At the very beginning of this season I had great hopes for the club either matching or exceeding the performances of the previous season. After all, we did not have a recognized striker and somehow still managed to pick up the Carabao Cup and finish third in the league.
Those hopes were quickly dashed when it was revealed that our new striker, Rasmus Hojlund, had arrived with a fractured back and had to sit out for a few months. That meant we had to go with our previous season's top scorer, Marcus Rashford, playing as a striker and an 18yr old kid, Garnacho, on the left wing in the first game of the season.
That game against Wolves also made it immediately obvious that Casemiro's poor form towards the end of the previous season was not just down to being tired and overworked. No! He was clearly slower. Wolves' midfielders seemed to be running rings around him. He could no longer play that holding role by himself.
The early cracks would only widen as the season progressed. Injuries to Shaw, Martinez, Varane, Lindeloff, Maguire, and Wan Bissaka ensured we never had a fit back four for most of the season. Suddenly, the last minute signing of 36yr old Johnny Evans didn't seem like such a bad idea. Without him, we wouldn't even have a center back on the field the past few games.
Ten Hag has endured 64 separate injuries and illness absentees since the season began. In fact, losing Bruno Fernandes to injury for the very first time in his career just expounds on the scale and weight of the injury crisis.
But as is to be expected of any Man United manager, Ten Hag hasn't been offered any grace in the press as a result of the injuries. Instead, some 'pundits' are asking for him to get sacked outrightly. Others claim that he doesn't know what he is doing, as if the numerous trophies he has won with different Ajax squads mean nothing.
Could it be that maybe, just maybe, the club needs a harmonized vision, from top to bottom, of how we want to play and then buy players to match that style of play instead of this mixed bag squad we currently have?
And it is already starting...
It is now official that Varane is leaving at the end of the season. He has been a great professional but if you want a good CB partnership, you need defenders that can stay fit for more than 3 consecutive games.
Furthermore, there is news from reputable sources suggesting that Casemiro is wanted by a Saudi club and Man United are willing to let him go.
The two players will save the club over £600,000 in wages.
Injury-prone Anthony Martial is also leaving on a free at the end of the season, which will save the club a further £200,000.
The much-needed clear-out is finally happening under the INEOS group. They are hiring professionals to make football decisions, unlike the Glazers who were content with only doing the bare minimum.
This season has revealed where all the rot is. It is now up to Omar Barreda and the new INEOS team to cut it all out. That is why Ten Hag is not done at Man United. In my opinion, next season would be his first as a proper Man United manager. I genuinely hope he is given the opportunity.