Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United side are not well-balanced enough to challenge Manchester City for the Premier League title this season.
The Reds are currently 16 points behind their local title rivals, and Danny Murphy believes that is due to an ‘imbalance’ in the team.
Man United have shown glimpses of utter brilliance this season, but their inconsistency has seen them drop silly points and succumb to Man City.
“If you look at City, who will win league and comfortably, Fernandinho sits and De Bruyne and Silva spread the pitch,” said Murphy.
“Occasionally Silva or De Bruyne will drop in and they mix it up, when to stay away and that is worked on by the manager.
“Mourinho prefers a 4-2-3-1 formation with two holding players.
“The formation doesn’t change, just a personnel change.
“Pogba can adapt to different formations.
“I’ll like to see him not have a free role, well everyone has to defend, but I’ll like to let him go and influence games and have a couple around him that can do a bit.
“You can’t just have Matic, but find a place for Pogba.
“While United have lots of quality going forward, there’s still an imbalance. They don’t play out enough with the quality they’ve got.”
The argument that United are imbalance is correct. It’s shown in games this season, where the transition from defence to attack has been poor at times, and in big games like Chelsea away at Stamford Bridge or Tottenham Hotspur away at Wembley and Manchester City at home. United’s midfield has been found out, leaving their defence weaker, too.
“They [United] can be hot and cold,” Murphy continued. “They can win four in a row and be goalless against a smaller team.
“City are very definitive. You know they will pass it out and they will overplay.
“If you continue to press them and press them, you’ll get done.
“They just keep trying to do that and it’s murder to play against.”
Murphy is right to an extent in implying that City have an identity and United do not. But most Reds, at the moment, only care about winning.