Sky Sports analysis: Manchester United's summer transfer campaign has left the squad limited and overly reliant on the same group of players, making it difficult for them to cope with the intensity of three matches a week.

"This will put some pressure on Manchester United. Next week they play Manchester City, and mid-week European competition begins."

Michael Carrick's words following Manchester United's 2:2 draw with Everton now seem quite prophetic. Although it's only September, he was right. The pressure is already mounting on Carrick, and this week suddenly feels like a turning point in the season.

When the Premier League fixtures for 2024/25 were announced, Manchester United statistically had the easiest first six games. Halfway through, they've dropped more points than they've gained.

The upcoming fixtures will only get tougher. As Neville noted, Manchester United will play their first Champions League match on Thursday evening against Azerbaijani champions Karabakh, and then, three days later, comes the first Manchester derby of the season.

Given the nature of these two opponents, Carrick will likely consider rotating on Thursday. This will also be the first real test of his squad depth, not just the starting lineup's quality. But is his bench deep enough?

The consensus is that Manchester United's summer transfer campaign has left the squad limited and overly reliant on the same group of players, making it difficult for them to cope with the intensity of three matches a week.

According to Transfermarkt, Manchester United actually has the second-largest squad in the Premier League. However, the problem lies in the structural imbalance of that squad.

They have the most attacking players, but the depth of their midfield ranks only 8th, and their defensive depth ranks 10th. Looking at specific positions, right-back depth ranks 9th, and left-back depth ranks 18th. Left-back has always been a key talking point, as Luke Shaw's injury history has left that position with long-term concerns.

However, they only have themselves to blame for this problem. Since 2022, only Everton and Liverpool have invested less in their defense than the Red Devils.

Squad imbalance is a serious issue, and another serious problem is the stark gap between the starting lineup and the team off the bench.

Although the club appears to face financial constraints, one cannot deny that Manchester United's net spending since 2022 is the highest among all Premier League clubs. Nevertheless, that money has yet to create a squad with genuine competition for positions.

Looking at the Everton match, Carrick made his first substitution in the 70th minute. The data comparison below shows some key changes from that point onwards and how the data would have looked had Manchester United maintained the same performance throughout the first 70 minutes.

In short, Manchester United's attacking zone shifted after substitutions. The team appeared more often in the opponent's half, but this didn't lead to more effective attacks, as the quality of their passes in the final third decreased and the number of chances created also fell.

Their physical engagement was also lower, which in turn put pressure back on them, giving the opposition more opportunities. Of course, Everton was pushing for a comeback at that point, and the situation had already changed from the first 70 minutes, so the final 20 minutes couldn't have been identical to the first 70.

But it also shows that when Carrick brought on the substitutes, they failed to deliver sufficient performance. Seko is obviously an exception, but one player changing the game doesn't indicate the team has adequate squad depth.

This trend was evident not only in the Everton match but also against Hull City.

You could look at this statistic and think: "Manchester United actually played better after substitutions." But in the starting lineup against Hull City, four players were ruled out for the next two matches. Carrick had to rotate more heavily early in the season because players were still building fitness. The substitutions in that match also brought the team closer to the lineup that will be used against Ipswich and Everton.

That's the problem. Even when Carrick changes fewer than half the team, the team's performance still declines. The fringe players have no choice but to step up, otherwise Carrick will be under pressure this week and throughout the entire season.

Yoro, Dalot, André Onana, or Zirkzee have an excellent opportunity Thursday evening to prove their worth to the squad.

Of course, they all want to play in the derby, but the first European match must start successfully. If selected, the pressure on them will be just as intense as on the main players who will likely start against Manchester City.

Neville talked about Carrick needing to win the fans' trust. The same applies to the players mentioned above. A win in the first Champions League match will temporarily ease many concerns; if they fail to deliver, the anxiety around Old Trafford will only intensify.

Переведено ИИ.

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