Manchester United have just one game left of the 2020/21 season. And it’s a big one.
United assistant boss Mike Phelan sent a message out after the Wolves game, stating that preparation begins immediately for the Europa League final.
Really, United’s preparation was already well underway. Several key stars were rested for Sunday’s fixture.
David de Gea, Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Bruno Fernandes, Paul Pogba, Mason Greenwood, Marcus Rashford, and Edinson Cavani were among those to sit out.
With that in mind, United’s stand-ins played really well. Juan Mata scored the winner from the penalty spot in what could be his final game for the club.
Second place a position to build from
Phelan’s comments back Ole Gunnar Solskjaer up in his assessment of second place. The United management team are not satisfied.
This team led the Premier League in January, and while a bad run of form soon after saw them fall off badly, it showed that we were a lot closer than in previous seasons.
What happens next is important. United’s board blew it in 2018 after a second placed finish.
Top players need to arrive this summer, and while finishing 12 points behind City is a lot to overcome, there were a lot of easy points dropped by United this year, which could have been solved with a bit of ruthlessness, and some better defending.
The first step for this team is to believe they are winners. One game against Villarreal remains, with the chance to end the season with silverware.
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