Manchester United face a critical month in the EPL title aspirations. On paper, the team seems to have a key advantage over other rivals. As the second half of the season continues, online soccer betting on all major competitive leagues and matches will become more interesting. There is bound to be surprising results and disappointments as teams fight for different ambitions.
Over the weekend, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer continued to show the fans why he is the right manager for Manchester United. United overcame their bitter rivals Liverpool 3-2 in a thrilling FA Cup fourth round encounter. So far, the Red Devil’s manager has managed to get the team playing the way he wants. Their counter-attacking football has seen them win many matches even after falling behind.
However, in their win over Klopp’s men, Ole seemed to have decided to focus on his squad’s strength. They played the game on their own terms rather than trying to suffocate the opponent’s attempts. The win also highlighted the squad’s depth.
In some games, Ole has struggled in getting his team selection right. For instance, he makes wholesale changes to the squad, which affects match rhythm and tempo. In other instances, he has insisted on playing key squad players while they deserved to be rested. Such decisions have saw them fail to take advantage of their chances in the Champions League group stage matches.
Punters on Betway will agree that they have lost some “sure bets” because of such decisions. The game against Liverpool might have vindicated Ole somehow as his changes worked. Donny Van De Beek did okay as Bruno Fernandes got the rest he deserved.
The team that saw off Liverpool might not have been the strongest, but it showed how the strength in their squad depth, which separates them from their rivals. It also emphasized the Red Devil’s key advantage over their opponents. It is a seed that Ole sowed when he arrived at the club as a manager.
Ole and his team usually utilize a core group of players with real competition for a place in the starting lineup. This is a strategy he learned during his time as a player at the club. The United manager has also been keen to underline the unusual nature of the season. It is not that simple even for punters on Betway to predict how the table will look like two weeks from now.
United registered another strange result mid-week when they lost to bottom-placed Sheffield United and lost the chance to go back at the top of the table. This result showed the bizarre nature of the league this season as the loss came at Old Trafford.
Be that as it may, there is not so much significance in being top of the league at the moment. What really matters is where the team finishes at the end of the season. In this regard, United have a secret weapon in their squad depth, which, if Ole and his team utilize well, could give them an advantage over their opponents. The other title contenders have squad issues to deal with. Manchester City is without their talisman Kevin De Bruyne for up to six weeks while Liverpool looks shaky in their defense. Leicester City has also lost Vardy for the next few weeks. If United can take advantage of their opponents’ gaps, they will sustain a real title challenge.
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