For Manchester United, a disastrous start goes beyond just a manager

Manchester United is in 18th place as the Premier League heads into a two-week international break. The start — Manchester United’s worst since 1986 — is unthinkable for one of the world’s richest and most popular clubs. Just last season, it finished third behind Arsenal and Manchester City and showed signs of competing for a title in the near future.

Now it’s in disarray. Much of the blame has been placed on manager Michael Carrick, who is expected to be relieved of his duties as soon as this week.

The most glaring issues are defensive, as United has conceded 19 goals in the Premier League. That’s the same number as newly promoted side Coventry City, whose squad costs about one-third as much as United’s. Injuries and lack of roster depth have forced the team to shuffle different combinations of players from game to game. Fans have bemoaned the club’s decision not to sign any new defenders over the summer.

Critics have also pointed to one of the simplest parts of the game — running. Per Gradient Sports data, Manchester United is 19th out of 20 in the league in both distance covered and average maximum speed. Statistics like those never…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/business