshua Zirkzee.
The rest are all simply not good enough or unreliable.
This is why we needed players like Matthijs De Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, Manuel Ugarte and others as they are players who are an improvement to the current squad and are more reliable than who we have.
They will also be better equipped to play ten Hag ball compared to several of the current group.
The fact that we still have so many who are not Man Utd players could result in another difficult season. All the promise of the transfer window and prospect of a better campaign ahead has disappeared with the lack of action in recent weeks.
Changes need to be made otherwise I don't doubt we will be looking at 6th, 7th or 8th in the league again and resting our hopes on winning some silverware to salvage a terrible campaign.
At this rate, I fear that the 'Erik ten Hag out' chants will return.
But with that squad, where do you think United will finish?
Or do you think we are finished?
Background Image: Erik ten Hag overlooking his team's preparations during pre-season | Image via Manchester United official X (@ManUtd)