Off the Crossbar: Not so far off

With Liverpool establishing itself as one of the top clubs in the world following its Champions League title last season and Manchester United in disarray, it is hard not to compare the current situation to the 1990s. Liverpool, then, was the winningest club in England, with 18 titles to its name. It would have sounded ludicrous at the time to say that the team would go without a league crown for the next 30 years. But here we are in 2019, with Liverpool only now getting back to the heights of the ’80s.

United’s period of dominance almost directly coincided with Liverpool’s downfall. As the Reds’ form fell, Sir Alex Ferguson’s side assumed its position as England’s top club, winning 13 of the first 21 league crowns during the Premier League era (post 1992–93). But after its legendary manager’s retirement, United has struggled mightily. And, just as it happened with United in the ’90s, Liverpool is now ascending to the top of the pile. When the two sides met at Old Trafford this past weekend, the match had the potential to send United’s season in two vastly different directions. A tough loss would have put even more pressure on manager Solskjaer, and while the United board has publicly assured him job safety, patience would have started to wear thin. A positive result, though, had the potential to turn United’s dismal season around.

The match finished 1–1, with Liverpool (who had won all eight of its matches this season) grabbing a late equalizer through Adam Lallana. Despite conceding possession to its opponents, United was in control for a large portion of the game following Marcus Rashford’s opener and kept a dangerous Liverpool attack relatively in check. The game followed a pattern from many of United’s games this season, where the defense looks solid and doesn’t concede many chances, but the attack is listless.

United’s offensive struggles highlighted the need for some signings both this January and next summer, but if the team manages to hit on those purchases, Solskjaer’s men may not be as far away from England’s elite as it seems. In de Gea, Maguire, Wan-Bissaka, Shaw, Martial, Pogba, Rashford and James, the Red Devils have eight young, proven players who figure to be fixtures in the side for years to come. After missing badly on the Fred signing, United desperately needed reinforcements in midfield, one to replace the industrious Ander Herrera in the center of the park and one to add a bit of quality in a more attacking area where Andreas Pereira started over the weekend.

With Martial, Pogba and Shaw set to return soon after missing a large part of the season so far, United’s momentum seems to be on the rise following this positive result. Adding a couple of players could catapult this United side back into the upper reaches of the Premier League. Solskjaer has done well so far with Maguire, Wan-Bissaka and James, and if he can connect on a few more over the next couple of windows, it certainly won’t be 30 years before United wins its next Premier League title.