Manchester United are third in the Premier League table and despite being 11 points adrift of Arsenal, they are still in the title fight with Arsenal and Manchester City.
People keep asking me if Manchester United can win the title. My Answer? They can, but they won’t!
I have to say though, they deserve massive credit – and obviously I have to choke down hard on these words – for the way in which the club has been transformed this season. I genuinely thought, and said as much last season, the entire foundations of the club needed rebuilding before they could go on and be truly competitive again
They seem to have skipped that stage entirely, which is remarkable. They are more than competitive and if things fall for them over the next few weeks, then they can definitely be in the title equation. I say they won’t win it purely because I still believe Manchester City will go on one of those runs where they are invincible.
Yet that should take nothing away from United or their manager Erik ten Hag – or Arsenal and Mikel Arteta, for that matter. Both of them have produced some compelling football this season and are where they are on merit.
I admire what they’ve achieved, but in this situation, I think City have more experience and knowledge about what’s required at the sharp end of the season. United and Arsenal have that as clubs, but not with these teams. Yet.
Let’s give credit where it’s due, though. What Ten Hag has done is impressive. He’s created the right environment around the club, and created the right atmosphere. That, for me, is the key to any club’s success.
It takes time to do that. Even Pep Guardiola took more than a season to do it at City, and Jurgen Klopp developed his environment over three or four years at Anfield. Ten Hag seems to have needed a few months.
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