Playing for 90
Fansided

5 Christmas gifts fans of Manchester United deserve this season

By Abdullah Mamaniyat

Manchester United FC players celebrate after scoring a goal during the UEFA Europa League football match between FC Zorya Luhansk and Manchester United FC at the Chornomorets stadium in Odessa on December 8, 2016. / AFP / SERGEI SUPINSKY (Photo credit should read SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP/Getty Images)
Manchester United FC players celebrate after scoring a goal during the UEFA Europa League football match between FC Zorya Luhansk and Manchester United FC at the Chornomorets stadium in Odessa on December 8, 2016. / AFP / SERGEI SUPINSKY (Photo credit should read SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 6
Next
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 27: Trinity Statue outside Old Trafford for the Premier League match between Manchester United and West Ham United on November 27, 2016 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Mark Robinson/Getty Images)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 27: Trinity Statue outside Old Trafford for the Premier League match between Manchester United and West Ham United on November 27, 2016 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Mark Robinson/Getty Images) /

Tis’ the season to be jolly… And Manchester United fans should have the right to be recently, as their team has mustered up 4 wins on the bounce in December, maintaining an unbeaten record which extends from early November.

We decided to get our readers well into the holiday spirit by giving you the gift of Playing For 90; in particular, this edition is tailored towards the 5 Christmas gifts that Manchester United fans should get from their beloved club this season.

2016 has been a very up and down year for the Red Devils, like much of 2015 was. But looking ahead, United fans truly have more reason to be optimistic about the rest of this season and beyond, than they have had previously.

Jose Mourinho may have taken his time in assembling his very own Avengers, and it would be fair to say that Eric Bailly, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba and Henrik Mkhitaryan have all eventually solidified themselves as core figures in United’s redemption journey to the glory days. Nearly all of the previously existing players have met the demands that come with working under an elite manager like the Portuguese and knowing what he asks from his players – simultaneously pleasing the Old Trafford crowd with joyous football that was non-existent under Louis Van Gaal last season.

Senior figures like Antonio Valencia, Michael Carrick and Wayne Rooney have enjoyed their roles under Mourinho, whilst those seemingly deemed as ‘surplus’ or not good enough – Marcos Rojo, Phil Jones, Jesse Lingard and the likes –  have enjoyed excelling under the ex-Chelsea boss. In addition, quality assets with little to no identity in this team have found themselves an important one, a la Ander Herrera and Juan Mata.

With all this said, the signs are there for United to be fighting for the title, say, in a season’s time. A transitional season of the players feeling out the Mourinho system and vice versa may have been necessary to take this team to the next level.

That is not to say that this team has no flaws or room for improvement, because there are many. Some of those might well be included in the 5 ‘gifts’ that the Red Devils Fans should be asking from their team…

Home/Manchester United