Man United may currently find themselves in the top four of the Premier League and less than 10 points behind leaders Arsenal, but they are not in the title race.
That is the view of former Aston Villa and Liverpool attacker Stan Collymore, who believes the Red Devils have ‘zero chance’ of lifting the Premier League this season.
United have been quietly going about their business. After ending the year with a late win against Fulham before parting ways for the winter World Cup and then coming back and stringing together three straight wins against Forest, Wolves and most recently Bournemouth, the Red Devils now find themselves nine points behind. from Arsenal and only four. rivals Man City.
However, despite Erik Ten Hag’s progress since taking over at Old Trafford last summer, Collymore believes the 20-time league winners are still a couple of years away from facing a serious title challenge.
“I’ve seen a lot of talk recently about Man United being in the title race, but sorry guys, not to me,” Collymore said in an exclusive interview.
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“I think there is no chance that they will end up seriously fighting for the Premier League title this season. They’re not good enough right now to put together a 10-game winning streak. They also don’t have the depth of squad like their Manchester rivals.
“When I look at this United team, I see the seeds of what Arsenal have done and that is to have a manager in Erik Ten Hag who prefers to develop the younger players in his squad, and I think that philosophy will ensure two things: progress, but also inconsistent performances along the way.
“Ten Hag also doesn’t seem like the type of manager to push for big signings in an attempt to drastically change his plans for his squad, so it will take longer for them to mount a real title challenge.
“In terms of what would be a successful domestic season this year, I think the top four would be mission accomplished. Also worth saying: my opinion on this wouldn’t change even if they go out and beat Man City later this month because let’s not forget, we’re only halfway through the season. There’s a long way to go and I just don’t think they’re good enough to put together the type of run required to sustain a title challenge. Simple as that.”
What do you think? – Can Man United challenge the likes of Arsenal and Man City, or will they stop doing so as the season progresses? – Let us know in the comments.
