5 Things Manchester United Need to Do to Finish the Season

Speculation has been rife of late in the Manchester United camp, and rumors questioning David Moyes' position as the manager of the club are only set to increase if they can't produce a string of decent results to finish off the season.

Most fans are in agreement that fourth place in the Premier League is now out of reach, and despite beating Olympiakos, 3-0, in the second leg of their last 16 game of the Champions League, winning the entire competition also seems unlikely.

There are 27 points available with nine games left in the season. If United could muster up enough to collect even 18 of these, it might give fans an impetus to support the Scotsman after a difficult first season in charge.

Transfers in the summer are inevitable, but here are five things that Moyes must do now in order to have a tranquil end to a tumultuous season.

Become More Fluid in Attack

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Juan Mata needs to be utilized correctly

The front four of Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney, Juan Mata and Adnan Januzaj must become a more fluid unit in the last few games of the season.

We have seen how constrained Mata can be when he doesn't have the freedom of the whole front line, and being stuck out on the right wing does not suit a player with his creative instinct.

A free-flowing, fluid attack would really help Mata embed himself in the team while also giving him a chance to make Spain's World Cup squad.

Rooney's inconsistency sometimes stems from his versatility and his ability to play in so many positions. In order to accommodate him, let him work the entire front line. Rooney can chase down opponents while being an option on counter-attacks. He can also be an outlet up front while pushing left and right to make space for the other forwards.

Van Persie is as experienced a campaigner as you will find, is as technically gifted as anyone the Premier League has to offer and can open up defences with a through ball as quickly as he can slot one home.

Having the luxury of sending him out wide while Rooney explodes through the middle would add another dimension to this attacking unit.

Januzaj, while still very young, has a confidence about him that is rare in such young players. With Shinji Kagawa on the sidelines ready to come in if necessary, this attacking four of United could be the platform for a decent run at the end of the league.

If Moyes can work on this fluidity in training, mixed with the experience these players possess, the team and its fans will start to benefit in the very near future.

Set out a Media Strategy with All Players on the Same Page

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Danny Welbeck's work ethic was called into question

Whether or not Moyes survives the summer is one thing, but while he is still in charge, he should make it a point to set out a definitive media strategy and share it with all of his players so everyone is on the same page when it comes to handling interviews and the media.

From criticising Danny Welbeck's work ethic, per the Daily Mail, to clearly not knowing that van Persie had conducted a rather insightful interview, per the Manchester United official website, there have been several cases of miscommunication when it came to publicly speaking about each other.

Whether it is Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or a second-division side in Denmark, the professionalism should remain the same. Moyes and Manchester United should keep up appearances as best they can and ride the storm until the summer—and the World Cup—catches the attention of the public.

Settle on a Back Four

Associated Press

Decide on a position for the youngsters in defense

The defence, in general, is in transition, and there are a lot of uncertainties within the group.

Nemanja Vidic has already signed a contract with Inter, and it would appear that given Rio Ferdinand's lack of game action that his time could also be up in Manchester.

Moyes should stick with the young players who will most likely be with United next year. He has not been afforded the services of Phil Jones for part of the season due to injury, but it would be wise for Moyes to try and get Jones a run of games at centre-back if he plans on going forward with him at that position.

It would appear that Chris Smalling and Jonny Evans will compete for the other centre-half position. Moyes could also drop Rafael if his plan is to sell the Brazilian in the summer, especially if the rumors of Seamus Coleman to United, according to David McDonnell of the Daily Mirror (h/t Metro), are to be believed

Either way, Moyes needs to start thinking about next year. The sooner he gets an idea of who he wants at the back, the better it will be for United to start building a new identity, as well as grooming leaders on the field to replace Vidic and Ferdinand.

Protect the Youngsters in the Squad

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David De Gea's goalkeeping has been a positive this season

Moyes needs to protect his youngsters for the remainder of the season.

David de Gea has been left completely open to all sorts of shots raining in on top of him. While this would stem from the issues talked about in the previous slide, Moyes should consider this a priority going forward.

De Gea's development and shot-stopping have been some of the only positives to take from this year, but he is liable to grow disillusioned if the cover isn't there and the effort is not made to sure up the defence in the remaining games.

The frustration that has led to Januzaj picking up six yellow cards in 22 games this season should also be nipped in the bud. While many Manchester United fans enjoy this aggressive side to the youngster's game, it will mean nothing if it becomes a facet of his game that he can't control, as we saw with Wayne Rooney in the earliest years of his Manchester United career.

Moyes will need the likes of de Gea and Januzaj if he is to mount a comeback next year. In order to do this, he must protect them as best he can from the meltdown that is happening at Old Trafford at the moment.

Pick and Name His New Captain

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Wayne Rooney is being tipped to take over as captain from Nemanja Vidic

Few candidates have stepped up to the plate and made a case for themselves to captain Manchester United going forward, but Moyes must have some idea as to who he is leaning towards.

It would go a long way to instill confidence in the player he names and would also show that Moyes can make a decision while also thinking ahead of the crisis and into next season.

It might add some much-needed freshness to a team that has largely gone stale, and it might cause the player who is named to use it as an incentive to drive the others through what might prove to be the most draining few weeks of most of their careers.

Conclusion

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David Moyes needs to ride the wave of negativity until the end of the season

While the damage is largely done with defeats in the FA Cup and Capitol One Cup to Swansea and Sunderland, respectively, as well as one of the worst title defences in recent history, it would bode well for many Manchester United fans and players to see Moyes trying some of these things in the hope that it would cause a domino effect of positivity.

Most United fans just can't wait for the last day of the season to be over, but it doesn't have to be all doom and gloom if United can string together a few half-decent performances to prove there is still life in the Red Devils yet.