Jamie Carragher says Manchester United fans must remain realistic about a title charge and “would be wise” to remember how Ole Gunnar Solskjaer fared after sitting top of the table halfway through the 2020/21 campaign.
Talk of United competing with Manchester City and Arsenal for the Premier League crown simmered after Wednesday’s draw with Crystal Palace. United’s win over City on Saturday meant a win over the Eagles and Arsenal on Saturday would have brought them within three points of the table-toppers.
However, their result against Palace means a win at the Emirates this weekend will only cut the gap to five points, and they would have to do so without Casemiro. The linchpin, arguably United’s best player this season, is suspended for the clash after picking up five yellow cards.
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Carragher didn’t play down the importance of Sunday’s clash but said it would reveal more about Arsenal than United, and that Reds fans ought to level out their title ambitions.
Writing in the Telegraph, he said: “It has been a long time, but an Arsenal versus Manchester United fixture will have a major influence on the Premier League title race again. For one of the participants, that is.
“Sunday’s outcome will tell us more about Arsenal’s chance of going the distance, not United’s. United are improving, but they are not championship material yet. Erik ten Hag knows that.
“‘The fans may dream but we’re not,’ he said when the gap was recently cut to six points. Ten Hag is not playing mind games.
"He recognises how far United must go, and it will be more helpful to him if the understandable excitement at how far the team has developed in six months is balanced by realism that it will take longer than a season to create a side capable of lifting the title.”
Carragher went on to praise Ten Hag but cast a comparison with Solskjaer during the 2020/21 season, when United finished second but 12 points off winners City after being top of the table at the midway point of the season.
Carragher continued: “Ten Hag has done exactly what you would anticipate from a good and competent coach taking over a club of United’s stature.
“That is not meant to sound like damning with faint praise. There is a lot more to admire about Ten Hag’s work than his immediate predecessors.
“United’s best moments this season – the victories over Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City especially – were built on organised defence and counter-attack.
“That is the only way they can hurt Arsenal at the Emirates, too. Ten Hag will know United are ready for the biggest honours when they have the same swagger [as Arsenal]. To get there, United must prepare for bumps in the road as the transition continues.
“Those predicting a United title so early in Ten Hag’s reign would be wise to remember how two years ago Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side were top of the league at the halfway point.
“Ten Hag is an upgrade on Solskjaer. That is already clear. But rewind to January 2021 and it was staggering how few people at United were prepared to accept the reality that they needed a top-level coach.
“Progress comes before title success and the difference between Sunday’s rivals is this: United are still at the start of Ten Hag’s journey to the promised land. Arsenal may be getting closer to the end of Arteta’s.”
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