Man United need to get back into the Champions League next season and right now they have two avenues via which they can fulfil their dreams.
They could obviously finish in the top four in the Premier League and qualify for the group stages or they could win the Europa League and move to the top tier of Europe. But no matter what happens, after the draw against Southampton, everyone is sure that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer needs to bring in some new players during the upcoming summer transfer window.
Their defence looked considerably shaky when the Saints took charge of the game and Paul Parker has admitted that there’s a fair bit of work to do in the upcoming months.
The former Red Devils full-back told Eurosport, as per Goal: “Anything but top four will be seen as a failure for Manchester United unless they win the Europa League and get into the Champions League from the side.
“Everyone would be content with that, but because they gave themselves a chance of top four and had the opportunity to get there and failed if they don’t get there now everyone will look at the Saints game and throw it at Manchester United.
“One of the reasons why everyone is upset is because everything’s gone so well. It’s gone well pre-lockdown, post lockdown, but you have to say the previous two performances against Bournemouth and Aston Villa weren’t as assured as the Brighton game where they were very, very clinical.
“There were too many passes in the final third against Bournemouth and maybe the same can be said for the game against Southampton.
“When you look at Saints’ form, they’re decent, it’s going to be their most difficult game may be left, and it proved to be that way. The first goal United gave away was awful, you can question Paul Pogba in possession but also the weaker part of defence is on the left-hand side of defence, Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw were found wanting.
“At this moment in time, the weak spot in United is the defence.
“I think the back four needs organisation and leadership and at this time there’s no one holding it together. They need another centre-half, and he needs to be left-sided because Maguire can’t play on the left side.
“Brandon Williams needs to come in at left-back too. I thought he deserved an opportunity pre lockdown and now he should start playing regularly, it’s important he gets more game time.
“You also have to look at what happened to United when their best two midfielders came off the pitch [Pogba and Bruno Fernandes], they just had nothing going forward and everything was backs to the wall, they just sat so deep and went defensive. It’s a shame they couldn’t get three points, but a draw was a fair result.”
Man United are expected to bring in Jadon Sancho and a new defensive midfielder during the summer and if Solskjaer’s conversation with Nathan Ake is anything to go by then the Norwegian boss is also keen to add a left-footed centre-back to his ranks before the 2020-21 season kicks off in late August or late September.
