In the 1990s and a part of the 2000s, the top Premier League club was Manchester United without a doubt. Led by Sir Alex Ferguson, the Red Devils were unstoppable for the biggest part of 20 years.
Arsenal’s invincible were unbeatable, sure, but Ferguson’s armada was always in the driving seat. However, the last title came in season 2012-2013 after which Sir Alex retired. From then on, things have gone downhill for United.
Up until this season, punters who know how to bet on football and win didn’t see United as a favourite. To make matters worse, bookies didn’t even put the Red Devils in the top three picks in the past few seasons.
The club’s restructured core failed to show any potential, and no pricey signings ever showed their quality. The Red Devils were a laughing stock for a while, but it seems that the team has been quietly working to return to the big stage all those years.
Let’s see what Yan Zhylinski, online-bookmakers.com leading analyst, has to say about the Red Revils’ resurgence.
New Blood
In late 2018, Manchester United legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took over managerial duty from the failing Jose Mourinho. Unproven in big leagues, Solskjaer accepted the challenge and started in fantastic fashion. Win after win and month after month, the fan’s confidence in the former Norwegian striker grew, so the signed a three-year extension in March 2019.
Just when everyone thought that the club is going in the right direction, the next season was a big fail for Solskjaer and the team. Even with expensive signings, United finished only 6th on the table and succumbed to a few embarrassing losses. Even worse, Manchester City was flying high, securing its fifth title.
Hopes were high for the 19-20 season, but once again, the Red Devils finished 3rd, well behind champions Liverpool and city rival Manchester City. Calls for a managerial change were pretty loud, but Solskjaer had the backing of the board. It’s fair to say that the fans were probably right.
This was a club with no direction, with only flashes of brilliance and no great results. Add to that the obviously failed signings such as the £80 million Harry Maguire from Leicester, and the pressure was expected.
A New Hope?
Before the beginning of the 20-21 season, the Red Devils had a pretty uneventful transfer window. The team signed Donny Van Der Beek from Ajax for £35 million and brought in Uruguayan legend Edinson Cavani for free. Alex Telles from Porto was also brought in and the season was ready to start.
To the dismay of many fans, Manchester United started the season in poor form. The Red Devils lost to Crystal Palace 1-3 on opening day and narrowly defeated Brighton in the next round.
The fourth round piled even more pressure on the management after the home 1-6 defeat to the Spurs and ex-United manager Jose Mourinho. Things didn’t improve a lot a few rounds later when the team suffered yet another home defeat, this time to Arsenal.
The top online betting sites buried the Red Devils deep down the table of outright favourites. And then, just like a Phoenix from its ashes, Manchester United reinvented itself. A bad string of results by current champions Liverpool saw both Manchester teams propel up the table.
The Red Devils might have been lagging by 10 points or more in one part of the season, but are currently riding high and look to have set their sights on the title. This is mostly thanks to the coherent play as a team led by brilliant performances by the fabulous Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba’s several late heroics.
There’s still a long way to go and a few derbies to win if the Red Devils are to win the title yet again. One thing is clear, though – this is a team of talents hungry for the title just like their manager. The Red Devils have reinvented themselves in the best way possible and shut the mouths of haters.
With a bit of luck, the club will win its 21st title, an absolute record in the PL. Just like United deserves.