Stretty News writers have their say on Manchester United's 2021/22 season
Manchester United must look at the problems this season and try to fix them as soon as possible. We can't let the rot continue on the pitch - because it's forever lasting up stairs with the Glazers.
Thankfully the season is over.
As editor of Stretty News, I want to thank all of the Reds who have read the blog this season.
In strange, tough times, we’ve done our best to bring you everything you need to know about Manchester United.
I’m already thinking about next season (in a good way!).
Hopefully we can end Erik ten Hag’s first campaign on a better note.
Without further ado, I’ve rounded up the writers to give their final verdicts on the 2021/22 season. You can read the article in full here.
Dale O’Donnell, editor
Season rating: 2/10.
Best performance of the season: First game of the season, winning 5-1 against Leeds. Now that I think back, it may have been the case that Leeds were so crap that they made us look good…
Player of the season: Ronaldo. Although his homecoming did not go to plan this season, I believe Ronaldo silenced a lot of critics, especially those who said he was too old for the Premier League. Imagine where we would have ended up without his goals?
Player who should be moved on: Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
Worst moment of the season: Losing 5-0 to Liverpool at home.
Rangnick review and looking ahead to Ten Hag: Unfortunately, the players threw the towel in and Solskjaer’s job became untenable, but the results didn’t pick up under Rangnick. Ten Hag has a huge job on his hands and I am excited to see if he can build an identity on the pitch.
One observation to take into next season (on/off the pitch): Come up with a better contract strategy going forward. We are now making mistakes that Arsenal made years ago due to incompetence. In hindsight, why didn’t we cash in on Pogba and Lingard last year?
Brian Murphy, writer
Season rating: 1/10 – one point granted because we actually finished out the season and don’t just sack it all off.
Best performance of the season: Leeds at home. It was the moment we all placed a nifty fifty on United winning the league at 8/1, we were back and there was nothing anybody could do about it. That is expect for the managers, the players, the staff and the owners, they had different plans for us.
Player of the season: It’s quite obviously Ronaldo. I’m no massive fan of the man who once claimed we treated him as a “slave”, but credit where it’s due, he embarrassed teammates much his junior with effort and output. A rare upside to the season.
Player who should be moved on: Surely this should be plural and plentiful, but I’d I have to choose just the one: Paul Pogba. Took the fans for a ride for the last number of years, publicly lambasted the club via the medium of his agent and was an all round disaster, more focused on taking photos with Steph Curry than putting in a shift to try get 3 points. Au revoir.
Worst moment of the season: Toss up between being standing in Anfield watching us get absolutely mauled as our arch enemies took the proverbial Michael out of us, or when the fourth went in at the Amex, and the realisation that the majority of the team simply couldn’t care less about any one of us fans.
Rangnick review and looking ahead to Ten Hag: Rangnick was a masterclass in failure by the club. An interim manager? Dear lord… akin to a substitute teacher in school, zero respect shown by the players, his only defence was to throw them under the bus with the press and they reacted in kind by throwing (yet another) manager under the bus on the pitch with their lack of performance.
One observation to take into next season: It’s time to take the power back from the players, they’ve had their cake and are it for far too long. The age old adage that no player is bigger than the club needs to be hammered home to them, if that means cutting our losses with some notable names as sacrificial lambs and making an example of them, I’m all for it.
Get more reflections from the season here.