Manchester United are leaving with one caveat this season for a real title challenge. Just sign a midfielder, FFS.

As for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Manchester United had a summer transfer plan and they implemented it perfectly.

“I don’t think much is going to happen. If something happens, it’s a bonus. You never know what is going to happen in the world of football. But we had a very good window. I am satisfied with what we have done. “

He has every reason to be satisfied with the deals that have been made, even though it will take one of them almost two years to close. Two areas where there was a lack of quality were reinforced. But suggesting more would be a “bonus”, given the blatant lack of quality in what should perhaps have been the first of three priorities this summer is either a sign of negligence or misguided optimism.

United start the season with three defensive midfielders. One of them (the best of them) has just had surgery, another is slow and getting slower, and the last one continues to confuse football eExistentialists around the world – what’s the point of Fred?

It has been speculated that Solskjaers The ideal formation would only see one player shielding the back four in a 4-3-3 with two other forward-thinking midfielders, but there is absolutely no evidence that this is actually his preference. He has a. used Double pivot point in the first two Premier League games of the season, just like all of last season and most of the season before that.

Title rivals Chelsea, like United, have three options for their two defending champions, but one of them is close to victory UEFA Men’s Player of the Year, another was a candidate for the same award and the third, Mateo Kovacic, would start Solskjaer’s XI. Injuries in this area could be a problem for Thomas Tuchel, but if they stay fit, the German boss could borrow his colleague’s formulation: An addition would be a bonus for him.

But given the same lack of depth as Chelsea and, more importantly, the relative talent of the options, Solskjaer’s same perspective – if it’s real – is truly enigmatic.

United have been linked to midfielders – Eduardo Camavinga, Ruben Neves, Saul Niguez – who would all represent an improvement, but reports suggest those potential moves have now been taken was discontinued because Paul Pogba is staying for another season. How did you come to this conclusion? It’s like a fog of dementia has settled over Old Trafford.

They know Pogba can’t play there. It would be great if he could, but they tried; it doesn’t work. If they had a world-class defensive midfielder it could be, but France found out at their expense that even N’Golo Kante is struggling to cover him and United don’t have anyone close to that level. Pogba is not a defensive midfielder, we can all see that, and so does Solskjaer – the Frenchman played brilliantly in the first two games ahead of Bruno Fernandes on the left.

Instead of pulling Pogba deeper and limiting him and the team with defensive responsibilities, just let Pogba be Pogba and sign someone who is both not like him but much closer to his level than Nemanja McFred. No disrespect to Brighton, but Yves Bissouma plays for Brighton. Offer him £ 80,000 a week, give them £ 40 million and put him right on the team.

Because if they don’t, it will be used as an excuse a few weeks later. Poor old Manchester United doesn’t have the players to compete with Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool. Another signing and they could have had a chance. But that’s not looking back: we all know why United won’t win the title as things stand – it’s incredibly obvious and incredibly frustrating. Stop leaving yourself with reservations and take the final step. It’s right there.

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