New Year's Resolutions for Manchester United to Address in 2017

Manchester United, in a commendable move, have apparently decided to make an early start on their New Year's resolutions. On November 3, they lost away to Fenerbahce, and enough was enough. Since then, they remain unbeaten, having won eight and drawn three.

Lots of what would have ended up on their list of things to change have already been changed. The top four priorities have all been sorted with time to spare before the changing of the calendar.

Switch to 4-3-3 with Michael Carrick in the middle to get the best out of Paul Pogba?

Done.

Help Zlatan Ibrahimovic find his shooting boots again?

Done, in spectacular style. Ibrahimovic has 11 goals in his past 10 games. Throw in his three assists and he has been directly involved in 14 of the Red Devils' last 23 goals—and all of their last five.

Make manager Jose Mourinho somehow see reason on his handling of Henrikh Mkhitaryan?

Mourinho has seen reason, and it is beautiful. Mkhitaryan is a vital, thrilling part of United's first team now and has a goal in each of his last three appearances, including one that would be a lock for Goal of the Season had it not been offside.

Find a solid centre-back pairing?

Well. This is awkward. That has been done, too, and much to the shock of anyone time-travelling from the beginning of the season straight to the new year, it turns out it is Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo. No one saw that coming, but for now, that is what is happening.

However, as Mourinho said after the 3-1 win over Sunderland, there is still room for improvement. Let's take a look at what they still need to resolve to do better.

Sort out the results against top teams

Their recent good run has seen them face two other teams in the top six, both at Old Trafford, and they more or less did the job.

The draw against Arsenal in November was maddening because the Gunners offered precious little attacking threat until their late equaliser, but it was not a disaster. The win over Tottenham Hotspur in December was vital, but it was a narrow 1-0 victory. Relying on margins that fine is always a risk.

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Their other league games against the current top six this season saw them lose at home to Manchester City, get hammered at Stamford Bridge by Chelsea and play a back six for much of their 0-0 draw with Liverpool at Anfield.

All that means that in the first go-round, they have earned a total of five points from the five games against their fellow contenders for a Champions League spot. Given the deficit they face to those teams, it would seem likely they will have to get an improved haul from the reverse fixtures in the second half of the season.

Take precious care of Anthony Martial

Anthony Martial is a special talent. Last season's leading scorer for the Red Devils, in spite of starting around half his games on the left wing, Martial has struggled this season.

Between off-the-pitch distractions, the fact that he had his number taken from him with the arrival of Ibrahimovic and an injection of talent in positions that could otherwise have been his in the summer, it is no wonder he has lost some form. Plus, of course, it is pretty normal for young players to have ebbs and flows in their productivity.

But his wellbeing should be a priority for Mourinho. Ibrahimovic's presence is a wonderful tonic for the squad and could help them win some important trophies in his season or two at United, but in theory, Martial could be winning trophies with United a decade after the Swede retires.

Mourinho has, in fairness, made Martial a part of his plans of late. Assuming he is going to stick with the 4-3-3 that has yielded results in recent weeks, playing Martial on the left, Ibrahimovic through the middle and Mkhitaryan on the right should give United balance and penetration.

The manager needs to make sure he gets his handling of "Toto" right in 2017.

Give Marcus Rashford some time at centre-forward

In a similar vein to the above, Marcus Rashford must not be forgotten in the blaze of Ibrahimovic's glory. In truth, it should be a huge positive that the youngster does not have to carry the club's goalscoring ambitions on his shoulders. The less glaring spotlight should create an environment in which he can grow.

But he needs senior games at centre-forward sometimes. He can do a job in wider attacking roles, but last season, it was clear that he has a striker's instincts.

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Of course, there will probably not be much opportunity for out-and-out rotation given how important pretty much every game is between now and the end of the season.

However, if United are ever comfortably ahead before the last half hour of a game comes around, Mourinho should start replacing Ibrahimovic with Rashford, rather than bringing the youngster on out wide. It is important.

Bring in a new centre-back

Eric Bailly looks the real deal. Jones and Rojo are doing a great job for now, but it is surely only a matter of time before the former gets injured and the latter gets suspended for a rash challenge. Chris Smalling hit some decent form in 2015 but has dropped off this year. Daley Blind is evidently not a Mourinho centre-back.

The rumour mill has heavily linked United with Benfica's Victor Lindelof, with Portuguese outlet RTP saying "he will be handed the vacant No. 2 shirt at United," according to Liam Corless of the Mirror.

Lindelof is just 22, so presumably the long-term plan would be to build a partnership between him and Bailly. In the short term, he could act as cover for Jones in particular. The Englishman's injury record is such that good-quality cover is a must. This all seems like an eminently sensible solution.

Mourinho must keep cool on the touchline

Occasional fits of passion can be helpful to the team, focusing their minds and building that much-needed siege mentality. But while Mourinho's bank balance can likely withstand the impact of the fines he racks up from being sent to the stands during games, United need him on the touchline.

He is a manager capable of changing games for the better, but making good decisions requires a clear head. He obviously needs a degree of emotional engagement with what is going on in front of him. No one is advocating for a Louis van Gaal-style lack of presence in the technical area.

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But he needs to be aware of where the line is and stay the right side of it because United need him.

Those tweaks will help. In general, things look as if they are on a decent trajectory. If the Red Devils keep up their early resolutions, and add a few of these, it should be an excellent 2017 at Old Trafford.

Quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise stated.

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