By Rasmus Lukunka

After a stunning start to the season, Manchester United has recently faced its fair share of challenges. These include an historic loss to their noisy neighbours who consequently leapt 5 points clear, a loss on home soil to Crystal Palace which dumped them out of the Carling Cup and the most shocking and costly defeat at the hands of Basel ending the road in the Champions League.

As to be expected and especially considering the success United has had over the past 20+ years – the executioners are out. They’re licking their lips with razor sharp teeth, ready to take a bite. They’re greeting every slip-up United experience with loud cheer and euphoria!

It usually takes me 45 minutes to an hour to write an article. This one took less only because I can empathise. How? As a Manchester United fan I feel the same way about Barcelona. The difference is I’ve been feeling this way towards Barcelona for maybe four or five years. I can’t imagine what I’d do if Barcelona dominated the Champions League for as long as United have dominated the Premier League and other domestic competitions. Plus that’s in addition to two Champions League and the World Club Championship trophies.

That’s my daily dose of empathy. Now allow me to share a perspective with my fellow Manchester United supports who are sounding like executioners. First of all, I applaud United fans for expecting to win every game. That’s what makes United unique. I also agree that we probably have some players who should move on. Sir Alex will deal those cards when the time is right. Remember, United is a club that cares about it’s players. Big name or not, players are treated with respect and are a part of the team. That’s a difference compared to clubs that only embrace a core group of players; they’re the clubs who end-up changing managers once every few seasons or two….or fail to take home the trophies!

Back to the executioners, most United fans echoing that anthem have identified the likes of Fletcher, Carrick, and other Midfielders as the weak links. The fact is that United have experienced a lot of injuries, perhaps slightly more than others. But the key here is simply the fact that Sir Alex invested in Smalling and Jones with the hope of having a healthier season to the likes of Vidic, Evra, Da Silva’s, Evans, and Rio. Obviously that “hope” has not delivered. The bottom line is that Smalling, Jones, and the Da Silva twins have not been given the opportunity to master their trade in defense. They’re young, vibrant, and adventurous – they’re offensive minded defenders. The drawback is that other teams are catching United on the counter. The young defenders are being caught out of position, specifically on crosses and set-lays.

Fletcher, Carrick, and others are offensive midfielders. United are struggling because players are selfless and have had to sacrifice their preferred positions for the good of the team. They’re soldiers who will put their lives on the line for the club. Similar to Rooney, Phil Jones, Smalling and others, they’ll play anywhere. They just want to play. Sometimes it’s worked in United’s favour and other times it hasn’t. I can name a dozen players at other clubs who would throw a 2-year old’s tantrum if played in a role other than their desired position.

So, what’s the solution? Sir Alex will tell you. What United needs is a defensive Midfielder. Someone with the ability to breakdown or mitigate the danger in the event our adventurous defenders decide to roam. The last thing we want is to limit our youngsters from expressing themselves on the pitch. However, we also have to be prepared to deal with the danger.

At the end of the 90 minutes, United will carry on. There will be more slip-ups along the way. As long as our youngsters continue to develop and show the maturity, United will deliver. Love them or hate them, Manchester United make history. And history cannot be erased.