Pundit Danny Murphy has explained why Manchester United will not be able to finish in the top four this season, despite some players having to work “much more”.
Manchester United were on the brink of being sacked at the start of this season, but have improved in recent weeks as pressure has eased on head coach Ruben Amorim.
For the first time in Amorim’s tenure, Man United won back-to-back Premier League games against Sunderland and Liverpool, followed by a 4-2 victory over Brighton.
Summer signings Senne Lamence, Brian Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesco have had a positive impact in recent games, increasing optimism at Man United, with the Premier League giants sitting sixth in the table after nine games.
Despite this, former Liverpool star Murphy said Man United cannot finish in the top four this season as they are “heavily reliant” on certain players.
“I think there has been some progress in terms of how they set up,” Murphy told talkSPORT.
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“The system is the same, but they have done things a little differently this season. They are harder to beat, have better front players and look more organised, so they have created more chances.”
“I think his problem is that in certain games, players are playing the wrong role, which is a little bit different from the system.
“But I think if they go for the win, they’re going to have great momentum, good running, a feel-good factor and a drop in pressure.
“In that case, if they do well they have a realistic chance of getting into the top six, top seven or even top four, but I don’t think so because they rely so much on some of their front boys.”
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Murphy also insists Manchester United’s wing-backs need to do “more”, with pundits naming Amad Diallo, Patrick Dorg and Diogo Dalot, who have played the most minutes in the side this season.
“I still think they can get a little more out of their wing-backs,” Murphy added.
“If you think about the teams that have run that system and had great success, the wing-backs have done really well.
“When Chelsea won the league with a 3-4-3, Alonso and Moses were regularly scoring and assisting.
“I like Dalot. He’s a talented player, but is he really a wing-back? He’s a right-handed player who plays as a left wing-back.”
Asked how he could do more, Murphy said: “Goals and assists. If you’re playing wing-back, you’re playing in great areas, really. I’m not talking double figures, but you need to contribute (with goals and assists).”
